The Pope’s Brother

“FROM THE start, my brother Georg has been to me not only a trusted friend but, through the clarity and strength of his decisions, a reliable guide as well. He has always shown me the way ahead, even during difficult times.” With these words, pronounced on August 22, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI expressed to the mayor of Castelgandolfo, the summer residence of the popes, his gratitude for granting honorary citizenship of the city of Castelgandolfo to Georg Ratzinger, his elder brother.



Benedict’s ‘reliable guide’, the last surviving member of the Pope’s family, paces briskly in his home in Luzengasse street, Regensburg, despite an eye disease that has severely diminished his eyesight. His home is close to the renowned Regensburg Cathedral, where he once directed the famous treble (young boys) voice choir of the ‘Domspatzen’, the ‘Cathedral Sparrows’.



Grey clouds loaded with rain discharge icy-cold showers on the city, and I am glad to reach the house of the 84-year-old Monsignor Ratzinger, who I find waiting for me in front of the main entrance. Welcoming me with a faint smile, the elderly priest shows me into a small hall reserved for interviews. It is decorated with diplomas and holy cards, pride of place being held by a large radiant photo of Pope Benedict XVI.



Sitting on a couch, he answers my questions with that warm detachment typical of the elderly.





What is the earliest memory you have of Joseph Ratzinger, your brother?



It is of Holy Saturday of 1927. I remember it was early dawn, but our home was already astir with movement. I was at a loss trying to understand what was happening. I wanted to get up, but my father told me to keep sleeping because my mother had just had a baby-boy, and I now had a brother. I was only able to see him some time later – a tiny, fragile creature.



The christening took place on the following day in the parish church of Marktl am Inn. I remember it was windy, with precipitations of rain mixed with snow, so my parents decided to leave us, my sister and myself, at home to shield us from the cold.





What was your brother like as a child?



He was lively, but not wild. I always remember him as a bubbly child with a great love for animals, for flowers, and for nature in general. This perhaps was the reason why he was always given stuffed animals for Christmas. This sensitivity for the beauty of nature has never left him.





Was yours a happy family?



Yes it was. We were a very religious, closely-knit family. Our father was a police officer descended from an ancient family of farmers from Lower Bavaria. My mother was the daughter of a craftsman, and, before getting married, had worked as a cook. Whenever possible, we attended Mass daily. We had breakfast at home, then went to school, but we saw each other again at lunch. According to the Bavarian tradition, we first had soup, then the main course. In the afternoons we would do our homework, and then my brother and I would go out for a walk in the city centre. Then we had dinner together. There was no radio or TV in those days, so in the evenings our father would play a zither-like instrument, and we used to sing along. We always went to bed early.





What was your father’s attitude towards Nazism?



My father never had any liking or sympathy for the Nazis. He saw clearly that National Socialism would be a disaster for the nation, and that it was a great enemy, not only of the Church, but of all religions in general.





Were you and your brother compelled to join the Hitler Youth?



The state had ordered that all school-aged children had to enrol in this organisation. There was no freedom of choice, and those who resisted faced dire consequences.



Despite these pressures, my brother did not attend their meetings, not even when summoned. The consequence was that we sustained an economic backlash – we were barred from claiming a reduction on school fees.





Is it true that one of your relatives was a victim of Action T4, also called the Euthanasia Program, initiated by the Nazis?



He was a cousin from our mother’s side. He was a friendly and lively boy, but had mental-health problems. He was not able to talk properly and take part in normal conversations. Only much later did we learn that the Nazis had come to take him away, and that he had been killed in an extermination camp.





In 1935 you entered the Traunstein Seminary. In his autobiography, your brother wrote that he followed in your footsteps. How did your brother’s vocation develop?



My brother and I had both served as altar boys. I was the first to realise, followed shortly by my brother, that our calling in life was to serve the Church as priests.





If I’m not mistaken, your brother, even before that decision, once said that he wanted to become a cardinal.



At Tittmoning my brother had received the Sacrament of Confirmation from the hands of Cardinal Michael Faulhaber, the great archbishop of Munich. He had been deeply impressed by the imposing figure of this Cardinal, and said that he wanted to become one. However, I must add that only a few days later, after seeing a man painting a wall, he said that he wanted to be a painter…”.





In his autobiography you brother writes that he regarded sport as a ‘torture’, and that he disliked physical activity.



Neither my brother nor I had a flair for sports. Maybe it was because we were not of robust physique – we were, in fact, the smallest and most fragile in our respective classes. We were not capable of sustaining the same physical pace of exertion as that of our schoolmates.





What marks has the Second World War left on you and your brother?



The war took a heavy toll on both of us. The food was barely enough; we had a voucher allowing us a monthly ration of food, but that only assured a restricted range of foodstuffs, such a sugar, butter, gravy and a bit of meat.



During the evenings we had to roll down the shutters so that the Allied planes would not spot us and bomb us. I was first called to serve as a worker, and then I was drafted in the army. My brother was drafted shortly afterwards.



Our ideas and sympathies were totally at odds with those of Hitler but, like it or not, we were soldiers and had to obey, so we couldn’t wait for the war to end.





How did your love for music begin?



As I said before, everyone loved music in our home. Our home town, Marktl am Inn, had a musical band which fascinated me. I have always felt that music is one of the most beautiful things God has created. My brother also has a great love for music, and maybe I was the one who influenced him.





You were both Ordained on June 29, 1951, in Freising Cathedral. What memories do you have of that event?



I remember that day with great joy; it was a deeply moving event. The weather was fine and had put us in a good mood. There were over 40 of us that were to be consecrated; we had all worked very hard together, and now the dream was about to come true.



The huge bell of the Cathedral of St Mary and St Corbinian had, from the first hours of the morning, spread a festive air over the whole city, awakening its residents. Our whole family was with us; it was an unforgettable experience.





After the Second Vatican Council, your brother taught Theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany, which was then a centre of Marxist thinking. Did your brother change during those years?



No, he did not change. In that period young people in Germany were very agitated. The same wind of change that had blown over the Council was blowing with a much greater force over secular society. Many young people in Germany and across the Western world were electrified and out of control.



People were obsessed by the idea that everything had to be changed or innovated. Now my brother concurred with the idea that innovations were necessary, but rejected those proposals that were in conflict with the basic truths of our Faith. The belief that Vatican II should only bring changes was not a sound one, because the intention of the Fathers at the Council was merely that of bridging the gap between the Church and modern society without compromising the essence of our Faith.





Were you expecting your brother’s election at the April 2005 Consistory?



I have to admit that I was not expecting it, and that I was also a bit disappointed by it…





Disappointed? How do you mean?



Let me explain. The office of pope brings with it an unbelievable responsibility and workload, and I understood immediately that I would be seeing much less of him from that moment onwards. However, behind the decision of the Cardinals stands the Hand of God, and we must bow to God’s will.





So has your friendship with him been affected since he became pope?



Not at all; I just see him less often. Before becoming pope my brother always spent a few weeks in his home at Pentling, which is just a few kilometres from here. Needless to say, he cannot do this anymore. In September 2006, during his Bavarian visit, he was able to spend only a few hours there.



I often go to his Pentling home on Sundays and stroll around the rooms, then I call Rome and describe to him what I can still see with my fading eyesight; I describe the house and tell him that it is very beautiful there. It is a piece of his home country that he has had to renounce.





You spent your last summer vacation with your brother in Brixen, northern Italy. Reports say you went on walks together, and that you were often seen laughing together.



We have spent many vacations in Brixen, and we always stay at the same Seminary. Before he became pope, though, we could go freely about the city and visit the churches. This is no longer possible. This time we had to remain inside the Seminary, and our walks were limited to the Seminary garden. But we had a good time anyway, even though walking has become troublesome for me. I have considerable problems with my legs and with my eyesight.





Has your brother got used to the idea of being pope?



Yes, he got used to his new role rather quickly. He simply has to say “yes” to what God is asking him to do, and he is doing it to the best of his ability.





Was there a liking for the name ‘Benedict’ in your family?



No, not for this name. Some years ago, however, he told me, “Benedict would be a good name for a new pope”. He no longer remembers having said it, but I can remember it clearly.





The words the Pope repeats most often are ‘joy’, ‘love’ and ‘beauty’. This is in sharp contrast to the image of the Panzerkardinal that the media has painted of him.



Absolutely. That image simply does not correspond to reality. He has never been rash, let alone offensive. He has always had great respect for other people’s opinions. It is unfortunate that the media is able to create such a distorted view of people.





Which pope does your brother love most?



His immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul II, with whom he worked very closely. My brother was able to assist our late pope in many ways through his theological knowledge. They saw eye-to-eye on so many issues, and their common vision of the Faith allowed them to call things by their right name.





Has your brother ever talked to you about Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I?



Before becoming pope, Albino Luciani once came to visit my brother, who was then archbishop of Munich and Freising, when he was on vacation in Brixen. Luciani was a man of the heart, a valid churchman, and my brother greatly admired him.





May I ask what it feels like to be the brother of a pope?



This situation has its consequences; its repercussions… Whenever I go downtown I always meet people who talk to me in a kind way, especially Italian tourists. They refer to me as ‘the pope’s brother’ and greet me gently. But I have no merit in this whatsoever.





Did you ever imagine this could have happened to your brother?



Never in my wildest dreams. It is very unusual for a German to be pope in the first place. It had been centuries since a German had been elected pope. We could never believe such an honour would be bestowed upon us; it was completely beyond our expectations.