BERLIN (GERMANY) – Mourners paid tributes to former Pope Benedict XVI’s brother Georg Ratzinger as he lay in state in his hometown of Regensburg in Germany on Tuesday. Maintaining social distancing, people filed past the casket containing the mortal remains of the cleric and choirmaster, who died last week at 96.
Georg’s mortal remains were kept at the St Johann’s Church. For many years, he was in charge of the city cathedral’s famed Domspatzen boys’ choir.
In his later years, Georg came under fire for his leadership of the choir after allegations came up about children being abused by other staff. However, he denied knowledge of the abuse.
“I have never sung under a greater choir master,” said Reinhard Kreuzinger, a former chorister. “He took the Domspatzen into the world. Whatever he’s accused of – I can’t really comprehend that because he was a child of his time.”
Georg and his brother Joseph, who later became the pope, joined the seminary at the same time in January 1946, after serving in the army before the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
In late June, Benedict paid a last visit to his ailing brother. It was his first visit outside Italy in seven years.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field