Pope’s brother gives clues as to Benedict's "private" day schedule

Regensburg, Germany, Sep 12, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Pope Benedict XVI explicitly asked to reserve a private day during his visit to Bavaria.  While a rough schedule has been outlined, his exact schedule is unknown to the press.  What is known is that he will spend the day with his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, and he will visit the tomb of his parents.  Msgr. Ratzinger dropped a few clues about what the Pope’s activities would be during an interview with the German television network ZDF.

“I hope he can have lunch with me, take a short walk and perhaps take a nap.  And I hope the rest of day can take place without much interference or hassles.  Of course, as we make our way by car to Pentling, first to the tomb of our parents and later to the Church of Zeigetsdorf, there will be a lot of people present, especially old acquaintances who will be happy to meet him again.  So it will not be completely private, but I do hope there will be a certain amount of privacy,” Ratzinger said.

While he said it is true that “the ministry leaves its mark on the person,” Monsignor Ratzinger said his brother has not changed much.  “I cannot say he has changed a great deal.  He strives not to get excited.  In some sense, the way I see it, it is important to maintain interior control and peace in order to correctly carry forward one’s mission and adequately reach out to people,” he said.
 
Monsignor Ratzinger says it is a heavy cross for the Pope not to be able to carry out his intellectual work and book writing as he used to.

Asked about how his own life has changed since his brother Joseph was elected Pope, Ratzinger said, “To me it has changed very little.  It’s mainly the Italian tourists who see me and get very excited, as if they weren’t meeting the Pope’s brother but rather the Holy Father himself.  But regarding everything else, I think my relationships with my colleagues, friends, and others have not changed at all.”