Sunday May 24th. 2009

Pope Benedict  and his free time

manages to watch some television; but his

favoured pastime is playing the piano. He is an

accomplished pianist, whose favourite composer is

Mozart. His  brother George, who is also a priest, 

is a very fine musician as well, and conducted the

famous Bavarian Regensburg choir  for many

years, but has now retired. When he visits his

brother at the Vatican, they will probably share 

musical evenings together recalling memories of

their earlier years of their family life in their home

During the hot summer months, the Holy Father

spends a few weeks in the cool of the Tuscany hills

and invites his brother George to join him.  He 

had a sister, Maria, who looked after him in the

earlier days when he was Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, but

sadly she died. When Pope Benedict visited

Regensburg in 2006, he made the solemn journey

to the graves of his parents and sister,

accompanied by his brother Fr. George, and a

small group of officials.

He arrived at Ziegetsdorf cemetery just outside

Regensburg wearing his papal robes. He knelt before

the white tombstone, engraved with a cross and the

name of his parents, Joseph and Maria Ratzinger and

his sister, Maria. He looked straight ahead with his

hands clasped as his brother stood silently beside

him.  It must have been an emotion-filled moment

and highly personal during his six days visit to his

Bavarian homeland. Like us all, the  Holy Father was

brought in a simple and loving family, and his

parents never thought that their sons would be chosen

for the priesthood and that one day one of them

would become the successor of St. Peter, the

Shepherd of the flock of Christ. God will bestow 

many graces on devout, holy families where the

parents are an example to their  children.

Pope Benedict and his brother, Fr. George, at the grave of their parents and sister.