Pope Emeritus Benedict's older brother has
said the former pontiff is "relieved" to be free of the responsibility
of running the Catholic Church, as he insisted that while he is growing
weaker with old age, he is not suffering from illness.
Father Georg Ratzinger, himself a priest,
told the Daily Telegraph his younger brother was "very happy" to be
living at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat south of Rome he
moved to after stepping down in February, becoming the first pope to
resign in 600 years.
Fr Ratzinger,
88, who travelled from Germany to celebrate Benedict's 86th birthday
with him on April 16, said his brother "still suffers the problems of
the Church, but is really relieved to no longer have the weight of the
Church on his shoulders."
Speaking by telephone from his house in Regensburg, Mr Ratzinger denied the former pope was suffering from major ailments.
"He is now very old, he does not have any particular illness, but he is weakening due to his age," he said.
Joseph Ratzinger cited advancing age when he announced his shock resignation amid reports that his hearing and sight were failing. It also emerged he had a pacemaker fitted a decade ago.
Peter Seewald, a German journalist said he had never seen Benedict look "so worn down" after a recent meeting.
Fr first warned about his brother's advancing age before he was elected pope in 2005 and then unnerved the Vatican with his frank comments about Benedict's health while he was in office. The two brothers are known to be close, speaking weekly on the phone, and he said he knew of Benedict's resignation months in advance.
His comment about Benedict continuing to "suffer" the problems of the Church appeared to be a reference to the alleged infighting and power seeking plaguing the Vatican's bureaucracy, details of which emerged when the pope's butler leaked Benedict's private correspondence.
But since leaving behind the responsibility of overseeing the world's 1.2 billion Catholics he is now able to pray, read and play the piano at Castel Gandolfo, a secluded palazzo built on the rim of a volcanic lake, surrounded by acres of private gardens boasting a farm and spectacular Roman ruins.
He is due to move back to the Vatican when conversion work is completed at the residence he will live in.
Last week, as Benedict celebrated his 86th birthday, a controversial, new, warts-and-all portrait of him was unveiled in Rome.
Painted by German artist Michael Triegel and based on sketches made by Triegel during Benedict's general audiences, the portrait shows the German pope with hooded eyes and puffy features. Lent by the artist to the German embassy to the Vatican in Rome, it will be hung in the ambassador's residence.
The painting reportedly received a mixed reception at an embassy event held to mark Benedict's birthday, with German daily Die Welt reporting one cardinal said it made the pope emeritus look like he had "taken the wrong pills".
A guest at the party reported that Benedict's personal secretary Georg Ganswein, who was present, "did not appear too enthusiastic."
Fr Ratzinger said he was not present at the event.
"But I have heard contrasting opinions of the portrait," he said. "I would not have been able to see the picture anyway because of the poor condition of my own eyesight."
Fr first warned about his brother's advancing age before he was elected pope in 2005 and then unnerved the Vatican with his frank comments about Benedict's health while he was in office. The two brothers are known to be close, speaking weekly on the phone, and he said he knew of Benedict's resignation months in advance.
His comment about Benedict continuing to "suffer" the problems of the Church appeared to be a reference to the alleged infighting and power seeking plaguing the Vatican's bureaucracy, details of which emerged when the pope's butler leaked Benedict's private correspondence.
But since leaving behind the responsibility of overseeing the world's 1.2 billion Catholics he is now able to pray, read and play the piano at Castel Gandolfo, a secluded palazzo built on the rim of a volcanic lake, surrounded by acres of private gardens boasting a farm and spectacular Roman ruins.
He is due to move back to the Vatican when conversion work is completed at the residence he will live in.
Last week, as Benedict celebrated his 86th birthday, a controversial, new, warts-and-all portrait of him was unveiled in Rome.
Painted by German artist Michael Triegel and based on sketches made by Triegel during Benedict's general audiences, the portrait shows the German pope with hooded eyes and puffy features. Lent by the artist to the German embassy to the Vatican in Rome, it will be hung in the ambassador's residence.
The painting reportedly received a mixed reception at an embassy event held to mark Benedict's birthday, with German daily Die Welt reporting one cardinal said it made the pope emeritus look like he had "taken the wrong pills".
A guest at the party reported that Benedict's personal secretary Georg Ganswein, who was present, "did not appear too enthusiastic."
Fr Ratzinger said he was not present at the event.
"But I have heard contrasting opinions of the portrait," he said. "I would not have been able to see the picture anyway because of the poor condition of my own eyesight."