SW News: The elder brother of emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, Georg Ratzinger, passed away on July 1st in Regensburg, Bavaria. He was 96. Pope Benedict had visited him a few days ago. The two brothers shared a strong bond and grew up serving as altar boys.

Georg Ratzinger was a gifted musician and began playing the organ at the parish church when he was just 11 years old. After war and captivity, he entered the seminary of the Archdiocese of Munich along with his brother Joseph Ratzinger. On 29 June 1951, both brothers were ordained priests in the Cathedral of Freising by Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber.

After directing the choir in Traunstein for thirty years, from 1964 to 1994, he became the Kapellmeister of the cathedral choir of Regensburg. He also directed many recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Ars Musici and other important record labels, with productions dedicated to Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn and other composers.

Georg Ratzinger had been awarded numerous orders, including the Federal Cross of Merit and the Bavarian Order of Merit.

The emeritus Pope Benedict now remains the only member of the family still alive.

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