The National Catholic Register has a great interview with Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who is Pope Benedict’s older brother.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

Q. Has something changed on a personal level after the election of your brother as Pope?

A. No. My brother was already 78 years old when he was elected Pope. Our personal relationship had already lasted 78 years by then.

Q. What practical benefit is there for you when your brother is the Pope?

A. Obviously, I see its practical benefit when I visit my brother in Rome: I get very quickly from the airport to the Vatican–and if you know the traffic jams around Rome then you know that this is not easy.

There is also an important dimension in the Eucharist: Here is the Vicar of Christ celebrating Mass. There is a special atmosphere around that.

Q. What plans or desires do you have for the evening of your life?

A. At our age, life is fulfilled. One has reached his aims, or missed them. One tries to the live the last months or years, the days there are, in a way that does not cause problems, creates peace–to do one’s tasks as well as one can….Dreams or desires? No, I do not have them now.

I really like how Monsignor Georg answered the last question: Like St. Paul, he has run the race, kept the faith, and now he awaits the crown of glory in Heaven, the joy of seeing Christ face to face at last.

Either you have achieved your aims in a life well-lived, or you have not.

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