Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the personal secretary of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, announced that five German cousins are the direct heirs to Benedict’s personal property. Archbishop Gänswein was surprised to learn that there were five cousins, as he previously thought there were only two. He has to write to the cousins to ask if they accept the inheritance, according to the law.
In a statement to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Gänswein also revealed that Benedict XVI compiled a list of his personal items, such as watches, pens, paintings, and liturgical items, before he died. Some of these items have been given to people close to Benedict, including collaborators, secretaries, seminarians, students, drivers, parish priests, and friends. The rights to Benedict’s books will remain with the Vatican, with a portion going to the Joseph Ratzinger Vatican Foundation.
Archbishop Gänswein confirmed that the most personal documents of Pope Emeritus Benedict, such as letters and notes, have been destroyed according to Benedict’s will. There are no longer any unpublished writings of Pope Emeritus Benedict, and his last book, “What Is Christianity?” was published posthumously in January.
Finally, Archbishop Gänswein spoke about his future and noted that Pope Francis has not yet given him any responsibilities, but he is available and loyal to the Church.
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