Archbishop Gänswein Shares Stories of Pope Benedict XVI: Faith, Music, and Marian Devotion

Just looking into his eyes was enough to see the gentleness there — a clear and resolute gentleness, which can sometimes be firmer than marble.’

Pope Benedict XVI was born only 10 miles from a Marian shrine that has shaped the faith in Germany’s southern region Bavaria for centuries.

For the late German Pope, the city of Altötting was formative. Here, the first Benedict Forum took place from July 12 to 14. One of the highlights was a very personal conversation with Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s private secretary, who accompanied him for almost two decades.

EWTN News’ Vatican Bureau’s Andreas Thonhauser interviewed the former prefect of the Papal House in German for an hour in front of hundreds of faithful, who had come to celebrate the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. They learned about his favorite saints, his prayer life, his devotion to Mary, and how he felt about being accused during the German abuse scandals.





Pope Benedict was a man of faith. How did he live this faith on a daily basis?


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