The Pope is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not even write any more, his brother said after talking with him.
Speaking at home in the German city of Regensburg, 89-year-old Georg Ratzinger said his brother also has no plans to move back to his German homeland but would instead stay in the Vatican.
“You don’t transplant an old tree,” Mr Ratzinger said.
The two are very close, however, and he said he is already planning to visit his brother later in the year.
The 85-year-old Benedict shocked the world on Monday by announcing that he planned to step down from the papacy at the end of the month.
For his brother, however, the decision was no surprise.
“He has been thinking about it for several months,” he said. “He concluded that his powers are falling victim to age.”
He talked with the Pope by phone after the announcement and said his brother was now hoping to lead a quiet life in the Vatican. A prolific writer during his papacy, Mr Ratzinger said that was also something his brother would now likely end.
“I don’t think he will write any more,” he said.
Rudolf Voderholzer, the bishop of Regensburg who is also in charge of the pope’s theological institute that publishes his work, said even if Benedict does write, no more would be published during his lifetime.
“Anything he published could be conceived as interference in the work of the next Pope,” he said. As for his successor, Mr Ratzinger said only that his brother “feels that a younger person is needed to deal with the problems of the times.””You must be the Scotsman” when Benedict met JimDundee West MP Jim McGovern has spoken of his sadness at the Pope’s decision to retire and revealed how Benedict picked him out as “The Scotsman” when he met him in 2007.
Mr McGovern said: “I am extremely saddened to hear that the Holy Father has had to tender his resignation, but I am grateful for the almost eight years he has been in office.
“I had the great pleasure to be introduced to the Holy Father in September 2007. I was in a group of six Members of Parliament, all of whom were members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Holy See, of which I am treasurer.”
“To this day I do not know if someone had given the Holy Father advance information but when we were introduced I said “I am delighted to meet you Your Holiness”, to which he replied, “You must be the Scotsman.”
Mr McGovern added: “The Holy Father will be greatly missed across the world. His dedication and commitment will be an excellent example to those who follow after him.”