Vatican City, Jul 2, 2020 / 04:10 am America/Denver (CNA).
Pope Francis offered his condolences to Benedict XVI Thursday following the death of his brother.
In a letter to the pope emeritus dated July 2, the pope expressed his “heartfelt sympathy” after the death of Msgr. Georg Ratzinger July 1 at the age of 96.
“You were kind enough to be the first to tell me the news of the departure of your beloved brother Georg,” Pope Francis wrote in the letter released in both Italian and German by the Holy See Press Office.
“In this hour of mourning I would like to express to you once again my heartfelt sympathy and my spiritual closeness.”
The letter continued: “I assure you of my prayers for the deceased, that the Lord of Life, in his goodness and mercy, may receive him into his heavenly homeland and grant him the reward prepared for the faithful servants of the Gospel.”