00 20/10/2009 20:57


Our condolence to Mons. Georg Gaenswein for the unexpected death of his mother Gertrud. Let us pray for her eternal repose in God.


Mons. Georg and his mother when he celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his ordination in his hometown last August.
It was his father who had been ailing since last year, and was even unable to attend this Mass.






I have no other news yet except a brief item in AGI citing an OR report, but I have checked both the 10/19-10/20 issue and tomorrow's 10/21 issue, and do not see it, so it probably was not posted online. Will post as soon as I find out more.


P.S. Here's all I have found so far, from the Austrian Catholic news agency, and it's not all that informative:


Mother of Pope's secretary dies



Freiburg, 20.10.2009 (Translated from KAP) - Gertrud Gänswein, mother of Mons. Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI's private secretary, died Tuesday morning. She was 78.

This was announced by the Archdiocese of Freiburg, to which the family belongs.

Last August, she took part in the celebration of her son's 25 years as a priest, in their hometown of Ridernam Wald in the Black Forest.

In June, she travelled to Rome with her other sons and daughters to attend the actual anniversary of Mons. Georg's ordination. At that time, she had a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.

According to reports, her death was sudden and unexpected.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 21/10/2009 02:12]