Georg Ratzinger: Ex-Pope Benedict's brother dies

Georg Ratzinger, older brother of German-born retired pope Josef Ratzinger, has died aged 96.

Ratzinger, who was an acclaimed director of a German boys' choir, was last week reported to be in ill health, prompting a flying visit from Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The priest's death was confirmed by the Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, in a statement, which said he died on Tuesday.

Commenting on the former pope's visit to Bavaria to see his ailing brother, last week the Regensburg diocese spokesman Clemens Neck said: "It is perhaps the last time that the two brothers, Georg and Joseph Ratzinger, will see each other in this world."

The former pope landed in Munich accompanied by his personal secretary, a doctor, a nurse, and the deputy commander of the gendarmerie corps that serves as the Vatican's security force. He then traveled to Regensburg to see his brother.

Career scrutinized over abuse in choir

Ordained on the same day as his younger brother, Georg Ratzinger proved to be a talented musician and went on to oversee the recording of a number of masterpieces. He headed concert tours around the world by the Regensburger Domspatzen ("cathedral sparrows"), a storied choir that traces its history back to the 10th century. He served as choir master from 1964 to 1994.

The Ratzinger brothers were known for their close bond and their shared love of classical music. While his younger brother climbed the church hierarchy, Georg Ratzinger built his career as the head of the respected boys' choir in Regensburg. 

Read more: Regensburg choir abuse victim: 'I have found my peace'

But his three decades overseeing the choir recently came under intense scrutiny after hundreds of boys reported suffering physical and sexual abuse. Georg admitted slapping students across the face after taking charge of the choir, but said corporal punishment was considered normal at the time. He has denied any knowledge of sexual abuse and also said he was happy once corporal punishment was outlawed in 1980.

When Benedict was pope, he had his quarters in the Apostolic Palace modified with a special apartment for his brother, who traveled frequently to Rome from his home in Regensburg. 

Elected to the papacy in 2005, Benedict stepped down in 2013 and was succeeded by current Pope Francis.

Born on January 15, 1924, in the town of Pleiskirchen, Bavaria, Georg Ratzinger prepared for priesthood in his youth by attending the archbishop's boys' seminary of Traunstein. After completing his military service in the Nazi Wehrmacht, he went on to study theology in Freising from 1946.

jsi/rs (AP, dpa)