Austria honors pope's brother for contributions to science, art

Published: 2005-05-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In the presence of his younger brother, the pope, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger was awarded Austria's highest honor for contributions to science and art. Helmut Turk, Austria's ambassador to the Vatican, presented the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art to the 81-year-old Msgr. Ratzinger during a brief ceremony May 19 at the Vatican. The medal was presented to Msgr. Ratzinger in a small room next to the Vatican audience hall before he and Pope Benedict XVI joined thousands of people to watch a movie about the life of Pope John Paul II. Msgr. Ratzinger is a musician and composer who for years directed Germany's famous Regensburg boys' choir.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .