Who is Maria Ratzinger?
Maria Ratzinger is the mother of Pope Benedict XVI. Maria Ratzinger’s son Pope Benedict XVI is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict’s election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II.
Maria Ratzinger: Bio Summary
| Full Name | Maria Peintner Ratzinger |
| famous as | Mother of Pope Benedict XVI |
| Age | 79 years old At the time of death |
| Date of Birth | 8 Jan 1884 |
| Place of Birth | Muhlbach, Landkreis Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany |
| Date of death | 16 Dec 1963 |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | German |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Children | Georg Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, Maria Ratzinger |
| spouse | Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. (m. ?–1959) |
What happened to Maria Ratzinger?
Maria Peintner Ratzinger was born on 8 January 1884 in Muhlbach, Landkreis Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. Ratzinger gained much of her fame from being the mother of Pope Benedict XVI. She and her husband Joseph Ratzinger had three children- Two boys and a girl.
Unfortunately, Maria died at the age of 79 on 16 Dec 1963 in Traunstein, Landkreis Traunstein, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. She was laid to rest at Regensburg, Stadtkreis Regensburg, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. The cause of her death was not revealed.
She made the same name as her daughter
Ratzinger had the same as her only daughter. They were both called Maria Ratzinger even though they had different middle names. While her middle name is Peintner, her daughter’s middle name was Theogona. Her daughter was Named for her SSND aunt. She was never married. She ran her Cardinal brother’s household until her death in 1991 at the Brothers of Mercy Hospital. Maria is buried with her parents.
Her Husband Joseph Ratzinger was a Policeman
Since 1902 Maria’s husband was a policeman in the service of the Kingdom, later the Free State of Bavaria. The whole family were devoted Catholics, since the 1933 takeover by the Nazis in constant conflict with the régime. Joseph Ratzinger as a devoted Catholic mostly refused to obey the orders of the Nazis to persecute the opponents. As a result of his refusal, Joseph was often harassed by the Nazi hierarchy. Joseph came up with a way to avoid the harassment and sanctions, he often had to change posts, a change of residence described by his son Pope Benedict XVI, in his book “Aus meinem Leben”
Maria Ratzinger’s husband died on 25 Aug 1959 at the age of 82 in Traunstein, Landkreis Traunstein, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. The cause of his death was not made public. He was also buried at Regensburg, Stadtkreis Regensburg, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany.
Maria Ratzinger’s eldest Son Georg Ratzinger was also Priest
The family were devoted Catholics as said earlier. Maria’s son Georg Ratzinger, was a Catholic priest and was the former director of the Regensburger Domspatzen choir.
During World War II, in the summer of 1942, Maria Ratzinger’s son Georg was drafted to the Reichsarbeitsdienst and the same autumn to the Wehrmacht. On 12 June 1944, he was shot through the arm during a fight in Bolsena, Italy. At the end of the war, he was a prisoner of war of the U.S. Army in the vicinity of Naples but was soon released and arrived home in July 1945.
ALSO, READ; Ida Hitler: Facts About Adolf Hitler’s Sister
On 18 June 2020, Georg Ratzinger was reportedly “seriously” unwell while his brother Benedict XVI visited him in Regensburg. Maria’s son died two weeks later on 1 July 2020, aged 96.
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