Georg Gänswein

The Most Reverend Georg Gänswein JCD
Prefect of the Papal Household
Archbishop Gänswein in 2013
See	Urbs Salvia (titular)
Appointed	7 December 2012
Installed	6 January 2013
Predecessor	James Michael Harvey
Other posts	Personal secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Titular Archbishop of Urbs Salvia
Orders
Ordination	31 May 1984 by Archbishop Oskar Saier
Consecration	6 January 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI
Rank	Archbishop
Personal details
Birth name	Georg Gänswein
Born	(1956-07-30) 30 July 1956 Riedern am Wald, Waldshut, Germany
Nationality	German
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Residence	Vatican City State
Occupation	Personal secretary to the Pope Chaplain of His Holiness
Education	SSPX Seminary, Écône, Switzerland
Alma mater	Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich
Motto	Testimonium perhibere veritati (Give testimony to the Truth) - John 18:37
Coat of arms

Styles of Georg Gänswein
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Georg Gänswein (born 30 July 1956) is a German Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Chaplain of His Holiness,^[1] Prefect of the Papal Household and the personal secretary of the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Archbishop Gänswein is fluent in both speaking and writing Italian, Spanish, German and Latin.^[2]

Life

Gänswein was born in Riedern am Wald, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, a village in the Black Forest and part of Ühlingen-Birkendorf municipality in Germany, as the eldest son of Albert Gänswein, a blacksmith and his wife Gertrud. He has two brothers and two sisters.^[3]

Gänswein initially began his seminary training at the International Seminary of Saint Pius X in Switzerland.^[4] He has said in interviews that he decided to become a priest in 1974 when he was 18. But it was not until two years later, at the age of 20, that he began his seminary training for the Archdiocese of Freiburg, the local church for which he was ordained on 31 May 1984 at 28.^[5]

Upon his ordination, Gänswein dedicated himself to rigorous academic activities. He received his J.C.D. degree from Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich in 1993. In an interview, Gänswein describes the two years he spent in the Black Forest as a curate (assistant pastor) after his ordination to the priesthood. In 1993, he wrote his dissertation in Munich about Ecclesiology according to the Second Vatican Council. He notes that, "After half a year I was so fed up I said to myself, now I'm going to the archbishop and ask him to take me back into the diocese because I can't stand it anymore," adding later in the interview, "I'd always studied gladly and easily, but studying Canon Law I felt to be as dry as work in a quarry where there's no beer — you die of dryness."^[6]

In January 2007, Italian artist and fashion designer Donatella Versace used Gänswein as the artistic inspiration for her Fall 2007 "Clergyman Collection", thereby boosting popular recognition of Gänswein's nickname, "Bel Giorgio" (English: Gorgeous George ).^[7] In January 2013, Gänswein, without his consent or that of the Holy See, appeared on the cover of the Italian version of Vanity Fair magazine.^[8]

Roman Curia

Gänswein arrived in Rome in 1995 as an official of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. In 1996 he was invited by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to join the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. After being appointed to Cardinal Ratzinger's staff, Gänswein became professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

In 2000, Gänswein was elevated by Pope John Paul II to Chaplain of His Holiness. He replaced Josef Clemens as Ratzinger's personal secretary in 2003, upon Clemens's appointment as secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Ratzinger was elected to the papacy in 2005 and Gänswein was appointed to the office of Principal Private Secretary to His Holiness. A year later Pope Benedict XVI honoured his secretary with the distinction Prelate of His Holiness.

It was suggested that Gänswein was to replace the aging Cardinal Friedrich Wetter as the new Archbishop of Munich and Freising. However, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Reinhard Marx as the new archbishop of the archdiocese in November 2007.

In his private life, Gänswein devotes his time to playing tennis, skiing, and flying airplanes. In an interview in July 2006, he described the Pope's typical day: "The Pope's day begins with Mass at 7am, followed by morning prayer and a period of contemplation. Afterwards we eat breakfast together, and my day then begins with sorting through the correspondence, which arrives in considerable quantity." He said that he accompanied Benedict to morning audiences, followed by lunch together, a "short walk," and a rest, after which he "[presents] to the Pope documents which require his signature, or his study and approval."^[9]

Prefect of the Pontifical Household

On 7 December 2012, Gänswein was appointed Titular Archbishop of Urbs Salvia and at the same time prefect of the Pontifical Household, replacing Cardinal James Michael Harvey.^[10]

He was consecrated bishop on 6 January 2013 along with Angelo Vincenzo Zani, Nicolas Thevenin and Fortunatus Nwachukwu by Pope Benedict. It is the job of Archbishop Gänswein to arrange papal audiences both public and private, regardless of their size or rank of visitors – as well as handling the logistics for most large Vatican events and ceremonies as well as the pope's travels both in Rome and all of Italy. On 12 January Archbishop Gänswein welcomed Albert II, Prince of Monaco and his wife. This is the first time that he has welcomed the head of a foreign state since his appointment as prefect and his consecration.

Indication of resignation of Benedict XVI

Paul Collins, a well connected commentator on Benedict XVI, has suggested^[11] that the elevation of the Pope's personal assistant to Archbishop in early December 2012 (he was consecrated as Bishop on 6 January 2013) was an indication of the impending resignation of Benedict XVI. Such elevations of the Pope's personal secretary have previously normally occurred only shortly before the death of a Pope, but while the Pope was still lucid.

It was announced that Gänswein would move with the retired Pope to Castel Gandolfo on 28 February 2013 while retaining his role as head of the Pontifical Household. “The Pope will be accompanied to Castel Gandolfo and also to the monastery by Archbishop Gänswein and the Memores Domini, because this is the fundamental nuclear group of the pontifical family ... He will also remain the head of the Papal Household”, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told the press on 14 February.^[12]

The dual role of Gänswein would seem to bolster concerns expressed privately by some cardinals that Benedict would continue to exert at least some influence. Asked about this apparent conflict of interest, Federico Lombardi SJ said the prefect's job was very technical and involved organising the Pope's audiences. ″In this sense it is not a very profound problem″ he said.^[13]

Benedict XVI resignation

Georg Gänswein greeting Malteser International helpers in 2006

Asked in an interview in the German weekly Bunte whether then Pope Benedict had talked to him about his intention to resign, Archbishop Gänswein said he had known about the Pope's intention for "quite some time beforehand" and had tried to change his mind, but failed. "Pope Benedict had reached a decision. He was not to be shaken", he said.^[14]

Archbishop Gänswein described the news of the Pope Emeritus’ resignation in February as “an amputation”. Gänswein, who was by Benedict XVI’s side for the duration of his eight-year papacy, said “I gave blood for eight years,” the German weekly Die Zeit reported. Pope Francis asked him to remain in office and Gänswein replied, “If that is your wish, then I obediently accept it.” “I must be honest with myself: Accepting and coming to terms with my new role is painful,” he later stated. Die Zeit said that Gänswein saw Pope Francis’ decision to live in the Domus Sancta Marthae guesthouse and not the papal apartments as an affront against his predecessor.

“Benedict didn’t live in the papal apartments for egotistical reasons – he was also very modest”, Gänswein said. The German weekly suggested that a certain uneasiness exists in Gänswein’s relationship with Pope Francis. “At the beginning of each day, I find myself once again waiting to see what will be different today.” The paper said that each evening after 9 pm Gänswein looks after the former Pope’s affairs and deals with his post for the man he still calls “Holy Father”.^[15]

Arms

On the sinister side of Archbishop Gänswein's chivalric coat of arms is the draconian serpent that heraldically symbolises the Devil being slain by his patron, Saint George – and, in this instance, has been viewed as a symbol of his duty to protect the Pope. The image is superimposed by a seven-point star representing the Blessed Virgin Mary. Gänswein has taken "Testimonium Perhibere Veritati" ("To bear witness to the truth") as his episcopal motto.

Arms of Georg Gänswein Notes The coat of arms was designed and adopted when he was ordained as Bishop on 6 January 2013. Adopted 6 January 2013 Escutcheon The left side is the Coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The right side includes a seven pointed star and a slain dragon below while the seven-pointed star represents the Blessed Virgin Mary. Motto TESTIMONIUM PERHIBERE VERITATI (John 18:37) Symbolism The right side 7-pointed star represents the Blessed Virgin Mary while the draconian serpent represents the Devil, being slain by his personal patron, Saint George – and, in this instance, has been viewed as a symbol to protect the then Pope Benedict.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Georg Gänswein.

• Georg Gänswein at Catholic Hierarchy