Mothers matter. And this mother made a great difference:
October 21, Gertrud Gänswein, the 78-year-old mother of Pope Benedict's personal secretary, Msgr. Georg Gänswein, passed away at her home in Freiburg, Germany. Her death was unexpected.
She had appeared in vibrant health just two months ago at the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the priestly ordination of her son and she was at the time received in an audience by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Italian writer Alessandra Borghese, a friend of don Georg, in an article published four months ago, on June 11, in Gente, said that Msgr. Georg's relationship with his mother was "decisive and fundamental" for his priestly vocation, and that this relationship was then still "extremely close."
In an interview two years ago, Msgr. Georg said his mother was "a woman who above all knew how to give answers to the questions of her children."
I imagine, according to custom, she will be buried with the linen cloth that wrapped the hands of her son, Fr Georg, at his ordination. (I know one dear woman whose eyes positively sparkle when she thinks of that detail of her passing!) Rest in peace, dear sister in faith.
[The above portion came from the regular newsletter offered by Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican. Always informative and well-written, I highly recommend it -- here.]
May perpetual light shine upon her!
A lot of people are unaware of the Church's lovely tradition of placing the linen cloth that blotted the oil on a newly ordained priest's hands in his mother's casket.
Our bishop, when he ordained my brother, explained that this is done because she "gave a son to the Church."
My father leaned over and quietly, but playfully teased a whisper in my mother's ear, "Can I at least get a string of it?"
Posted by: Teresa | Friday, 23 October 2009 at 10:12 AM