Pope Benedict the XVI decision to resign was no surprise to his elder brother Monsignor George Ratzinger.
He also said that his brother “feels that a younger person is needed to deal with the problems of the times.”
When asked whether he thought the time had come for a pope from outside of Europe, Ratzinger said that could happen in the future, but that he did not think it would in the next election. He completely dismissed any other candidates for the next pope other than European, saying – “For now I think the job will remain with a European.”
The Vatican says Benedict will spend some time at the papal summer retreat south of Rome, and later return to the Vatican to live at a monastery inside the gardens.
“You don’t transplant an old tree,” Ratzinger said. Meanwhile, Cardinals from all over the world are gathering at the Vatican, as they take their first steps toward electing a new pope. They will meet tomorrow for their first official meeting since Pope Benedict XVI stepped down on February 28,2013.
