December 31, 2023 will be the first anniversary of his death. He went down in history as the 265th and first German to lead the Catholic Church. His strong desire to serve was the result of his upbringing. It was his parents, Maria and Joseph Ratzinger, who made sure that he lived in harmony with God and the commandments. Who were they? Their story is unusual for those times.
Benedict XVI’s father published an advertisement in the newspaper. This is how he met his future wife
A dozen or so years ago, the German newspaper “Bild” revealed unknown facts about the private life of Benedict XVI, and specifically his parents. This was brought about by Peter Becker, who was once the editor-in-chief of the Catholic weekly “Altöttinger Liebfrauenbote”. It was in its pages that on March 7, 1920, a matrimonial advertisement was published.
A middle-level official, single, Catholic, 43 years old, with an impeccable past, from the countryside, is looking for a neat Catholic woman who can cook and sew, with a dowry and possibly property, for matrimonial purposes
– content of the advertisement. Its author was the Gendarmerie Commissioner, Joseph Ratzinger. However, he did not receive any response for a long time, so after 4 months he decided to try again. He assumed that potential candidates might be disqualified by the issue of property, so he emphasized that it was not a necessary condition. Shortly after the next publication, Maria Peintner, then 36, contacted him.
She was 36 years old and an illegitimate child. They got married a few weeks after their first meeting
Maria Peintner was a cook who worked in small boarding houses. She did not come from a wealthy family, her mother was a maid and her father worked as a baker. In addition, she was labeled an illegitimate child because her parents decided to receive the sacrament only when she was 1.5 years old. However, Ratzinger did not pay attention to the rumors and her inglorious (according to the standards of the time) past. After the first meeting, he knew that she was the perfect candidate for a wife and mother. They didn’t wait long to decide to get married, because on November 9, 1920, they swore undying love and fidelity to each other before God. They resulted in three children: Maria, Georg and Joseph, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
