Although pope might not return, neighbor cares for home, garden

Although pope might not return, neighbor cares for home, garden

PENTLING, Germany (CNS) -- Although Pope Benedict XVI might never return to the home he built and still owns in Pentling, his next-door neighbor cares for the garden each day. Housekeeper and neighbor Rupert Hofbauer said his relationship with the pope goes back to 1969, when then-Father Joseph Ratzinger moved to Pentling after becoming a professor of theology at nearby Regensburg University. "This house is his own. I was there when he bought the plot, hired an architect and built it," Hofbauer recalled in late May. "He needed somewhere quiet, but within walking distance of the university because he does not drive. "He came over, introduced himself and said he was going to build a house," the neighbor remembered. "It became his permanent home, and he returned as often as he could. He usually celebrated New Year's together with his brother, Georg, just the two of them. In summer, they would often sit on his balcony, reading, or walk around the garden. Then they would retire indoors and make themselves a simple supper."

Life imitates life, Just as the Pope looks after the Savior's vineyard, so we all have been enrusted to look after creation.

Thank you God for your many blessings!