Germany

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According to Vatican News, Msgr. Ratzinger died in Regensburg, Germany, where he had been hospitalized. Pope Benedict, 93, flew to Regensburg June 18 to be with his ailing brother.

The book’s narratives of the people and events of Germany and Austria in the period leading up to and during World War II are well-written, even gripping at times.

Millions of Catholics died on the battlefield, on execution blocks, in forced labor or in concentration camps. Some have since been beatified, a step on the path to sainthood.

German Catholics insisted their national “synodal way” reform consultation will have an impact on the church worldwide, as final preparations were completed for the consultation’s first plenary in January.

German churches have agreed to use sanctuary in “very few and particular cases after a thorough legal check,” while there appears to be a tacit agreement that the government “would not deport such cases without first having a second look at the application.”