Is it true that Ratzinger was born on an Easter Vigil?
“It is indeed. Benedict was born on April 16, 1927, which was a Holy Saturday. In his autobiography Milestones – Memoirs 1927-1977, he writes that in his family he was often reminded of the fact that he was born on the last day of Holy Week, on the eve of Easter Sunday. He was, in fact, baptised the day after his birth with the water which had just been blessed during ‘Easter night’; to be the first to be baptised with the new water was an important harbinger of things to come. So Ratzinger has always felt that he has a particular mission to fulfil”. A Vatican journalist Arcangelo Paglialunga is a senior Vatican journalist, and a great lover of classical music. During one of my meetings with him I discovered that he had often conversed with Cardinal Ratzinger on classical music. In the mornings Mr Paglialunga would often reach the Vatican press room on foot, and on his way there he would share part of the journey with the German Cardinal, who was on his way to the Offices of the Congre
