Georg Gänswein
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The Right Reverend Monsignor Georg Gänswein, J.C.D. (born July 30, 1956 in Riedern am Wald, Baden-Württemberg) is a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He has been a Chaplain of His Holiness since 2000. Though a scholar of canon law, he is mostly known for his service as private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI.
Known by Italians as Don Giorgio or - due to his handsome looks - beautiful George, Gänswein was born in a small town of Germany and ordained to its presbyterium in 1984. Upon his ordination, Gänswein dedicated himself to rigorous academic activities. He received his doctorate in canon law at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich in 1993 and arrived in Rome, Italy 1995 as official at the Congregation for Divine Worship.
In 1996, Gänswein was invited by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to join the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He eventually became the prefect's private secretary. After being appointed to Cardinal Ratzinger's staff, Gänswein became professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In 2000, Gänswein was elevated by Pope John Paul II to Chaplain of His Holiness. He has been tipped to replace the ageing Friedrich Cardinal Wetter as the new Archbishop of Munich and Freising. However it is unclear if Pope Benedict will let his private secretary take up this position.
In his private life, Gänswein devotes his time to playing tennis and flying airplanes.
