Is the Pope Benedict's sister one of the Jehovah's Witnesses?

Answer 1

Actually, it is his cousin, that I have heard is a Jehovah's Witness. He hadn't seen her since childhood and then called her and praised the Witnesses. He said "Your religion is growing and building new Kingdom Halls. Mine is losing members and closing churches." This made the news.

Answer 2

The Holy Father is from a Catholic family, and all of his immediate family is - or was - Catholic. His older brother is a priest. However, he has a cousin who left the Church, this article was published a while back:

(By Markus Mannheim The Canberra Times vol 21.08.2005)

He may be the spiritual head of the world's largest Christian church, but a cousin of Pope Benedict the XVI says that he is still a naughty boy to her.

Steffie Brzakovic, 78, of Cooma, received a call from her famous first cousin shortly after his election in a papal conclave in April.

It was the first time she had heard from him in more than 50 years.

Mrs. Brzakovic, who was raised in the southern Germany city of Weilheim before moving to Australia in 1956, said she remembered Joseph Ratzinger as a young boy who was often up to no good.

"He was everywhere he shouldn't [have] been, she recalled yesterday, shaking her head. "When I think today of what we did, it's a wonder that [we are] alive."

When she received the phone call three months ago she first thought it was a prank. It wasn't until His Holiness told her it was "Ratzinger Pepi", referring to his childhood nickname, that she realized who was on the other end.

"I said, 'Are you the Pope?' and he [replied]. 'But for you I am still Ratzinger Pepi'."

Mrs. Brzakovic was raised as a Roman Catholic, but became a Jehovah's Witness in the 1970's.

She said that while her religious differences with her family had caused frustration, the Pope had encouraged her for following her faith.

"He told me that 'You are doing the work that we should do'," she said, referring to her church's missionary work. "He said, 'You have halls that are not too big, but they are full. We have cathedrals, churches, chapels and they are empty'."

Mrs. Brzakovic is spending this weekend at a Jehovah's Witness convention in Canberra with about 3000 district worshippers.

Pope's Cousin a JW You can save the pic of the news article and make it larger to read it. The sister has a DC lapel pin on.

Answer 3

No, Pope Benedict XVI's sister is dead. When she was alive, she was a devout Catholic who kept house for her brother.

Answer 4

Steffie Brzakovic