in the Vatican. His birthday party was organized by Vatican journalist Michael Hesemann and the guests included American religion journalist Lauren Green, who played the piano, Georg Gänswein and Gerhard Ludwig Müller. The celebrations included a personal letter written by Maria Elena Bergoglio to Ratzinger. Illness and death On 18 June 2020, Ratzinger was reportedly "seriously" unwell while his brother Benedict XVI visited him in Regensburg. He died two weeks later on 1 July 2020, aged 96. Honours and awards Black Wound Badge (1944) Iron Cross 2nd Class (1944) Bavarian Order of Merit (1983) Protonotary apostolic (1993) Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (2004) Honorary citizen of Castel Gandolfo (2008) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2009) Pontifikalvesper of Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensburg Cathedral (2009) Award of the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra (2010) References External links Ratzinger, Georg, My brother the pope (Ignatius Press 2012 ) Interview 1924 births 2020 deaths People from Altötting (district) 20th-century German Roman Catholic priests German male musicians Papal family members Pope Benedict XVI German blind people Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Georg Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class German Army personnel of World War II German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Reich Labour Service members 21st-century German Roman Catholic priests