The German-born retired pope, Josef Ratzinger, left his Vatican home on Thursday and flew to Germany to visit his older brother, 96-year-old Georg Ratzinger, in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. Georg, also a priest, is reported to be in poor health.

"It is perhaps the last time that the two brothers, Georg and Joseph Ratzinger, will see each other in this world," Regensburg diocese spokesman Clemens Neck said.

The former pope landed in Munich accompanied by his personal secretary, a doctor, a nurse, and the deputy commander of the gendarmerie corps which serves as the Vatican's security force. He then traveled to Regensburg to meet his brother.

Read more: Ex-pope Benedict returns to Vatican to live alongside Francis

Visit 'as long as necessary'

The Thursday trip is believed to be Josef Ratzinger's first visit to Germany since 2011, while he still served as Pope Benedict XVI. The retired pontiff is now 93 and also believed to be in frail health. No public appearances have been planned.

"I wish Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a good stay in Germany and the necessary peace to privately look after his brother," Georg Bätzing, the head of the German Bishops' Conference, said in a statement.

"We are happy that he … came back to his home country even though the occasion is a sad one," the bishop said.

It was not immediately known how long the retired pope would stay in Germany, with Vatican saying only he would remain in Regensburg "as long as necessary."

Trouble for retired choirmaster

The two brothers are known for their close bond and their shared love of classical music. While his brother climbed the church hierarchy, Georg Ratzinger built a career as the head of the respected boys' choir in Regensburg. He served as the choir master for the famous Regensburger Domspatzen ("cathedral sparrows") between 1964 and 1994.

His three-decade career recently came under intense scrutiny after hundreds of boys reported suffering physical and sexual abuse. Georg admitted slapping students across the face after taking charge of the choir, but said corporal punishment was considered normal at the time. He has denied any knowledge of sexual abuse and also said he was happy once corporal punishment was outlawed in 1980.

Read more: Regensburg choir abuse victim: 'I have found my peace'

However, this was disputed by investigator Ulrich Weber in a 2017 report that found at least 547 boys were abused by their priests and teachers, and that 67 of them suffered sexual assault, including rape. Weber said Ratzinger "looked the other way" and failed to act against the abuse "despite his knowledge."

Read more: Emeritus Pope Benedict denies covering up sexual abuse in the church

dj/msh (dpa, AFP, KNA, AP)

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