The Bishop of Passau, Wilhelm Schraml, in whose diocese Marktl is situated, in agreement with the Freising Bishop´s conference, established an ecclesiastical trust which was officially recognised by the Bavarian Ministry of Education and Culture. The aim of the Pope Benedict Birthplace Trust is to present the personal and spiritual life of Pope Benedict XVI. The initiative for establishing the trust came from relatives of the former Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Josef Frings, whose council theologian was the former Bonn theology professor, Joseph Ratzinger.
The trust is represented by the Committee Chairman, Cathedral Dean Klaus-Peter Franzl, Financial Director of the Archbishopric of Munich and Freising, and the Deputy Chairman, Dr Josef Sonnleitner, Financial Director of the Bishopric of Passau.
Belonging to the Board of Trustees are Chairman, diocesan Bishop Wilhelm Schraml, Vice-Chairman, Prelate Dr Sebastian Anneser, Vicar General Dr Klaus Metzl, Cathedral Deacon and Financial Director Robert Hüttner, Mayor Hubert Gschwendtner, Permanent Secretary Dr Dieter Schütz and Prof. Dr Alexander Kolb. |