Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, long-time personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, who has been nicknamed ‘Beautiful Georg’ due to his handsome appearance, has become the face on the cover of the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
With the headline ‘Father George: It’s Not a Sin to Be Beautiful’, the Italian edition of the magazine, which specializes in pop culture, fashion, and current affairs, features a photograph of the 56-year-old archbishop smiling, with his blue eyes shining. A spokesperson for the magazine explained that Gaenswein did not give an interview for the article and did not pose for the cover; rather, the editorial team enlarged an existing image.
Gaenswein, personal secretary to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger since he was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2005, was promoted this month to archbishop. As a result, the magazine dedicated an article to this cleric, referring to him as ‘the George Clooney of St. Peter’s’. Gaenswein has also been promoted to Prefect of the Papal Household, which will significantly increase his authority as the Pope becomes older and more fragile. As Prefect, Gaenswein will be responsible for private and public papal audiences on a daily basis. Since he will continue to serve as personal secretary, he will have even greater authority in deciding who will have access to the 85-year-old Holy Father, writes Reuters.
