THE TELEGRAPH: Georg Gänswein - or Gorgeous George - brings an unlikely touch of sex appeal and glamour to the Pope's visit to the UK.
Father Gänswein, Benedict XVI's personal secretary, has earned his nickname because of his square jaw, tousled blonde hair and tall, athletic frame.
Known to Italians as “Bel Giorgio”, the well-preserved 54-year-old has been compared by the Italian edition of Vanity Fair to George Clooney, while English-speaking Vatican observers have dubbed him the “Hugh Grant of the Holy See”.
Italian gossip magazines have run breathless articles alongside paparazzi photographs of him playing tennis in his whites.
As a keen skier and qualified pilot, he lends a rare man-of-action image to the often stuffy, staid world of the Vatican hierarchy. He will be at the side of the 83-year-old pontiff throughout the four day trip to London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, making sure he has the right speech to deliver, handing him his spectacles, ensuring his personal welfare and fussing over his appearance.
During Benedict’s trip to Malta in April, Father Gänswein made sure the Pope was comfortable in his white, bullet-proof Popemobile as he was driven among cheering crowds and prevented his cream-coloured cape and cassock from flapping around his face during a windy boat tour of Valletta Harbour.“He is the bridge between the Pope and the world,” said Jack Valero, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales who is closely involved in this week’s visit.
“Whatever the Pope needs, he will get it. He’s very good looking – straight out of central casting.” >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Thursday, September 16, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Georg Gänswein: the man behind the pope: John Hooper profiles the papal secretary whose looks have been compared with those of George Clooney and Hugh Grant >>> John Hooper | Thursday, September 16, 2010
