Perhaps some of you have seen pictures or snippets from the concert of the Regensburg Cathedral Choir - the famous Domspatzen, the oldest continually existing Catholic choir in the world, being founded in 975 - which was held last Sunday in the Sistine Chapel in honour of the 85th birthday of Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, the Holy Father's brother. (Cf. CNS story here; I had the good fortune to see the entire concert, as well as the Pope's very moving off-the-cuff address in German, on Bavarian TV, but you can watch large parts of the concert online, click here for part 1, part 2 and part 3.)
In the context of this concert, the bishop of Regensburg, Most Reverend Msgr. Gerhard Ludwig Müller announced that
Because of his outstanding merits regarding the worthy celebration of the liturgy of the Cathedral and the Choir of the Regensburger Domspatzen I, having consulted the Cathedral Chapter, appoint the Cathedral Kapellmeister em. of the Cathedral of St. Peter's at Regensburg, Most Reverend Protonotary Apostolic Prof. Dr. h.c. Georg Ratzinger, Canon of the Collegiate Chapter of Saints John Baptist and John Evangelist at Regenburg, as Honorary Canon of the Cathedral Chapter ("Ehrendomherr") of the Cathedral of St. Peter's of the Diocsese of Regensburg.
Yesterday, during Pontifical Vespers in said Cathedral celebrated by the ordinary of Regensburg, Msgr. Ratzinger was installed in this new office. Here are some pictures which show the distinctive mozzetta of the Regensburg Cathedral Chapter. Also note the German four-horned biretta.
UPDATE
Images of the occasion are now available at the website of the diocese of Regensburg.
From these it would seem that the fur mozzetta, together with the capitular cross on the blue-and-white ribbon, actually is the choir dress of the Collegiate Chapter of Saints John Baptist and John Evangelist at Regenburg, of which Prelate Ratzinger was already a member, while the Canons of Regensburg Cathedral wear a purple (paonazza) mozzetta with the capitular cross on a black-and-gold ribbon.
