The brother of the German-born Pope said the pontiff had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months.

BBC: Pope Benedict XVI to resign citing poor health

Born into a middle class Jewish family, she lost her father, brother and sister during the German occupation, survived four concentration camps and the Death March and went on to bear witness to the creation of Israel in 1948.

BBC: Holocaust terror 'should never be forgotten'

Her brother Josef was sent to Prague, where he was executed by German soldiers, after they discovered he had lied about his age.

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When the family goes off on vacation to Vietnam, Florence stays behind to take care of their German shepherd, Mahler, and to provide whatever support may be needed for Phillip's brother, Roger, newly arrived from New York via a mental institution that was treating him for depression.

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