The Vatican today denied a magazine report suggesting former Pope Benedict was suffering a debilitating 'paralysis' that threatened to end his life imminently.

The German magazine Neue Post had quoted Benedict's older brother, the priest Georg Ratzinger, 94, as saying: The greatest fear is that the paralysis could at some point spread to his heart. Then it could be over quickly.

He added: 'Only God knows if we will meet again.'

A Vatican statement today shot down Georg's suggestion. It said that the 'presumed news of a paralysing degenerative disease are false. In two months, Benedict XVI will turn 91, and as he has said himself, feels the weight of his years, which is normal at that age.'

Georg's comments had come alongside a public letter earlier this month in which Pope Benedict described being 'on a pilgrimage Home' in the 'final period of my life'.

In a letter to the Italian newspaper the 90-year-old pope emeritus wrote:'I was moved that so many readers of your newspaper want to know how I am spending this last period of my life.

'I can only say in this regard that, in the slow decline of physical strengths, inwardly I am on a pilgrimage Home,' he added, capitalising the Italian word 'Casa' [home].

'It is a great grace for me to be surrounded, in this rather tiring last piece of the road, by a love and a goodness that I could not have imagined.'

Additional reporting by Reuters