Vatican officials on Wednesday told cardinals gathered for the election of the next pope to stop speaking to the media, as further indications emerged that a conclave would not start early next week as had been expected. ...
06:15 AM, Mar 07, 2013
Cardinals said on Monday they want to talk to Vatican managers about allegations of corruption and cronyism within the top levels of the Catholic Church before they elect the next pope, evidence that a scandal over leaked papal documents is casting a shadow over the conclave and setting up one of the most unpredictable papal elections in recent times. ...
05:06 AM, Mar 05, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI tweeted his final message on microblogging site Twitter, thanking his followers for their love and support, just before leaving the Vatican on Thursday. ...
06:06 AM, Mar 01, 2013
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday expressed hope that Pope Benedict XVI will continue to be available for the benefit of the people despite his resignation. ...
12:24 AM, Mar 01, 2013
It's the day Pope Benedict the 16th officially stands down. The Pope will keep his name Benedict the 16th and has already held his final general audience at the Vatican. ...
08:53 AM, Feb 28, 2013
Thousands gathered at the St Peter's Square in Vatican City to bid farewell to Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday. The outgoing Pope made his last public appearance as he addressed well-wishers from his villa. ...
05:25 PM, Feb 27, 2013
Two pontiffs, both wearing white, both called "pope" and living a few yards from one another, with the same key aide serving them. ...
06:01 AM, Feb 27, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI blessed the faithful from his window overlooking St Peter's Square for the first time since announcing his resignation, cheered by an emotional crowd of tens of thousands of well-wishers from around the world. Smiling broadly, Benedict raised his arms outstretched to the massive crowd in his second-to-last Angelus blessing before leaving the papacy. ...
07:46 PM, Feb 17, 2013
An emotional Pope addressed his last public mass at the Vatican on Wednesday evening. Huge crowds had gathered at St Peter's on the occasion of Ash Wednesday. ...
09:00 AM, Feb 14, 2013
A day after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, speculations are rife over who will take over. Some of his followers have expressed concern about the future of the church, his potential successor and the sex abuse crisis which haunts the catholic church. ...
03:00 PM, Feb 12, 2013
Pope Benedict leaves office having failed to stamp out the sexual abuse of children by priests and with the culture of secrecy that fostered the scandal still in place, groups representing some of the victims said on Monday. Bishops Accountability, a US pressure group, said the pope had apologised frequently for the harm done by priests but had never taken effective action to rectify the "incalculable harm" done to hundreds...
01:38 PM, Feb 12, 2013
Pope Benedict stunned the Roman Catholic Church including his closest advisers on Monday when he announced he would stand down in the first papal abdication in 700 years, saying he no longer had the mental and physical strength to run the Church through a period of major crisis. ...
12:58 AM, Feb 12, 2013
In an unexpected move, Vatican on Monday announced that Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28. In an official communique, the Pope has cited "advanced age" as a reason for stepping down. ...
08:18 PM, Feb 11, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI announced on Monday that he would resign on February 28 because he was simply too infirm to carry on - the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March. The 85-year-old pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning. ...
04:51 PM, Feb 11, 2013
The pope made the comments in his Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, one of his most important speeches. ...
01:35 PM, Dec 22, 2012
Pope Benedict XVI will start tweeting in six languages from his own personal handle @Pontifex on December 12. ...
05:23 PM, Dec 03, 2012
Vatican City: He already has a billion followers. Now, Pope Benedict XVI will join the Twitter-sphere, tweeting from a personal account along with the world's celebrities, leaders and ordinary folk. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi made the announcement Thursday, saying details about Benedict's handle and other information will come when the Vatican officially launches the account, perhaps before the end of the year. The 85-year-old Benedict sent his first...
07:49 AM, Nov 09, 2012
Vatican City: He already has a billion followers. Now, Pope Benedict XVI will join the Twitter-sphere, tweeting from a personal account along with the world's celebrities, leaders and ordinary folk. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi made the announcement on Thursday, saying details about Benedict's handle and other information will come when the Vatican officially launches the account, perhaps before the end of the year. The 85-year-old Benedict sent his...
02:41 AM, Nov 09, 2012
Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future. "Another year approaches its end, while we await a new one, with the trepidation, desires and expectations of always," Benedict said at the traditional New Year's Eve vespers service, as he delivered his homily from the central altar of...
09:27 AM, Jan 01, 2012
Vatican City: The Benetton clothing company withdrew an ad on Wednesday featuring a fake photo of Pope Benedict XVI kissing a top Egyptian imam on the lips after the Vatican denounced it as an unacceptable provocation. Benetton had said its "Unhate" campaign launched on Wednesday was aimed at fostering tolerance and "global love". The campaign's fake photos feature a half-dozen purported political nemeses in lip-locked embraces, including President Barack Obama...
03:55 AM, Nov 17, 2011
