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Before the conclave, horse-trading has begun
The Vatican insists that the cardinals participating in the upcoming conclave will vote their conscience, each influenced only by silent prayers and ...
Rome braces for conclave crowd control challenge
You're expecting hundreds of thousands of guests. You don't know where they're coming from, or when they'll arrive. You don't even know the date of ...
Italy confirms claim 7 hostages slain in Nigeria
The Italian Foreign Ministry says it has confirmed Nigerian extremists' claim that seven foreign hostages have been killed in Nigeria. The foreigners, ...
Top contenders to be the next pope
Cardinals from around the world gather this week in a conclave to elect a new pope following the stunning resignation of Benedict XVI. In the ...
Silvio Berlusconi remains hospitalized in Italy
Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi remained hospitalized Saturday with an eye inflammation, but court-appointed doctors said the condition was ...
Cardinals set Tuesday as start date for conclave
The preliminaries over, Catholic cardinals are ready to get down to the real business of choosing a pope. And even without a front-runner, there are ...
Fitch downgrades Italy on election uncertainty
Fitch Ratings Agency on Friday downgraded Italy's credit rating to BBB+ from A- with a warning of a further downgrade, citing the uncertainty created ...
Hungarian cardinal's parents defied communism
He's the son of a deeply religious couple who defied communist repression to practice their faith. And if elected pope, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo ...
Vietnam cardinal arrives, last 1 in for conclave
The last cardinal who will participate in the conclave to elect the next pope arrived in Rome on Thursday, meaning a date can now be set for the ...
Draghi: Do more to promote jobs, growth
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is urging indebted governments to move beyond spending cuts and tax hikes and introduce reforms that ...
Italy kingmaker's anti-Jewish views under scrutiny
Comic Beppe Grillo's populist tirades were seen as a benign outlet for popular anger in the days his protest movement was a sideshow in Italian ...
Crazy days in Rome with papal and political void
These are crazy days in Rome, where limbo reigns in parliament and papacy. Italy is usually a pretty anarchic place, with people bucking rules on ...
Berlusconi convicted in wiretap case
Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was convicted Thursday over the illegal publication in a newspaper owned by his media empire of wiretapped ...
Sri Lanka cardinal hews to tradition in papal race
In one of his first appointments as pope, Benedict XVI picked a Sri Lankan archbishop to return to the Vatican for a top post overseeing the church's ...
Cardinals impose media blackout ahead of conclave
In the end, American-style transparency was no match for the Vatican's obsession with secrecy. Cardinals attending closed-door discussions ahead of ...
A diplomatic natural, Kerry hits ground running
With the smile of a seasoned politician, a flair for languages and a vast repertoire of personal anecdotes, Secretary of State John Kerry schmoozed ...
Correction: Vatican-Pope story
In a story March 5 about American cardinals exerting a surprising amount of control over the message coming out of Vatican City ahead of the papal ...
Victims raise legal questions about retired pope
Attorneys who have tried unsuccessfully for years to sue the Vatican over failures to stop clergy sex abuse are looking into whether former Pope ...
Vatican still waiting for 5 cardinals for conclave
The Sistine Chapel closed to visitors on Tuesday and construction work got under way to prepare it for the conclave that will choose the next pope, ...
Real Madrid leads AP rankings after Clasico wins
Two victories in four days over rival Barcelona propelled Real Madrid to first place in the AP global soccer rankings. Cristiano Ronaldo's role in ...
Conservative Canadian a top contender to be pope
Cardinal Marc Ouellet once said that being pope "would be a nightmare." He would know, having enjoyed the confidence of two popes as a top-ranked ...
Gay group calls for apology from Scottish cardinal
A Scottish cardinal who stepped down from church leadership after admitting sexual misconduct should apologize to gay people for his years of "vicious ...
US cardinals seek answers on Vatican dysfunction
Cardinals said Monday they want to talk to Vatican managers about allegations of corruption and cronyism within the top levels of the Catholic Church ...
Pope's new clothes? Check. Tailor rolls out robes
White cassock? Check. White skullcap? Check. Red shoes? Check. Cardinals haven't even begun meeting in the Sistine Chapel yet to elect the new pope ...