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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 ...
Tailors to the popes pray for perfect fit
The favorite guessing game in Rome these days is who will be the next pope. Few take it more seriously than the Gammarelli family, tailors to the ...
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 ...
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, ...
Conclave runs on modern twists to ancient rules
Ritual words, uttered in Latin, open and close the secret selection process of the new pope. It starts with "Extra omnes" — or "Everyone out" — ...
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 ...
Cardinals get down to work in pre-conclave talks
Cardinals from around the world have descended on Rome to discuss some of the major problems facing the Catholic Church ahead of the conclave to elect ...
Benedict's obedience to new pope part of tradition
He slipped it in at the end of his speech, and said it so quickly and softly it almost sounded like an afterthought. But in pledging his ...
Vatican takes first steps running pope-less church
The Vatican took the first steps of governing a Catholic Church without a pope on Friday, making some ceremonial and practical moves to formalize the ...
Pope's first hours as retiree: Prayer, TV, books
The Vatican says Benedict XVI has spent his first few hours as a retiree praying, watching TV and taking walks. The Vatican on Friday released details ...
Cardinal Ravasi: Intellectual who quotes Winehouse
He quotes Amy Winehouse and, unlike Benedict XVI, actually taps out his tweets himself. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is an erudite scholar with a modern ...
Now a 'simple pilgrim,' Benedict resigns papacy
As bells tolled and the clock struck 8, the brass-studded wooden doors swung shut Thursday at this palace in the Italian hills, marking an end to ...
AP PHOTOS: Benedict's final day as pope
Pope Benedict XVI, the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, has left Vatican City for scenic Castel Gandolfo in the hills south of Rome, where he has ...
Swiss Guards in central role in papal retirement
In their plumed helmets and striped uniforms, the Swiss Guards are one of the most beloved traditions of the Vatican — and on Thursday take a central ...
LAST DAY AS POPE
Pope Benedict XVI is making history today, becoming the first pontiff to retire in nearly 600 years. Only a handful of popes have ever done so.
Pope legacy: Teacher who returned to church roots
On Monday, April 4, 2005, a priest walked up to the Renaissance palazzo housing the Vatican's doctrine department and asked the doorman to call the ...
Pope recalls 'joy,' difficulties in final audience
Pope Benedict XVI bid an emotional farewell Wednesday on the eve of his retirement, recalling moments of "joy and light" during his papacy, but also ...
Benedict to be called 'emeritus pope,' wear white
Two pontiffs, both wearing white, both called "pope" and living a few yards from one another, with the same key aide serving them. The Vatican's ...
Close encounters with the popes over 3 decades
The Middle East Airlines jetliner had barely taken off from Beirut when I was escorted down the aisle to the first-class section and seated beside ...
British cardinal will skip upcoming papal conclave
In a season of startling change for the Catholic Church, the latest break with tradition was as unexpected as it was a wake-up call to the 115 men who ...
Pope gives final Sunday blessing before resigning
Pope Benedict XVI bestowed his final Sunday blessing of his pontificate on a cheering crowd in St. Peter's Square, explaining that his waning years ...
Vatican blasts 'false' pre-conclave reporting
The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope ...
Ex-Legion priest says he saw fiscal improprieties
A former priest for the disgraced Roman Catholic religious order the Legion of Christ said in sworn testimony recently made public that he witnessed ...