Pope Benedict XVI news and stories by mail.com

Pope Benedict XVI

Conclave to elect next pope opens amid uncertainty
Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: ...
Heavy workload awaits next pope; church in turmoil
The moment Cardinal Albino Luciani learned his colleagues had elected him pope, he responded: "May God forgive you for what you've done." The remark, ...
Black or white smoke, did they pick a pope?
Forget all the artistic masterpieces. The most gazed-at item at the Vatican this week will be a humble, copper, two-meter (six-foot) high chimney that ...
As conclave approaches, Benedict XVI out of sight
As cardinals move to elect a new pope, the Vatican has seemed intent on getting people to forget the last one. Benedict XVI's papacy ended last month ...
Quirky facts about papal conclaves
LONGEST CONCLAVE: In 1268, a conclave began that lasted nearly three years — 33 months to be exact. Pope Gregory X was elected pope, but not before ...
Conclave chatter dominates Vatican soccer league
Vatican-sponsored soccer league matches went ahead as scheduled this weekend on a hill overlooking St. Peter's Basilica. For the 16 teams of ...
Cardinals say Mass, seek prayers ahead of conclave
Cardinals took a break from maneuvering ahead of this week's papal conclave to fan out across Rome and celebrate Sunday Mass at local parishes.
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 ...
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 ...
Sistine chimney installed as conclave nears
The Vatican sought Saturday to quash speculation that divisions among cardinals could drag out the conclave to elect the new pope, while preparations ...
Catholics create 'virtual conclave' for new pope
A pastor in Ontario wondered about behind-the-scenes politicking ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope. He could have read news reports or ...
Cardinal Turkson: Africa's best hope for pope
Often cast as the social conscience of the church, Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson is viewed by many as the top African contender for pope.
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 ...
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 ...
Cardinal Scherer: Modern ways, traditional message
Cardinal Odilo Scherer is known for prolific tweeting, appearances on Brazil's most popular late-night talk show and squeezing into the subway for ...
Filipino cardinal stirs papal talk with rapid rise
Asia's most prominent Roman Catholic leader knows how to reach the masses: He sings on stage, preaches on TV, brings churchgoers to laughter and tears ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Old Catholic orders fade as monks and nuns age
The nuns of "Le Creche," the only orphanage in Bethlehem, have raised generations of children in this biblical town. But only four aging nuns remain, ...
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 ...
New Chaldean patriarch enthroned in Iraq
Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Church enthroned a new patriarch during a ceremonial mass Wednesday that was held amid tight security in Baghdad. The mass ...