http://www.mail.com/people/7658-pope-benedict-xvi.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.20/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/people/7658-pope-benedict-xvi.html http://www.mail.com/news/world/1763736-vatican-austerity-donated-nativity-scene.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has happily accepted a donated Nativity scene for St. Peter's Square this Christmas after a previous setup costing €550,000 ($717,000) was exposed by the embarrassing scandal over leaked Vatican documents. Monsignor Giuseppe Sciacca, the No. 2 administrator of the Vatican city state, told reporters Thursday that the Vatican... Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:14:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1763736-vatican-austerity-donated-nativity-scene.html 2012-12-13T13:14:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1761674-prolific-twitter-accounts.html LONDON (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark on Wednesday as he sent his first tweet from his new account. In amassing an army of followers, the pontiff joined an elite circle of prolific tweeters. Below is a glance at other members of the Twitterati. (at)LadyGaga Pop icon Lady Gaga's account ranks as Twitter's most followed, wi... Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:04:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1761674-prolific-twitter-accounts.html 2012-12-12T17:04:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1760634-pope-hits-1m-mark-tweets-dear-friends-.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark on Wednesday as he sent his first tweet from his new account, blessing his online fans and urging them to listen to Christ. In perhaps the most drawn out Twitter launch ever, the 85-year-old Benedict tapped the screen of a tablet brought to him at the end of his general audience... Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1760634-pope-hits-1m-mark-tweets-dear-friends-.html 2012-12-12T14:55:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1760354-china-revokes-shanghai-catholic-bishops-title.html BEIJING (AP) — In a fresh challenge to Vatican authority, China has revoked the title of a new Catholic bishop in Shanghai who outraged Chinese officials by immediately dropping out of the government agency that oversees the country's officially sanctioned church, religious officials said Wednesday. Ma Daqin, who was jointly named for the post in a rare c... Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:56:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1760354-china-revokes-shanghai-catholic-bishops-title.html 2012-12-12T09:56:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1759356-popes-sensitive-side-revealed-childrens-book.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — A children's picture book about the goldfish pond at the pope's summer residence reveals a side of him few may know. Every day while Pope Benedict XVI is on vacation at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome, he feeds the goldfish after praying by a nearby statue of Mary, tossing them pieces of bread. The little-known factoid was revealed in "T... Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:20:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1759356-popes-sensitive-side-revealed-childrens-book.html 2012-12-11T20:20:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1750836-pope-shores-up-papal-household-leaks-scandal.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI moved Friday to shore up the papal household in the aftermath of the Vatican's leaks scandal, naming his trusted secretary to also run the office that organizes his schedule. German Monsignor Georg Gaenswein replaces American prelate James Harvey, who was recently made a cardinal, as papal household prefect. The prefe... Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:46:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1750836-pope-shores-up-papal-household-leaks-scandal.html 2012-12-07T13:46:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1742310-israels-president-tweets-pope-welcome.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed Pope Benedict XVI, both octogenarians, to social media with a personal tweet on Tuesday. Peres, 89, tweeted on Tuesday, "Your holiness, welcome to Twitter. Our relations with the Vatican are at their best and can form a basis to further peace everywhere." Relations have taken a turn for the worse in... Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:43:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1742310-israels-president-tweets-pope-welcome.html 2012-12-04T16:43:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1739224-pope-joins-tweeting-masses-with-pontifex-handle.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Benedict XVI, the pope known for his hefty volumes of theology and lengthy encyclicals, is now trying brevity — spreading the faith through his own Twitter account. The pontiff will tweet in eight languages starting Dec. 12 using his personal handle (at)Pontifex, responding live to questions about faith during his weekly general audien... Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:20:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1739224-pope-joins-tweeting-masses-with-pontifex-handle.html 2012-12-03T21:20:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1736282-pope-greets-clowns-acrobats-circus-to-town.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI greeted thousands of clowns, acrobats, puppeteers and even a pair of lion cubs on Saturday as the circus came to town for an unusual papal performance. Benedict clapped and watched amused as circus workers flipped, flopped, juggled and twisted before him in what the Vatican has called a historic audience to make stree... Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:48:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1736282-pope-greets-clowns-acrobats-circus-to-town.html 2012-12-01T13:48:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1726462-vatican-sells-stamps-to-restore-famed-colonnade.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Not even the Vatican is immune from the economic crisis. For the first time, the Vatican is seeking funds directly from pilgrims, collectors and tourists to pay for the ambitious restoration of the 17th century Bernini colonnade surrounding St. Peter's Square. The Vatican's Philatelic and Numismatic Office, which se... Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:01:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1726462-vatican-sells-stamps-to-restore-famed-colonnade.html 2012-11-27T18:01:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1722340-pope-tells-cardinals-to-lured-power.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI has told his six new cardinals to resist the allure of power and instead be like Jesus and focus their work on spreading the Christian faith. Benedict celebrated a Mass on Sunday in St. Peter's Basilica with the cardinals he formally elevated a day earlier. The six hail from Colombia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Phil... Sun, 25 Nov 2012 12:42:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1722340-pope-tells-cardinals-to-lured-power.html 2012-11-25T12:42:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1720906-pope-elevates-6-cardinals-to-choose-successor.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI responded to criticism that the club of churchmen who will choose his successor is too Eurocentric, elevating six new cardinals from Colombia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Philippines and the U.S. during a formal ceremony Saturday. Benedict welcomed the prelates into the College of Cardinals during a short, hour-long ... Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:13:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1720906-pope-elevates-6-cardinals-to-choose-successor.html 2012-11-24T17:13:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1718402-pope-urges-dignity-rehabilitation-prisoners.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The pope is urging prison administrators to respect the dignity and rights of criminals in their care, and to help rehabilitate them. Pope Benedict XVI met Thursday with participants of a conference of European prison administrators and urged them to re-educate prisoners, not just punish them. He said society and prisoners themselves w... Thu, 22 Nov 2012 12:15:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1718402-pope-urges-dignity-rehabilitation-prisoners.html 2012-11-22T12:15:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1710964-church-england-nears-vote-female-bishops.html LONDON (AP) — After decades of debate, the Church of England votes Tuesday on whether it will finally admit women to the ranks of bishops — under a compromise proposal that has angered the faithful on both sides of the argument. A majority of the church's governing General Synod is ready to say yes, but that doesn't mean it's all wrapped up. The vote need... Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:23:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1710964-church-england-nears-vote-female-bishops.html 2012-11-19T11:23:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1708970-egypts-coptic-pope-enthroned.html CAIRO (AP) — The new pope of Egypt's Orthodox Coptic church was enthroned on Sunday in an elaborate ceremony lasting nearly four hours, attended by the nation's Muslim prime minister and a host of Cabinet ministers and politicians. Pope Tawadros II, 60, was elected Nov. 4, but the official enthronement ceremony was held Sunday at the Coptic cathedral in C... Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:29:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1708970-egypts-coptic-pope-enthroned.html 2012-11-18T16:29:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1709010-ap-interview-vatican-sex-crimes-prosecutor-sin.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Benedict XVI announced last month he was transferring his respected sex crimes prosecutor to Malta to become a bishop, Vatican watchers immediately questioned whether the Holy See's tough line on clerical abuse was going soft — and if another outspoken cleric was being punished for doing his job too well. After all, several s... Sun, 18 Nov 2012 07:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1709010-ap-interview-vatican-sex-crimes-prosecutor-sin.html 2012-11-18T07:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691658-pope-resurrects-latin-with-academy-to-boost-study.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is trying to resurrect Latin. Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree Saturday creating a new pontifical academy for Latin studies to try to boost interest in the official language of the Roman Catholic Church that is nevertheless out of widespread use elsewhere. Benedict acknowledged Latin's fall from grace i... Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:36:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691658-pope-resurrects-latin-with-academy-to-boost-study.html 2012-11-10T16:36:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691680-vatican-computer-tech-convicted-leaks-scandal.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Vatican court on Saturday convicted a Holy See computer technician of helping the former papal butler in the embarrassing leak of confidential papal documents and gave him a two-month suspended sentence in the last trial in the scandal. Claudio Sciarpelletti, a 48-year-old Italian who is a computer program analyst in the Vatican's Se... Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:29:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691680-vatican-computer-tech-convicted-leaks-scandal.html 2012-11-10T16:29:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691770-vatican-digs-gay-marriage-advances.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is digging in after gay marriage initiatives scored big wins this week in the U.S. and Europe, vowing to never stop insisting that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. In a front-page article in Saturday's Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See sought to frame itself as the lone voice of courage in ... Sat, 10 Nov 2012 15:48:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1691770-vatican-digs-gay-marriage-advances.html 2012-11-10T15:48:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1689246-pope-organized-crime-grave-threat-to-society.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI denounced organized crime as a "gravely destabilizing threat" to society during an audience Friday with members of Interpol, and called for greater international cooperation to fight it. Benedict called the trafficking in organs as one of the more "barbarian" activities carried out by organized crime groups, saying th... Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:18:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1689246-pope-organized-crime-grave-threat-to-society.html 2012-11-09T12:18:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1687808-pope-to-join-celebs-presidents-with-twitter-feed.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — 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... Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:35:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1687808-pope-to-join-celebs-presidents-with-twitter-feed.html 2012-11-08T20:35:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1684036-world-reaction-to-barack-obamas-victory.html President Barack Obama's re-election in the United States elicited strong feelings — from optimism to skepticism — around the world. A sampling of global reaction: "One of the first things I want to talk to Barack about is how we must do more to try and solve this crisis (in Syria). Above all, congratulations to Barack. I've enjoyed wor... Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:33:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1684036-world-reaction-to-barack-obamas-victory.html 2012-11-07T16:33:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1683942-syrian-rebels-push-capital-damascus.html BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels made a new push into Damascus on Wednesday, clashing heavily with troops in the rebellious suburbs of the capital and firing mortars at a presidential palace and a Palestinian refugee camp, activists said. The regime stronghold of Damascus has seen a surge in violence this week with some of the fiercest clashes in months. In re... Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:56:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1683942-syrian-rebels-push-capital-damascus.html 2012-11-07T13:56:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1681190-patriarch-maxim-bulgaria-dies-age-98.html SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, who weathered a revolt over his communist-era ties to lead the Balkan country's Orthodox Christians for more than 40 years, has died. He was 98. The patriarch died of heart failure early Tuesday at a Sofia hospital where he had been for a month, the Holy Synod said in a statement. The Holy Synod of 13 se... Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:44:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1681190-patriarch-maxim-bulgaria-dies-age-98.html 2012-11-06T16:44:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1676224-brazils-pop-star-priest-mammoth-stage.html SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's "pop-star priest" is already packing in the crowds at the newly opened mammoth sanctuary that he built for his campaign to stem the exodus of faithful from the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America's biggest nation. Brazil still has more Catholics than any other country in the world, with about 65 percent of its 192 million peop... Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:25:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1676224-brazils-pop-star-priest-mammoth-stage.html 2012-11-03T22:25:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1668280-despite-volume-plan-to-limit-sistine-tourists.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Five centuries after Michelangelo's ceiling of frescoes was inaugurated in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday celebrated the "symphony of figures" contemplated during prayer. Benedict marked the anniversary by saying vespers beneath the frescoes, as his predecessor Julius II had half a millennium earlier. The pope said ... Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:28:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1668280-despite-volume-plan-to-limit-sistine-tourists.html 2012-10-31T18:28:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1660092-vatican-counsels-patience-traditionalists.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is again opening the door to a group of breakaway traditionalist Catholics, saying patience, perseverance and trust are necessary to end a quarter-century of schism. The Vatican said in a statement Saturday that it understands the Society of St. Pius X needs more time to consider its offer to bring the group back under the ... Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1660092-vatican-counsels-patience-traditionalists.html 2012-10-27T08:24:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1653506-traditionalists-expel-holocaust-denying-bishop.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — A traditionalist group of breakaway Catholics on Wednesday expelled a Holocaust-denying bishop whose views sparked a major Vatican crisis in 2009. The Society of St. Pius X said its governing council expelled Bishop Richard Williamson because he ignored a deadline to "declare his submission" to its authority and had called for the soci... Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:02:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1653506-traditionalists-expel-holocaust-denying-bishop.html 2012-10-24T18:02:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1652208-pope-names-6-cardinals-italy.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI named six new cardinals on Wednesday, adding prelates from Lebanon, the Philippines, Nigeria, Colombia, India and the United States to the ranks of senior churchmen who will elect his successor. Among them is Archbishop James Harvey, the American prefect of the papal household whom the pope also named archpriest of a ... Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1652208-pope-names-6-cardinals-italy.html 2012-10-24T13:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1649100-vatican-court-butlers-theft-harmed-pope-church.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican tribunal that convicted the pope's ex-butler of stealing private papal correspondence sharply condemned the theft on Tuesday as causing "reprehensible" damage to the pontiff, the Holy See and the entire Catholic Church, and said investigations are continuing. The three-judge tribunal issued its written explanation of how it... Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1649100-vatican-court-butlers-theft-harmed-pope-church.html 2012-10-23T11:55:00Z