Vatican

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Italian Paper: Benedict Quit Amid Crazy Scandal

Report says gay priests were blackmailed

(Newser) - Here's a conspiracy theory on Pope Benedict's sudden resignation that wasn't in the first rush of speculation —what if Benedict's decision was linked to a network of gay priests in the Vatican who were being blackmailed by outsiders? That's the premise of a report...

Benedict's Health So Bad Docs Told Him Not to Fly

Report outlines high blood pressure, sleeping trouble

(Newser) - A fuller picture of the laundry list of Pope Benedict's physical ailments continues to emerge. In addition to reported partial blindness , the pontiff has suffered from high blood pressure to the extent that his doctor warned him to spend "as little time as possible" flying, according to the...

Benedict: Pray for Me, Next Pope

It's his second-to-last Angelus blessing until he steps down

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI is blessing 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. Speaking in Spanish, Reuters notes that Benedict implored the crowd, "I...

Next Pope Should Be a Nun
 Next Pope Should Be a Nun 
OPINION

Next Pope Should Be a Nun

EJ Dionne thinks the Catholic Church should go big

(Newser) - EJ Dionne thinks the Catholic Church should make a "brave and bold" choice when it picks a new pope: It should pick a nun. Will it happen? Not a chance, he writes at the Washington Post , but putting a woman in charge "would vastly strengthen Catholicism, help the...

Vatican: Pope Hit His Head in Mexico

Also, he has a pacemaker

(Newser) - Did Pope Benedict resign in a dazed concussion haze? Probably not, but the Vatican revealed today that his holiness whacked his noggin pretty good during his March 2012 Mexico trip , the AP reports. The admission followed an Italian newspaper report saying that while getting up in the middle of the...

Benedict: I'll Be 'Hidden From the World'

Church unsure what to do with the Vatican's new famous lodger

(Newser) - What do you do with an ex-pope? If you happen to know, call Rome, because the Church isn't sure yet. Many fear Benedict will become an implicit rival to the new pope, despite his apparent desire to keep a low profile. He told Roman diocese priests yesterday that he...

Benedict Won't Be Infallible Anymore

Vatican says his divine authority on all church matters goes to next pope

(Newser) - When Pope Benedict steps down as pope later this month, he loses some serious bragging rights: No longer will he be infallible, reports AFP via Raw Story . “These powers go with the office, so they will pass to the next pope," says a Vatican spokesman. "Whoever renounces...

Pope: I'm Leaving for 'Good of the Church'

Offers first public comments since retirement announced

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI has publicly addressed his retirement for the first time, saying it's for "the good of the Church," NBC News reports. Speaking during his weekly general audience, he asked that listeners "continue to pray for me, for the Church, and for the future pope,...

Benedict&#39;s Legacy? A List of Unachieved Goals
Benedict's Legacy?
A List of Unachieved Goals
OPINION Roundup

Benedict's Legacy? A List of Unachieved Goals

But others say his comments on contraception may endure

(Newser) - As the world comes to terms with the sudden and incredibly unusual resignation of the papacy by Pope Benedict XVI, the general consensus appears to be that Joseph Ratzinger was a scholarly, introverted conservative who will ultimately be remembered most for the controversies that surrounded him. Among the opinions:
  • Despite
...

'Hitler's Pope' Secretly Aided the Jews: New Book

Pope Pius XII 'oversaw a clandestine operation'

(Newser) - A new book is aiming to give "Hitler's Pope" a better place in history, the Guardian reports. Due out next month, The Pope's Jews paints Pius XII as a man who quietly aided Jews during World War II with safe houses and fake documents. According to the...

Vatican's Anti-Gay Stance Yields Topless Protest

4 gay-rights activists cause a stir during Pope's weekly address

(Newser) - The Vatican is doubling down on its anti-gay marriage stance, which today had the unlikely result of a group of women ripping their shirts off as Pope Benedict gave his Sunday address, reports Reuters . Four members of the Ukrainian Femen group screamed "homophobes, shut up!" and shed their...

Priest in Italy Blames Violence Against Women on ... Women

Christmas message provokes outrage

(Newser) - Domestic violence is on the rise in Italy, with 120 women killed this year—up a third over last year, reports the Daily Beast . The UN Human Rights Council and women's advocates have been pushing leaders to get a handle on the problem, but a Catholic priest's Christmas...

Pope: In Daily Hustle, Find Time for God

Pontiff will give Christmas Eve Mass shortly

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI marked Christmas Eve with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and a pressing question: Will people find room in their hectic, technology-driven lives for children, the poor and God? The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to...

Earthly Riches Abound at Vatican's Duty-Free Store

Opulent, little-known department store sits behind St. Peter's Basilica

(Newser) - Money might not buy you a ticket to heaven, but at the Vatican's duty-free store, $3,840 can buy a 65-inch Samsung TV for that devout Christian on your list who has everything. The AP takes a look at the little-known three-story commercial haven that sits mere steps away...

Pope Pardons Ex-Butler
 Pope Pardons Ex-Butler 

Pope Pardons Ex-Butler

Paolo Gabriele had been serving time for stealing papal documents

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI has granted a Christmas pardon to his former butler, who stole the pope's private papers and leaked them to a journalist in one of the gravest Vatican security breaches in recent times. The Vatican said Benedict visited Paolo Gabriele in the Vatican police barracks this morning,...

Vatican: In 9 Days, Pope Will Tweet

@Pontifex personal account to get off the ground next Wednesday

(Newser) - Get ready for one of Twitter's newer handles, @Pontifex , which belongs to none other than one Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff doesn't plan on using it until Dec. 12, the Vatican revealed today, but come next Wednesday, he'll begin tweeting in six languages. His first tweets will...

Pope&#39;s Butler Gets 18 Months for Stealing Documents
Pope's Butler Guilty,
But Pardon Is 'Likely'
UPDATED

Pope's Butler Guilty, But Pardon Is 'Likely'

Paolo Gabriele gets 18 months for stealing church documents

(Newser) - It looks like Pope Benedict is going to let his former butler off the hook. A Vatican spokesman says a pardon is "likely" for Paolo Gabriele, after he was convicted today and sentenced to 18 months for stealing the pontiff's private papers and other church documents and leaking...

Italian Protester Scales St. Peter's Dome

He spends night atop Vatican landmark

(Newser) - It's hard for a lone protester to get attention in today's protest-crowded Europe, but one Italian man managed it by scaling St. Peter's Basilica. The protester, posing as a tourist, slipped past Vatican security to climb the landmark and unroll a banner denouncing European Union policies and...

Pope&#39;s Butler: I Betrayed Him
 Pope's Butler: I Betrayed Him 

Pope's Butler: I Betrayed Him

But Paolo Gabriele declares himself innocent of theft charges

(Newser) - Paolo Gabriele pleaded guilty today—sort of. The pope's former butler said that he was innocent of the aggravated theft charges against him, but added, "I feel guilty of having betrayed the trust of the Holy Father, whom I love as a son would." He said his...

Pope's Former Butler to Testify in 'Vatileaks' Trial

Verdict could come by week's end

(Newser) - As the trial of Pope Benedict's ex-butler enters its second day, the defendant himself is set to testify. Paolo Gabriele will likely confess to leaking confidential Vatican documents, al-Jazeera reports, since he already admitted guilt to prosecutors during a pretrial hearing. What to watch for at today's session:...

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