Pope Benedict XVI

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Britain's Top Cardinal Quits Amid Scandal

Keith O'Brien accused of inappropriate contact with 4 priests

(Newser) - The UK's top Roman Catholic cleric has resigned amid accusations of inappropriate behavior dating back 33 years. Cardinal Keith O'Brien was set to retire next month after voting on the next pope ; but after the scandal exploded over the weekend, Pope Benedict has accepted his immediate resignation, the...

Top UK Cardinal Accused in 'Inappropriate' Acts

Keith O'Brien has long condemned homosexuality

(Newser) - Britain is buzzing today over allegations that the nation's top Catholic cleric engaged in "inappropriate behavior." Three priests and a former priest are accusing Cardinal Keith O'Brien in incidents they say date back to the 1980s, according to the AP . O'Brien, who is set to...

Benedict Gives Final Blessing
 Benedict Gives Final Blessing 
Feb 24, 2013 5:55 AM CST

Benedict Gives Final Blessing

Says God called him to a life of prayer

(Newser) - Pope Benedict has given his final Sunday blessing as pontiff from his window on St. Peter's Square, telling thousands of cheering well-wishers that "in prayer, we will always be close," reports the BBC . The pope, who steps down on Thursday, said in his final Angelus address that...

Vatican Slams 'False' Reports Before Pope's Departure

... after Italian paper floats notion of scandal with gay Vatican priests

(Newser) - Pope Benedict's final stretch at the Vatican isn't exactly a quiet one. A spokesman lashed out today against "unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories" that he says have been circulating in recent days. The Rev. Federico Lombardi didn't get into specifics, but he is no...

Pope's Twitter Account Leaving With Him

Vatican Radio says @Pontifex clearly belongs to Benedict

(Newser) - If you'd been looking forward to keeping up with ex-Pope Benedict's exploits as a Vatican lay-about/shadow pope on his @Pontifex Twitter feed, or maybe hoping he'd hand the handle off to his successor, we've got some bad news. The much-hyped account, which has drawn 2 million...

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's Pension: $3.3K/Month

Which is kind of a lot, considering the Vatican will pay his living expenses

(Newser) - Thinking about "pope" as your career goal? Consider the retirement package, which is apparently around $3,340 per month. That's how much Pope Benedict will get when he abdicates later this month, and while it may seem a bit low for someone who was the leader of the...

Benedict Blind in One Eye: Report

Looking thinner than ever: journalist

(Newser) - Pope Benedict cited deteriorating strength in explaining his exit, and now specifics are becoming clear via the Los Angeles Times . The pontiff has apparently gone blind in one eye, says Peter Seewald, a German journalist and frequent Benedict interviewer. When Seewald saw the pope 10 weeks ago, his hearing had...

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
Feb 16, 2013 11:40 AM CST

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,...

Disgraced LA Cardinal to Vote on Next Pope

But Benedict won't

(Newser) - It's been less than two weeks since Roger Mahony was pulled from all public duties over his role in covering up child molestation cases. But that won't stop the LA cardinal from heading to Rome to help pick a successor to Pope Benedict, the LA Times reports. The...

Now, the Pope Benedict Conspiracy Theories

Sex scandal? Nazi history? Prophecy?

(Newser) - With Pope Benedict suddenly announcing his resignation today, we've looked at his legacy and the process for choosing his replacement . Now—forgive us—we delve into the inevitable conspiracy theories that "explain" his resignation:
  • His Nazi History. Benedict has acknowledged he was forced to serve in the Hitler
...

How the Papal Conclave Works


 How the Papal Conclave Works 
Feb 11, 2013 3:27 PM CST

How the Papal Conclave Works

Process will be basically the same as if the pope died

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope to step down since 1294 , so you probably have quite a few questions about what happens next. But it turns out the process the papal conclave will use to elect the next pope will be fairly familiar: With the exception of a period...

Benedict&#39;s Legacy? A List of Unachieved Goals
Benedict's Legacy?
A List of Unachieved Goals
OPINION Roundup
Feb 11, 2013 1:54 PM CST

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
...

Who Will Be the Next Pope?
 Who Will Be the Next Pope? 
Feb 11, 2013 10:33 AM CST

Who Will Be the Next Pope?

Cardinal Marc Ouellet a favorite

(Newser) - With Pope Benedict unexpectedly stepping down in a couple of weeks, who will take up the papacy next? USA Today , Reuters , and Bloomberg list some of the frontrunners. Could the church decide it's time to elect its first non-European leader? Quite a few of the choices fit that bill:...

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