‘Pope Benedict XVI rode through St. Peter’s Square standing in the back of an open vehicle and greeted pilgrims in a half dozen languages. They waved flags and sang hymns, but the first general audience of his papacy Wednesday was a sober, scaled-down version of Pope John Paul II’s lively weekly meetings with the faithful.
The […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI has included traditional Bavarian elements and a nod to St. Augustine in his papal coat of arms, the diocese of Munich and Friesing said Monday.
A crowned Ethiopian, a bear and a mussel — all of which appear on the insignia of the diocese — also appear in the three-sectored insignia chosen by […]
‘As Pope John Paul II clung to life yesterday, Christians and non-Christians alike in Washington and across the nation prepared for his passing, marking the day with tears, candles and solemn prayers.
Catholics flocked to midday services. Many said they now had accepted his death and had begun praying that he would be free of pain […]
‘The new Pope Benedict praised dialogue with Muslims for the first time on Monday and issued another call for Christian unity, renewing a theme he has made a hallmark of the early days of his papacy.
At a separate audience for some of the German pilgrims who flocked to his inaugural Mass on Sunday, the Bavarian-born […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI said Monday that he had prayed to God during the conclave not to be elected pope but that “evidently this time He didn’t listen to me.”
For the first time since his election, Benedict shed light on his feelings inside the conclave during an audience with German pilgrims, who gave a hero’s welcome […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI formally began his stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, reaching out to Jews, other Christians and “non-believers alike,” and asking for prayers from the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries gathered in St. Peter’s Square as he assumed “this enormous task.”
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was known as […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI showed off his language skills in a meeting with journalists Saturday but made clear he was not a carbon copy of his media-minded predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
The new pope, reading prepared remarks in four languages, thanked journalists for their coverage of the “historically important” events during the papal transition, urged them […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that his predecessor Pope John Paul II was “at home” among the saints in heaven, but did not call for his canonization.
After John Paul’s death on April 2, there were popular calls, as well as those from some prelates, for John Paul to be made a saint swiftly. Vatican officials […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI reinforced his caretaker image Thursday, reappointing the entire Vatican hierarchy chosen by his populist predecessor, John Paul II. At the same time, the new pontiff sought to dispel any impression that he was aloof or dour.
He waved and smiled at crowds gathered along the short stretch between the Vatican gates and his […]
‘POPE Benedict XVI has vowed to foster dialogue with Jews, Rome’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said today, in a sign of the new pontiff’s stated desire to work toward better inter-faith relations.
Rabbi Di Segni quoted a letter from the pope, who said he had “trust in the help of the Almighty”, in which he […]
‘Got a prayer or a problem for the new pope? Now you can e-mail him.
Showing that Pope Benedict XVI intends to follow in the footsteps of John Paul II’s multimedia ministry, the Vatican on Thursday modified its Web site so that users who click on an icon on the home page automatically activate an e-mail […]
‘THE new Pope Benedict XVI is a gentle and courteous man who will deliver a few surprises, Sydney Archbishop George Pell says.
Archbishop Pell told ABC radio today the mixed reaction to the new Pope - who is regarded by some as a conservative hardliner - was entirely predictable.
He said he would remind people that Christ […]
‘Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he will reach out to other Christians and world religions, though he has previously spoken about the uniqueness of Roman Catholicism. A sampling of his statements:
ON CHRISTIANITY: “Christian faith is also certain that in its core it is the self-disclosure of truth itself and therefore is redemption. For man’s real […]
‘Nigeria The new pope of the Roman Catholic Church is being widely praised in Africa because of his reputation for strict orthodoxy. But Pope Benedict the 16th also has his critics who fear he may not do enough to fight African scourges such as AIDS, poverty and religious violence.
Elected pope on Tuesday, former Cardinal Joseph […]