The Pope

Why Catholic saints are marching into Latin America

Dudley Althaus — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:23:00 +0000

MEXICO CITY — Many Roman Catholics believe their church's future may well hinge on the ability of Pope Francis, an Argentine barely two months into his reign, to revive the faith in Latin America. That wager was underscored with Francis' canonization Sunday of two very different and long dead nuns — one Mexican and the other Colombian — who together enshrine the church's mission of both defending the faith and nurturing hope in the all but hopeless.

Coming soon: A Mormon temple in Rome

Jeff Tyson — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:31:37 +0000

The first Mormon temple in the Mediterranean region will be built in Rome, just eight miles from the Vatican.

Jeff Tyson

ROME — The world’s focus turned to the Catholic Church last month, when Catholics filled St. Peter's Square to witness Pope Francis’ inauguration. But just a few miles away, Italians are building a tribute to a different sect.

Italy, known for its strong Catholic presence, is also home to nearly 25,000 Mormons. And just eight miles from the Vatican, a Mormon temple is being built—the first in the city, the first in Italy, and the first in the Mediterranean region.

Francis becomes first pope to wash women's feet (VIDEO)

Jessica Phelan — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:19:00 +0000

American Jesuit priest James Martin called the gesture "hugely significant," a powerful symbol of "the all-embracing love of Christ."

Young Irish Catholics reject conservatism of new pope

Shweta Saraswat and Paige Brettingen — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:48:00 +0000

The Vatican expects Francis to rebuild the church, but disaffected young Catholics are skeptical.

Shweta Saraswat and Paige Brettingen

DUBLIN — Pope Francis received a resounding welcome on Wednesday evening as the first non-European pope, but some college students at Dublin’s Trinity College saw the conservative choice as one that would push them further away from their Catholic ties.

The College of Cardinals chose 76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina to succeed Pope Benedict XVI and to represent the burgeoning Catholic population outside of Europe. But they did so at the risk of alienating another essential demographic group: young adults.

Chatter: Francis becomes Pope

Jessica Phelan — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:11:42 +0000

Pope Francis is inaugurated, bombs hit Baghdad, Cyprus rethinks its unpopular tax on bank deposits, and Syria gets a second prime minister.

Pope Francis calls for 'poor Church for the poor' at debut audience

Jessica Phelan — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:23:00 +0000

The papal name that Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose is a symbol of his vision for the Church: St Francis of Assisi is "the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects others," the new pope explained.

Jesuit priests in Ireland see hope in Francis

Megan O'Neill and Paresh Dave — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:36:49 +0000

The election of the first-ever Jesuit pope signifies a desire for change in the church, say Irish priests. Can Francis avoid becoming a 'prisoner' of the Vatican?

Megan O'Neill and Paresh Dave

DUBLIN — The morning after being selected to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Pope Francis returned to the Roman hotel where he stayed during the conclave to retrieve his luggage and pay his bill.

It was one of the new pontiff's personal, everyman gestures that drew notice from Jesuit priests in Ireland. They see in Francis a leader, shaped by the Jesuit tradition, capable of reorienting the Catholic Church's relationship with its members.

Act of God of the Day: Chavez nudges Christ to pick South American pope

Katrine Dermody — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:43:00 +0000

According to Venezuela's acting President, Nicolas Maduro, when it came down to choosing the next Pope, the late Chavez gave his pal, Christ, some direction — in a southward trajectory, to be specific.

Fun Fact of the Day: Hunger Games, Vaticano style

Katrine Dermody — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

While this gradual starvation of cardinals as impetus to make a decision is perhaps a necessary evil, we still aren't sure that forcing such a momentous decision on a group of hungry older gentlemen is necessarily the most logical option.

Chatter: Bye-bye, Benedict

Jessica Phelan — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:02:42 +0000

Benedict XVI gives his last ever public address as pope, Iran says it will keep talking about its nuclear program, there's a deadly shooting at a Swiss factory, and how well do you know the rules of Yeti hunting?

An African pope? Don't bet on it

Paul Ames — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:41:05 +0000

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict's impending resignation has Catholics everywhere speculating about his successor and where he'll be from.

Chatter: Pope Benedict speaks

Jessica Phelan — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:04:30 +0000

The pope address his flock for the first time since his shock announcement, President Obama tells the Union what's up, and zombies are attacking Montana - not.

Pope Benedict XVI, 2005-2013

Jessica Phelan — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:02:04 +0000

Now 85, the Pope says he is too old to continue leading the Roman Catholic Church.

Goodbye, Pope Benedict XVI: Some of us will miss you

Lizzy Tomei — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:14:00 +0000

After the pope's resignation was announced Monday morning — mind you, not on Twitter — the faithful sent multilingual thanks and prayers to his @pontifex handle. But they had an uphill climb to compete with the deluge of snark, puns, and vitriol also sent the Pope's way.

Chatter: The pope has quit

Jessica Phelan — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:56:59 +0000

The Vatican makes a surprise announcement, there's a mining disaster in Russia, Europe's horsemeat scandal trots on, and the world's largest crocodile is an ex-largest crocodile.