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Pope lies face down on floor for the Passion of Christ

March 29, 2013 16:31
Vatican City, Mar 29 (EFE).- Pope Francis presided at St. Peter's Basilica over the Passion of Christ, the first of his pontificate. He had begun the service lying face down on the floor to pray for several minutes. Thousands of people, including the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy Seat, attended the Good Friday service, the only day of the year when Mass is not said. A cross covered with red cloth was placed on the main altar of the basilica for the solemn ceremony.

Pope to live in Vatican guesthouse 'until further notice'

March 26, 2013 12:32
Pope Francis on Tuesday announced he will be staying in the Vatican's guesthouse, rather than moving into the vast palace used as the official papal residence. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the new pontiff would remain in the 120-room guesthouse among other members of the clergy "until further notice." "He is trying out this type of simple living with other priests," Lombardi said, without saying when, or even if, the pope would move into the papal residence.

Italian bishops thank God for wrong pope

March 25, 2013 14:18
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Italian bishops were so convinced that one of their own would become pope that they sent a congratulatory message to the media thanking God for the election of a prelate from Milan. The trouble was, the new pope had already been named as Argentinian cardinal Jorge Bergoglio.

Pope Francis meets with cardinals from the Americas

March 25, 2013 13:17
Vatican City, Mar 25 (EFE) - Pope Francis met Monday with Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz and Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Vatican said. The Brazilian cardinal is prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Canadian is prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Both men were considered candidates for pope in the conclave that elected Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13.

Pope Francis, Benedict XVI meet and embrace at Castel Gandolfo

March 23, 2013 14:00
Vatican City, Mar 23 (EFE).- Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI met and embraced at Castel Gandolfo, where the former pope has lived since resigning the pontificate late last month, the Vatican's spokesman said. Federico Lombardi also said that after greeting one another on the helipad of the papal residence, Francis and Benedict XVI went into the chapel to pray. Benedict XVI offered the place of honor to Francis, who refused it with the words "we are brothers," after which the two knelt to pray in the same pew.

Men in White: Pope meets predecessor

March 23, 2013 11:45
Pope Francis flew in to a papal residence near Rome on Saturday for a meeting with "pope emeritus" Benedict XVI -- an unprecedented encounter in the history of the Catholic Church. Both men were in the white vestments reserved for popes as Benedict has been allowed to continue wearing his papal robes even after his resignation and is still addressed as "Your Holiness". Francis took a helicopter to the lakeside Castel Gandolfo summer residence where Benedict has been living since stepping down last month.

Pope holds historic meet with predecessor Benedict XVI

March 23, 2013 08:46
Pope Francis flew in to a papal residence near Rome on Saturday for an unprecedented encounter with "pope emeritus" Benedict XVI -- the first time a pontiff has met his predecessor. The talks round off a historic few weeks for the Roman Catholic Church after Benedict became the first pope to resign in over 700 years and only the second to do so by choice in 2,000 years. The last pope to resign -- Celestine V in 1294 -- was locked up and perhaps killed off by his successor Boniface VIII and there is no record of the two ever meeting post-resignation.

Pope prepares historic meet with predecessor Benedict XVI

March 23, 2013 02:01
Pope Francis prepared to go face to face with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday in a historic meeting between two men with very different styles but important core similarities. The Argentine pope was expected to take a helicopter from the Vatican landing at around 1115 GMT at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome where the "pope emeritus" has been living since his resignation last month.

Pope prepares historic meet with predecessor Benedict XVI

March 22, 2013 21:46
Pope Francis prepared to go face to face with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday in a historic meeting between two men with very different styles but important core similarities. The Argentine pope was expected to take a helicopter from the Vatican landing at around 1115 GMT at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome where the "pope emeritus" has been living since his resignation last month.

Pope urges dialogue with Islam, more help for the poor

March 22, 2013 10:30
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis urged the West on Friday to intensify dialogue with Islam and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty and protect the environment. Speaking in Italian, the new pontiff said richer countries should fight what he called "the spiritual poverty of our times" by re-forging links with God. "How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" he told the diplomats in the Vatican's frescoed Sala Regia.
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