Pope Benedict XVI leaves office, promises ‘obedience’ to successor
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The papacy of Benedict XVI came to a quiet end at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 28), making him the first pope in 600 years to voluntarily leave office.
View ArticleWhen the new pope meets the old pope: Awkward?
(RNS) Now that Pope Francis has been duly installed, his next order of business is doing something no other pope has had to do in centuries: pay homage to the guy he replaced.
View ArticlePope Francis welcomes Benedict XVI back to the Vatican
VATICAN CITY (RNS) While some church observers worry that Benedict XVI could overshadow Pope Francis and his course of reforms, one veteran commentator said the side-by-side popes shouldn't cause a...
View ArticlePope forgoes summer holidays
(RNS) Pope Francis will remain in Rome this summer, unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who used to spend three months at Castel Gandolfo, the papal retreat.
View ArticleAdvisers urge Pope Francis to slow down for a summer break
WASHINGTON (RNS) Last summer, Pope Francis did not take a break and did not decamp to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, a move church officials said was part of his desire to downplay the trappings...
View ArticleMeet the pope’s astronomer, who says he’d baptize an alien if given the chance
NEW YORK (RNS) “The thing that really bothers me is the creeping fundamentalism among Catholics who think that they have to sacrifice their reason to follow God. And that is exactly the opposite of...
View ArticlePope Francis shuns summer palace again; locals say town losing tourism
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (RNS) The silence that hangs over Castel Gandolfo is, according to the locals, principally the result of Pope Francis’ absence.
View ArticlePope gives up another indulgence: His summer palace
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (RNS) Without ever having spent a night there, the pope ordered Castel Gandolfo, where pontiffs have holidayed for nearly 400 years, be turned into a museum. The post Pope gives...
View ArticleVatican stargazers look for divine inspiration
(RNS) 'The observatory exists to show the world that the Catholic Church supports science,' says Brother Guy Consolmagno, an astronomer from Detroit who is also the observatory’s director. The post...
View ArticleIn popes’ traditional summer retreat, locals move on without Francis
(RNS) — In the years since Francis decided he'd stay in Rome, locals have been forced to reenvision Castel Gandolfo without the glamour — and revenue — the papal visits brought them. The post In popes’...
View Article
