An obstructionist Vatican, a chronic shortage of priests and a shrinking worldwide congregation: the list is daunting
By Andrew Brown
When 117 cardinals gather in Rome to choose the next pope this month, the first thing that will determine their
Church needs saving from its dysfunctional structure
By DIARMAID MACCULLOCH
The Catholic Church, aka the western church of the Latin rite, trades on tradition. That is what so fascinates many people: the lure of its continuity, the certainty, the serene provision of answers.
As anyone mildly acquainted
Pope to be called ’emeritus pope,’ will wear white
Gee, I wonder who came up with these new rules? Benedict will be the puppet master, running everything, but just doing so out of the spotlight. NICE! This is what he wanted all along. The man was never interested in
First clause of equal marriage bill passes Committee stage in UK Parliament
Now that Cardinal O’Brian won’t be screeching from the sidelines, maybe they can get on with the business at hand.
by Joseph Patrick McCormick
The first clause of the equal marriage bill has passed in the committee considering it in
Cardinal’s departure darkens mood as pope allows early conclave
By Philip Pullella
A senior cleric resigned under duress on Monday and Pope Benedict took the rare step of changing Vatican law to allow his successor to be elected early, adding to a sense of crisis within the Roman Catholic
UK’s most senior Roman Catholic steps down
Another vociferous marriage equity opponent (and closet case) bites the dust!
By Mure Dickie
Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic priest has pulled out of the conclave to elect the next pope, citing concerns about media attention after he was accused
Legion of Christ’s deception, unearthed in new documents, indicates wider cover-up
By Jason Berry
Newly released documents in a Rhode Island lawsuit show that the scandal-tarred Legion of Christ shielded information on their founder’s sex life from a wealthy widow who donated $30 million over two decades.
In 2009, the widow’s
Scandal threatens to overshadow pope’s final days
It’s curious to me that Benedict couldn’t bring himself to highlight the clergy abuse nightmare while he was pope, but through his resignation the closet doors have been thrown open to reveal more perpetrators and more of this stinking mess.
The Skeletons in Benedict’s Closet: A guide to the sex abuse scandals under Pope Benedict XVI’s watch
BY ELIAS GROLL
If a report on Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica is to be believed, Pope Benedict XVI’s recent decision to resign just got a whole lot more interesting. The paper claims that around the
UK’s top cardinal accused of ‘inappropriate acts’ by priests
Three priests and former priest report Cardinal Keith O’Brien to Vatican over claims stretching back 33 years
By: Catherine Deveney
Three priests and a former priest in Scotland have reported the most senior Catholic clergyman in Britain, Cardinal Keith O’Brien,