Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation. Here is the full text of his statement from the Vatican translated from the Latin:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to
Experts: Top 5 picks for the next pope
Three expert Vatican watchers list some of their leading papabile – Italian for cardinals who might be elected as the next pope. In alphabetical order:
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, made headlines last year for a ripping attack on
Cardinal Mahony used cemetery money to pay sex abuse settlement
By Harriet Ryan
The Archdiocese of L.A. took $115 million from its cemeteries’ maintenance fund in 2007, nearly depleting it. The move seems legal, but it was not announced, and relatives of the dead were not told.
Pressed to come
Women priests set to ordain Roman Catholic from Toledo
New Polish film tackles homosexuality in Catholic Church
By Gareth Jones
Polish director Malgoska Szumowska tackles the controversial topic of homosexuality in the Roman Catholic priesthood in her film “In the Name of” that had its world premiere on Friday but she said her aim was not to
Gomez, Mahony and the ‘Sodano Rule’
By John L. Allen Jr.
This column probably ought to carry a warning label: “The following piece of writing contains an apples-and-oranges comparison that may be hazardous to your intellectual health.” I’m going to compare two fights among senior churchmen,
MPs vote 400 to 175 to pass same-sex marriage bill
by Scott Roberts
MPs have voted 400 to 175 in supporting the government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – a majority of 225 votes – following an afternoon of heated debate in the House of Commons.
About 140 Conservative MPs
The Magdalene Laundries explained
What were the Magdalene Laundries?
Institutions where women were sent if they were regarded as “fallen women”.
Who was sent there?
The women who were committed to these homes included women who conceived out of wed lock, wards of state
LA Cardinal Mahony ‘stripped of duties’ over sex abuse
A retired Los Angeles cardinal accused of mismanaging a child sex abuse crisis has been stripped of all administrative and public duties by his successor.
Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, 76, has apologised for his “failure”, Archbishop Jose Gomez said on
Mahony responds to ban: ‘Not once’ did successor raise questions
File under: It’s gettin’ nasty! The secret internal power struggle is beginning to seep into the public domain. There is no way that Gomez would attack Mahony without the explicit authorization of B-16. The pope is throwing Mahony under the