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
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
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
Benedict XVI Could Turn into a Shadow Pope
Progressive Catholic theologian Hans Küng, whose authority to teach Catholic theology was rescinded by the Vatican in 1979, spoke to SPIEGEL about the challenges facing the next pope and the need for reform of the Catholic Church.
By Peter Wensierski
WHAT THE POPE CAN PRAY FOR
BY JANE KRAMER
In the twelve days since Benedict XVI announced his retirement, I’ve been wondering whether the Church of Rome might not have been better served—at least from the point of view of progressive Catholics—by the Pope keeping his
The loneliness of the short distance pope
By Philip Pullella
In Havana last March, when Pope Benedict sat down with Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader jocularly asked his fellow octogenarian: “What does a pope do?”
Benedict proceeded to tell Castro, who had stepped down as president in