An Italian man dressed up in fake ecclesiastical robes was escorted out of a meeting of Catholic cardinals by Swiss Guards on Monday after trying to sneak into the closed-door Vatican meeting. The man had told reporters that his name was “Basilius” and that he was a member of the “Italian Orthodox Church”, which does Read more
An unnamed Cardinal has told a Milan newspaper, the Corriere della Sera, Cardinals’ plan to ask the next pope to pledge in his inaugural address that he will serve until death. As Emeritus Pope Benedict begins his retirement, the Sunday Times reported some cardinals are beginning to have doubts about Benedict’s decision. The Sunday Times Read more
In an frank interview in the Guardian, Diarmaid MacCulloch, a professor of the history of the Church at the University of Oxford, suggests just about every day we listen to the radio, watch TV or read the newspaper we are seeing evidence of a Church that needs change. He says, we see almost daily, evidence that Read more
It would be entirely understandable if Benedict XVI wanted “business as usual” signs to go up at the Vatican as soon as possible after his retirement, and for the new man in charge to carry on the good work of the old though perhaps with extra energy. What is emerging is something rather different – Read more
The Vatican, Thursday confirmed reports that it had ordered wiretaps on the phones of some Vatican officials. The wiretaps were part of its Vatileaks investigation. The admission came as Panorama magazine reported Thursday, that the Vatican Secretariat of State had ordered wiretaps on the phones of several Vatican prelates as part of an investigation into Read more
A date for the start of the secret papal conclave to elect a new pope may not be chosen until the world’s cardinals formally meet on Monday for the first time since Benedict’s departure. Timing is important because Holy Week begins March 24, with Easter Sunday March 31. To have a new pope in place Read more
Fuelled by leaking of top Vatican secrets by his butler, Pope Benedict, has extended the oath of secrecy to lay people at the Papal Conclave. As part of his ‘motu proprio’ (at his own initiative) released on February 25, Pope Benedict outlined the penalty for such and infraction is automatic excommunication. With his ‘motu proprio’ the Read more
All voting cardinals have to be present before they can discharge Pope Benedict XVI’s, last minute decree giving cardinals “the possibility to bring forward” a papal conclave to elect his successor. “I leave the College of Cardinals the possibility to bring forward the start of the conclave once all cardinals are present, or push the beginning Read more
As I’ve been promoting this week, today was Google Hangout day for the Southern Cross New Media Project folks: Sarah Coppola and Emilie Ng from Cradio and James Bergin and I from Icon Media/Station 15 etc. And we were joined by the very impressive young man Brandon Vogt, who is doing some fantastic work in communicating Read more
CNA is quoting ‘sources’ saying Pope Benedict intends to publish a declaration enabling cardinals to select a date for the Conclave to start earlier than the 15 day waiting period, currently required by the Church’s Canon Law. Communications Director, Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, confirmed the possibility that the Pope was considering such a move. The Read more