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
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
More than 100 Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel in March. One will emerge as pope. Who will it be? The “Sweet Sistine” is our guess at the top candidates from each continent. You can vote below for who you think would move on to the next round in each matchup. First-round 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
As cardinals preen themselves for their big moment at next month’s conclave, an equally intense rivalry is playing out behind the scenes. For some Italians, just as important as who becomes Pope is who dresses him. Two distinguished ecclesiastic outfitters are vying to make the ivory-white tunics that the new head of the Roman Catholic 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
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
The Vatican is labelling as “deplorable” articles in two Italian newspapers claiming corruption, blackmail and sexual intrigue among Vatican cardinals. “If in the past, the so-called powers, i.e., States, exerted pressures on the election of the Pope, today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion,” read a statement from the Vatican Secretariat Read more
Claud Cockburn, the perceptive British journalist, once remarked with characteristic assurance that Catholics could never run a book on the papal election. It would be blasphemy, he said, because Catholics believe that the Pope is chosen by the Holy Spirit. I found the comment intriguing. It was factually counter-intuitive because Catholics I knew were prepared Read more
Bookmaker Paddy Power has odds of Turkson becoming the pope at 3-1 — a prediction that is not entirely out of the blue for the cardinal, who acknowledged the possibility of a black pope in a press conference in 2009. “Why not?” Turkson said, arguing that when you agree to become a priest, you must Read more