Pope Benedict XVI said he did not attempt to cover up child sexual abuse by Catholic priests. The emeritus pope made the comments in an 11-page letter to prominent Italian atheist and math professor Piergiorgio Odifreddi. Excerpts from the letter were published on Tuesday in the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica with Pope Benedict’s permission. Read more
The personal secretary of former Pope Benedict XVI denied that the pontiff resigned as a consequence of a “mystical experience” in which God “told me” to step back from the papacy. The Catholic news agency Zenit published a story on Aug. 19 reportedly based on the account of one of the former pope’s few visitors; Read more
Pope Benedict said his resignation in February was prompted by God, who told him to do it during a “mystical experience”. Breaking his silence for the first time since he became the first pope to step down in 600 years, the 86-year-old pontiff reportedly said: “God told me to” when asked what had pushed him Read more
The third and final installment in a series on social justice in Catholic social doctrine: When the Italian Jesuit Father Luigi Taparelli D’Azeglio (1793-1862) coined the term “social justice” in the middle of the 19th century, he probably could not have foreseen its mention in an 1894 curial document and a 1904 encyclical, nor the Read more
A pillar was lacking in Benedict XVI’s trilogy on the theological virtues. Providence willed that this missing pillar should be both a gift from the Pope Emeritus to his successor and a symbol of unity. For in taking up and completing the work begun by his predecessor, Pope Francis bears witness with him to the Read more
Oscar Romero, now back on the path to sainthood, was called to conversion by ordinary Salvadorans. Among the welcome news coming on the heels of Pope Francis’ election was an April announcement that the canonization cause of Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador has been, in the words of Italian Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, who leads Read more
“Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives,” says Pope Francis in his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith). “It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love,” he says. “It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based Read more
Pope Francis has just released his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, or “the light of faith.” The first encyclical of a pope is always closely watched, because it frequently signals the way in which he intends to govern the Church. This new encyclical is even more intriguing because much of it was actually written by former Read more
Pope Francis is about to publish his first encyclical, called Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith), which he has said is largely the work of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. “It’s an encyclical written with four hands, so to speak, because Pope Benedict began writing it and he gave it to me,” Pope Francis said. “It’s a Read more
The International Criminal Court has turned down a bid to bring charges against Pope Benedict XVI for crimes against humanity. The court found “no basis” for an investigation of the charges brought by groups representing sex-abuse victims, who had claimed that the Vatican perpetuated the molestation of children. The lawyer for the Holy See had Read more