The Vatican has dispelled claims that Pope Benedict XVI’s “Pontifex” Twitter account will be shut down permanently, clarifying that it “will be available for use by the next Pope as he may wish.” Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said Feb. 23 the Twitter account was created for the Pope’s Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope resigns’
New titles and clothes for retired pope
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
If clothes and titles ‘maketh the man’, after two weeks of consultations with aides, theologians and historians, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict will be known as “pope emeritus Benedict XVI” or “Roman Pontiff emeritus Benedict XVI”. The retired pope will continue to be addressed as “Your Holiness,” but be referred to as “His Holiness Benedict Read more
Opinion: The unfinished business of Pope Benedict XVI
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013Although Pope Benedict XVI’s highly unusual resignation is said to be for reasons of health, it fits the character of his papacy: all his initiatives remain incomplete. He was elected to rescue the church from itself, but he failed to finish what he started. The assessments of his papacy have so far focused on Benedict’s Read more
Benedict to intervene and change conclave rules
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
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
Opinion: No splits in the Sistine Chapel
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
Benedict’s decision to resign left people wondering, “Why at this time?” There seemed to be good reasons for such a decision to be made later. He had initiated a “Year of Faith” in October 2012; it would have made sense to leave his resignation till the end of the year of Faith. He has completed Read more
Opinion: Inside the vatican – systemic disorder
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
The “Vatileaks” scandal was one in a long series of recent Vatican scandals, and sadly it was not the last. Something of the dark irony of the scandal – “the Butler done it” – may have prevented people from seeing the seriousness of the incident. In reality it’s one of the most serious security breaches Read more
Benedict tells angelus crowd God called him to quit
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
In his last Sunday blessing from a window overlooking the giant key-shaped piazza, the 85-year-old Pope said he was not “abandoning the Church” by his decision to retire to a former convent inside the walls of the Vatican. To applause and cheering from the crowd, he said he had been “called” by God to devote Read more
Vatican calls corruption, blackmail and gay network claims “deplorable”
Sunday, February 24th, 2013
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
Benedict advised against air travel
Friday, February 22nd, 2013
Spikes in Pope Benedict’s blood pressure means his physician advised him to avoid air travel, reports Marco Tosatti. Benedict’s health is progressively deteriorating, and the 85-year-old pontiff often has problems sleeping, reports the veteran Vatican journalist. Tosatti notes Benedict has fallen out of bed several times on recent trips abroad, and his doctor had advised him Read more
Benedict and Celestine — two popes who resigned
Friday, February 22nd, 2013
There are interesting parallels and connections between Benedict XVI and the last pope freely to resign the papacy, over 700 years ago – Pope Celestine V. Celestine, known as Pietro di Morrone was a hermit monk who lived in isolation in the mountains of Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. When Pope Nicholas IV Read more