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The last flight of Pope Benedict XVI
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's final trip as pope was a 15-minute helicopter ride from the Vatican to the papal summer villa at Castel Gandolfo.
In farewell to cardinals, Pope Benedict pledges obedience to next pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Clementine Hall is traditionally the place where cardinals bid farewell to popes at the end of a pontificate, but usually when the pope in question is lying in state before his funeral. But on Feb. 28, hours before resigning from the papacy, Pope Benedict XVI briefly addressed the College of Cardinals, calling for unity and harmony among the men who will choose his successor and pledging his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to the next pope.
Defense Department lifting ban on women in combat draws mixed reaction
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- For centuries, men have formed a band of brothers as they faced the enemy on the field of battle, but now in the U.S., military women will soon be on the front lines, too, and Catholic women who have served in the military or are training to do so after college have mixed feelings about the new directive. "There's something special about that bond. It makes for a cohesive unit," said Sue Reininger, a veteran of the Air Force who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., and attends St. Peter Parish in Monument, Colo.
Curial reform ‘reasonable priority’ to help new pope, says US prelate
INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- Since Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation Feb. 11, various commentators on church affairs -- and also some church leaders -- said that reforming the Roman Curia needs to be a priority of the next pontiff. Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin, who was named to Indianapolis last October and has several years of firsthand experience of working in and with the curia, said such reform "is a reasonable priority to have, not so much to avoid scandals, but to provide for a government that will help the Holy Father exercise his Petrine service."
Faithful throw big farewell at pope’s last general audience
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The last general audience in St. Peter’s Square turned into a farewell party with balloons, flowers, flags, posters, cheers, standing ovations and a touching thank-you speech from Pope Benedict XVI. Authorities estimated about 130,000 people were in attendance, most of them packed in the square, with some spillover onto the long […]
Pope delivers personal, emotional farewell address at audience
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On his last full day as pope, Pope Benedict XVI delivered an unusually personal and emotional farewell address, thanking the faithful around the world for their support and assuring them that he would remain in their service even in retirement.
Justice Department argues denial of same-sex benefits unconstitutional
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Justice Department, in a brief filed Feb. 22 at the U.S. Supreme Court, said a federal law that defines marriage as between one man and a woman, denying financial benefits to legally wed same-sex couples, is unconstitutional.
Philadelphia Catholics to join march for marriage in Washington
Five busloads of Catholics who believe marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman are scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., on March 26 to participate in Marriage March 2013 from the National Mall to the Supreme Court followed by a rally on the National Mall.
Cardinal Dolan will go to White House to discuss mutual concerns with Obama
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan in a letter to President Barack Obama accepted a White House offer to continue discussing the Catholic Church's concerns about abortion, traditional marriage and federal rules governing implementation of the Affordable Care Act. "We accept your invitation to address these areas together, always with the civility we have both encouraged in public discourse," the president U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in the letter Feb. 22.
Former doctrinal enforcer used pontificate to crack down on sex abuse
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's disgust over the abuse scandals marring the church was made evident even before his election as pope. In his forceful Way of the Cross meditations, which he wrote as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the few weeks before his election as pope in 2005, he wrote for the world to hear: "How much filth there is in the church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him."