News
Preparing for conclave, Cardinal Rigali stresses action of Holy Spirit
Cardinal Justin Rigali, who departed for Rome Feb. 26 to be present for the official retirement of Pope Benedict XVI and to participate in the conclave that will elect his successor, never expected he would have this duty. At age 77 and almost 78, he is eldest among the American cardinals eligible to be electors.
Pope accepts cardinal’s resignation; Scot to stay away from conclave
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, announced he would not participate in the conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor because he did not want media attention focused on him instead of the election of a new pope. Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the cardinal’s resignation as archbishop of St. Andrews and […]
Religious leaders urge Congress to end budget brinksmanship
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Christian leaders, including representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called on President Barack Obama and congressional leaders of both parties to "frame the budget debate in terms of moral choices that are understandable to the American people" and find a budget solution that protects the poorest Americans.
Pope Benedict to be ‘pope emeritus’ or ‘Roman pontiff emeritus’
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI will continue to be known as Pope Benedict and addressed as “His Holiness,” but after his resignation, he will add the title “emeritus” in one of two acceptable forms, either “pope emeritus” or “Roman pontiff emeritus.” Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said decisions about how the […]
New York’s Cardinal Dolan: Happy warrior of the new evangelization
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Popes are elected by members of the College of Cardinals, not by the general Catholic population and certainly not by the media. Yet Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan's presence on practically every journalist's list of potential next popes bespeaks a real and important influence among his peers. The most obvious reason is the New York archbishop's ebullient, extroverted personality and quick, frequently self-deprecating wit -- traits that forcefully contrast with the formality typically associated with princes of the church, but which visibly charmed other participants at the February 2012 consistory at which Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal.
Young, new Philippine cardinal has extensive international ties
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At 55, Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, Philippines, is one of the youngest and newest members of the College of Cardinals, but he is also one of the cardinals most frequently mentioned as a possible pope. His youthful energy, his pastoral experience, his theological training and his communications skills impressed cardinals and bishops from around the world even before Pope Benedict XVI inducted him into the College of Cardinals last November.
Cardinal Ravasi, Bible scholar, uses culture as bridge to unite people
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A prominent voice at the Vatican in the run-up to the papal election, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is a well-known biblical scholar who can quote just as easily from Sufi poets, Dante and Danish philosophers as he can from sacred Scripture. The 70-year-old president of the Pontifical Council for Culture has been leading the universal church's efforts to develop a nonconfrontational dialogue with nonbelievers, trying to make Christianity intelligible to the modern mind and build a reason-based consensus on key moral issues.
Indian cardinal says next pope must be holy, intelligent, courageous
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai said he will look for a new pope who is holy, intelligent and courageous and has "a breadth of vision" for the universal church and its role in the world. Since Pope Benedict XVI said he planned to resign Feb. 28 because of age and a lack of the energy needed to fulfill the papal ministry, Cardinal Gracias, 68, said age could be a factor "to some extent, but I don't think it will be the deciding factor."
Statement from the Holy See and the Pontifical Council for the Family
Released Feb. 25, 2013 at 6 a.m. EST, in Vatican City On June 3, 2012, at the Closing Mass of the VII World Meeting of Families in Milan, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, announced to a congregation of approximately one million Catholic faithful that the next international gathering of families would take place in the […]
A brief history of the World Meeting of Families
Overview: Since it began in 1994, the World Meeting of Families has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe. This event takes place every three years and is sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family. The Pontifical Council for the Family: The Pontifical Council for the Family, founded […]