Content Tagged As pope_benedict

Tagged News

  • Pope flies to papal retreat in helicopter

    February 28, 2013 10:19 AM

    VATICAN CITY - Benedict XVI has left the Vatican for the last time as pope, flying by helicopter to the Vatican's vacation retreat hours before becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. As his closest aide wept by his side, Benedict bade farewell to Vatican officials gathered in... more »
  • Benedict greets cardinals on final day as pope

    February 28, 2013 4:43 AM

    VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI has greeted his cardinals for the last time as pontiff, beginning his final day as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics before heading into retirement. During his comments, Benedict promised "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor. He urged his cardinals to... more »
  • Pope addresses crowd at final public appearance

    February 27, 2013 8:21 AM

    VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict has made his public goodbye. He addressed tens of thousands of people in and around St. Peter's Square today, in his final general audience before stepping down tomorrow. The pope told the crowd he has had "moments of joy and light, but also moments... more »
  • Pope changes conclave rules, allows earlier start

    February 25, 2013 7:33 AM

    VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict has changed the rules of the conclave that will elect his successor, allowing cardinals to move up the start date if all of them arrive in Rome before the usual 15-day transition between pontificates. Benedict signed a legal document, issued today, with some line-by-line changes... more »
  • Vatican: Pope hit head during Mexico trip

    February 14, 2013 7:28 AM

    VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI hit his head during his March 2012 trip to Mexico but denies it had any "relevant" role in his resignation. Italy's La Stampa newspaper reported Thursday that Benedict hit his head and bled when he got up in the middle of... more »
  • Benedict's final hours as pope far from Vatican

    February 13, 2013 7:18 AM

    VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI will spend his final day as pontiff attending a morning farewell ceremony with his cardinals, then fly off by helicopter in the early evening to his papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. That timetable means Benedict will be far from the... more »
  • Vatican acknowledges that pope has pacemaker

    February 12, 2013 7:16 AM

    VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is acknowledging for the first time that Pope Benedict XVI has had a pacemaker for years and that its battery was replaced a few months ago in secret. Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said Benedict had the pacemaker installed "a long time" before he became... more »
  • Resignation of the Pope: perspective Play Video

    February 11, 2013 10:52 PM

    BATON ROUGE- Area Catholics and religious experts shared their thoughts on the news that the Pope has resigned. "That period of mourning, that process of morning is really important for Catholics in that transition period. And without it we'll see how Catholics respond," said Michael Pasquier. Pasquier is a religious... more »
  • Catholics confident church will remain strong Play Video

    February 11, 2013 5:46 PM

    BATON ROUGE- Some Catholics in Baton Rouge were surprised by Pope Benedict's announcement he would be stepping down at the end of February. Others, including some church leaders, say there have been some signs and rumors. Father Tom Ranzino says Benedict's health appeared to be a bigger issue in... more »
  • Catholic leaders respond to Pope's resignation

    February 11, 2013 11:43 AM

    BATON ROUGE - Local Catholic leaders are responding to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. In a statement, Bishop Robert W. Muench of Baton Rouge said, "When I think of Pope Benedict, the words of St. Paul come to mind: "Whatever you do, do with your whole heart. Do it for... more »
  • Pope Benedict to resign Feb. 28

    February 11, 2013 5:32 AM

    VATICAN CITY - A spokesperson for Pope Benedict XVI says he is stepping down at the end of this month. Benedict made the announcement today before the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, saying that he's resigning "because of advanced age." The 85-year-old was elected pope in 2005. ... more »
  • Man scales Vatican scaffolding in message to pope

    January 1, 2013 8:09 AM

    VATICAN CITY - A man has scaled the scaffolding around St. Peter's Square and draped a banner calling on Pope Benedict XVI to "Stop Terrorism." The man identified himself on the banner as Julian Jungarean, a Romanian who has previously scaled the colonnade around the piazza. Witnesses say uniformed... more »
  • Pope meets with Fidel Castro

    March 28, 2012 4:50 PM

    HAVANA - Pope Benedict met today for about a half an hour with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The meeting followed a Mass that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the shrine of Cuba's communist revolution. In his homily, the Pope demanded greater freedome for the Catholic Church in... more »
  • Files show Pope Benedict resisted action against abuser

    April 9, 2010 1:05 PM

    Church files show that before becoming pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger resisted defrocking a California priest who molested children. A 1985 letter signed by Ratzinger cited concerns about the effect that removing the priest would have on "the good of the universal church." The correspondence was obtained exclusively by... more »
  • Pope knocked down by woman at Christmas Mass

    December 24, 2009 6:58 PM

    A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday. The 82-year-old pope quickly got up and was unhurt, said a Vatican spokesman. Video shot by a witness showed the woman... more »

Top Stories