conclave
Pope Benedict XVI leaves office, promises ‘obedience’ to successor
By Alessandro Speciale — February 28, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The papacy of Benedict XVI came to a quiet end at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 28), making him the first pope in 600 years to voluntarily leave office.
Pope Benedict pledges obedience to his successor
By Alessandro Speciale — February 28, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI promised “unconditional” obedience to his successor during a farewell meeting with cardinals on Thursday.
ANALYSIS: Vatican intrigue is age-old part of papal politics
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — February 27, 2013
(RNS) The Vatican appears rocked by scandal and resignations just as church leaders must gear up to replace frail Pope Benedict XVI. But Vatican experts say papal transitions always generate intrigue.
Venting and vetting: The brutal side of papal politics
By David Gibson — February 25, 2013
(RNS) If far less expensive and not quite as mind-numbing as a U.S. presidential campaign, the condensed version of papal campaign politics is not much gentler, or necessarily more effective. Instead it can be nasty, brutish and short.
Pope allows cardinals to move up start of papal election
By Alessandro Speciale — February 25, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) With three days left before his resignation on Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday (Feb. 25) allowed cardinals to move up the start of the conclave that will elect his successor.
Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien resigns after sex accusations
By David Gibson — February 25, 2013
(RNS) Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland resigned on Monday in the wake of explosive charges that he had made "inappropriate" sexual advances to three priests and a former seminarian, and said he would skip next month's conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI.
ANALYSIS: White smoke, black pope? The odds against an ‘Obama moment’
By David Gibson — February 21, 2013
(RNS) Will the conclave electing a successor to Pope Benedict XVI next month have an "Obama moment'' and pick a pope from outside Europe for the first time in modern history? Several factors are working against it.
Vatican mulling changes to election of new pope
By Alessandro Speciale — February 20, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI is considering changing church law regulating the election of a new pope, but stopped short of saying whether he would authorize an earlier start to the conclave.
Who runs the Vatican after the pope steps down?
By Alessandro Speciale — February 18, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the Vatican will go into "sede vacante'' mode -- a Latin expression that means that the seat of St. Peter is vacant. Here's what will happen and who rules the church during the "interregnum" between two popes.
Cardinal Mahony’s vote in papal conclave stirs ire, shrugs
By Sarah Parvini — February 14, 2013
LOS ANGELES (RNS) Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony still has a vote in next month's conclave to elect a new pope, and despite the abuse scandal unearthed in court documents, his vote was met with a shrug by many local Catholics.
Benedict intends to live ‘hidden from the world’
By Alessandro Speciale — February 14, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday that he intends to live "hidden from the world'' in retirement even as his closest aide will assist his successor.
An American pope? Eyes turn to New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan
By David Gibson — February 12, 2013
NEW YORK (RNS) Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s extraordinary visibility and popularity are being cited as factors that could make him the first American with a realistic shot at being elected pope. But will any of the factors that make Dolan a contender actually help him with the 117 other voting cardinals?
Analysis: How the traditional Pope Benedict is redefining the papacy
By David Gibson — February 11, 2013
(RNS) From the beginning Pope Benedict XVI said he wanted his ministry to put the focus on Christ, not on himself as the pope. In the long run, he may well have redefined the papacy much as he hoped, and more radically than many expected.
Who’s in the running for pope? 12 names to watch
By David Gibson — February 11, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI’s sudden resignation took the church and the world by surprise, in large part because it was a move without precedent in the modern world. But what comes next is as old and familiar as the papacy itself: speculating about who will be the next pope. Here are 12 names to watch.
What happens next at the Vatican
By Kevin Eckstrom — February 11, 2013
(RNS) What are the rules for electing a new pope? They're not much different after a pope dies or resigns. Pope Benedict XVI modified the rules in 2007, following a major overhaul by Pope John Paul II in 1996.
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