papal transition
Jews worldwide see an ally in Pope Francis
By Lauren Markoe — March 13, 2013
(RNS) Jews worldwide welcomed newly elected Pope Francis as a friend on Wednesday (March 13), and pointed in particular to his sympathetic and strong reaction to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in his native Argentina -- the deadliest bombing in the country's history.
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as Pope Francis
By Alessandro Speciale — March 13, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis on Wednesday after only two days of voting in the conclave tasked with choosing a successor to Pope Benedict XVI.
David Gibson talking to NPR about the ‘Sweet Sistine’
By Sally Morrow — March 12, 2013
Religion News Service reporter David Gibson was interviewed on NPR’s Here and Now about our Sweet Sistine “Pope Madness” tournament. Audio courtesy Here and Now http://soundcloud.com/hereandnowradio/religion-news-service-holds
Black smoke: First day of conclave ends without new pope
By Alessandro Speciale — March 12, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Black smoke from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel signaled that the first day of the conclave ended without the election of a new pope.
Wanted: CEO pope to clean up unholy mess at Vatican
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — March 12, 2013
(RNS) The Catholic Church needs a strong manager to govern Vatican bureaucratic chaos. Who are cardinals who could crack the whip?
ANALYSIS: Papal election is anyone’s to win … or lose
By David Gibson — March 12, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Everyone gathered around the papal conclave had theories, many had favorites, and most declared it all so unpredictable that the winner – or even how long it would take to find him – was anybody’s guess.
What’s in a name? For a new pope, quite a bit
By Caleb K. Bell — March 12, 2013
(RNS) No one knows what name the next pope will pick. But choosing a new moniker is a decision that's tied up in history, tradition and more than a little symbolic value.
And the Sweet Sistine winner is ….
By David Gibson — March 12, 2013
(RNS) Ladies and gentlemen, the Bishop of the Bracket, the Victorious Vicar, the People's Pope is ....
Habemus Papam: Idiot’s Guide to Latin
By Kevin Eckstrom — March 11, 2013
The new pope's first name is actually announced in Latin (this is the Vatican, after all), so if you want to be fully prepped, our friends at Catholic News Service have prepared a list of all the cardinals' names in Latin.
Vatican makes final preparations for papal conclave
By Alessandro Speciale — March 11, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI's former personal secretary will return to Rome to assist the opening of the papal election in the Sistine Chapel, highlighting the unprecedented situation created by the resignation of a living pope.
What Muslims want in a new pope
By Omar Sacirbey — March 11, 2013
(RNS) The selection of the 266th pope comes at a critical juncture in Muslim-Catholic relations, which have been marred by persecution of Christians in the Muslim world, Islamophobia in Western countries and rioting between Muslims and Christians across Africa.
ANALYSIS: The ‘tough guy’ option: Picking a pope to serve as sheriff
By David Gibson — March 11, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) One reason why conservatives are seeking a hard-liner pope is that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger turned out to be more of a papal pussycat as Pope Benedict XVI than the watchdog of orthodoxy that he had been for decades under John Paul II.
Sistine Chapel plays a key role in electing a new pope
By Alessandro Speciale — March 11, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The tradition of voting for the new pontiff in the Sistine Chapel dates back to the Renaissance, but the location of the voting didn't become a fixed feature of the conclaves until the 19th century -- and only with John Paul II's rules did the Sistine Chapel become the official theater of papal elections.
Cardinal Dolan in Rome: popular if not papabile
By David Gibson — March 10, 2013
ROME (RNS) If ordinary Romans still had in a say in selecting their bishop – also known as the pope – the way they did in the early centuries of the church, then Cardinal Timothy Dolan might already be pontiff.
Sweet Sistine update: The Final Two (Holy) Fathers
By David Gibson — March 10, 2013
(RNS) Our Sweet Sistine Pope Madness tournament is down to its final two bishops. Who will be the People's Pope, the Bishop of the Bracket, the Victorious Vicar?!?
