Institutions
Vatican goes high-tech to ensure conclave secrecy
By Alessandro Speciale — March 8, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The high-tech defenses the Vatican is deploying for next week’s conclave are so impressive that it will be a miracle if even the Holy Spirit can slip in to the Sistine Chapel to do its job.
Taking an active role in orphan care: An interview with Johnny Carr
By Jonathan Merritt — March 8, 2013
The American Christian Church is at the cusp of an orphan care and adoption movement, and Johnny Carr is one of its most outspoken and influential proponents. In his new book, Orphan Justice: How to Care for Orphans Beyond Adopting, Carr tells readers that caring for orphans may look different than they assumed. He shares […]
Vatican: Conclave to start on Tuesday
By David Gibson — March 8, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The conclave to pick a new pope will begin on Tuesday, an apparent compromise between cardinals who wanted to get things going and those who wanted more time to size up potential contenders.
Clash of the Cardinals: The Italian-American media war heats up
By David Gibson — March 8, 2013
The U.S. cardinals may have been barred from holding their popular daily press briefings but the war of words between the Italian cardinals and their allies – who are suspected of engineering the silencing – and the Americans only seemed to escalate.
Pope as CEO?
By Michael J. O'Loughlin — March 7, 2013
A Cardinal from the US says that the next pope must institute HR processes to deal with errant bishops.
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Video: New Archbishop of Canterbury on New Pope
By Sally Morrow — March 7, 2013
The 77-million-member Anglican Communion is getting a new leader. Later this month, Justin Welby will take his seat as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader to Anglicans and Episcopalians around the world. Kim Lawton was in the UK this week and spoke with Welby about this important moment in these two Christian traditions. Video […]
The papal election timeline: Coffee, cocktails, then conclave
By David Gibson — March 7, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Because the closed-door conclave doesn't allow cardinals to do much talking to each other, they're taking their time getting started to allow the electors to size up the candidates.
Picking the pope: Holy Spirit or ‘groupthink’?
By David Gibson — March 7, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) While the Holy Spirit may be getting more efficient in producing shorter papal conclaves, behavioral scientists say a more pronounced “bandwagon effect” is now as powerful as any electioneering did before.
Sweet Sistine update: The Sacred Semifinals
By David Gibson — March 7, 2013
(RNS) After more than 22,000 votes were cast, the Religion News Service "Pope Madness" Sweet Sistine tournament is down to four final contenders in the Sacred Semifinals.
Catholic bishops oppose Violence Against Women Act over lesbian provisions
By Lauren Markoe — March 7, 2013
(RNS) Key U.S. Catholic bishops are objecting to portions of the Violence Against Women Act, which they say attempt to subvert traditional views of gender and marriage, and fail to protect the religious freedom of aid workers.
Cardinal Dolan is the next Barack Obama
By David Gibson — March 6, 2013
As in the Archbishop of New York will be the commencement speaker at Notre Dame this spring. Just like President Obama in 2009. Very generous of the USCCB president to speak at a school that is no longer Catholic. And not just because it blew that championship season.
Cardinals move to plug leaks ahead of papal conclave
By David Gibson — March 6, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican has pulled the plug on daily briefings from American cardinals, fueled by growing resentment among Italian cardinals and others that the process to elect the next pope was starting to look like an American-style political campaign.
Should Christians celebrate the death of Hugo Chavez?
By Jonathan Merritt — March 6, 2013
When news of Hugo Chavez’s death was first released, some people broke out their party hats. More than 200 patrons of El Arepazo, a Venezuelan restaurant outside of Miami, celebrated late into the night. Jim Treacher of The Daily Caller penned a column entitled, “Buh-Bye, Hugo Chavez,” saying, “The Vice President [of Venezuela] claims Chavez’s […]
What observant American Catholics want in a pope
By Mark Silk — March 6, 2013
Let's say you're an American Catholic bishop and you're thinking about what your people would like to see in the new pope. You're not really interested in the views of all those nominal Catholics who rarely darken your door. It's the loyal parishioners, the leaven in the lump, whose opinions you want to know.
The pope’s unfinished business: Outreach to traditionalist SSPX
By Alessandro Speciale — March 5, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI invested much of his pontificate in trying to achieve reconciliation with the ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X. But after years of negotiations, their relationship with the Vatican remains, as much in Benedict's pontificate, unfinished business.
