Pope Benedict XVI

Newsday's coverage

• Africa, Asia see boom in priests as Europe withers

  drop-off in vocations and baptisms in Europe and North America, while seeing a boom in the developing world. Retired Pope Benedict XVI spent most of his eight-year pontificate trying to revive the Catholic faith in these once-traditionally Christian lands.Francis   Read more »

• Pope Francis tells Benedict: "We're brothers"

  -- Pope Francis has traveled to Castel Gandolfo to have lunch with his predecessor Benedict XVI in an historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church.The Vatican said the two popes embraced   Read more »

• Francis pays tribute to Benedict, reflects on age

  -- Pope Francis has paid a heartfelt tribute to his predecessor Benedict XVI, saying his faith and teaching had "enriched and invigorated" the Catholic Church and would remain its spiritual patrimony forever.Francis offered the respects during an audience   Read more »

• Pope displays humility during first day on job

  of Buenos Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the 266th pontiff in an unusually short, two-day conclave -- two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down.He immediately picked the name of Francis, identifying with St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century friar   Read more »

• Kass: Pope Francis should heed warnings from Pope Benedict XVI

  cardinals, in putting their trust in Francis, were directly responding to the challenge laid out by the former Pope Benedict XVI.Before he stepped down, Benedict repeatedly warned that the church was in crisis, among the hierarchs and the laity. The example   Read more »

Around the web

• Pope Francis: Redemption possible for all — including atheists

  But do good: We will meet one another there.” Pope Francis is taking a somewhat different approach than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who discoursed on the inadequacies of fellow Christians. In a famous/infamous statement from the Congregation for the 5/23/13 from Seattle Post Intelligencer Read more »

• Pope issues first appeal for Chinese Catholics

  — Pope Francis has issued his first appeal directed at Catholics in China, long the source of concern for his predecessor Benedict XVI. Francis urged special prayers Wednesday for China's faithful that they may "live their daily lives in service to their country   from NorthJersey.com Read more »

• Vatican releases 1st report of financial watchdog

  Associated Press Rene Brulhart, director of the Financial Information Authority, an institution established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 to monitor the monetary and commercial activities of Vatican agencies, meets the press at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 22,   from FOX News Read more »

• Pope Francis urges China's Catholics to stay loyal to Rome

  Vatican approval, and an "underground" wing loyal to the Vatican that rejects state control. Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, made May 24 a day dedicated to prayer for China's Catholics. Francis said at his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square that   from Reuters Mobile Read more »

• Pewaukee priest removed for relationship with woman

  for a church that has rules they agree with. Chuck, clerical discipline has never been doctrinal. John Paul II and Benedict XVI both allowed Roman Catholics to receive communion from Eastern rite priests, who have the "option" to marry. Mark 1:30 Now Peter's   from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Read more »