World
G-8 disappoints Syrian rebels, makes progress on corporate tax evasion
Leaders of the G-8 agree on a plan to clamp down on money launderers, illegal tax evaders and corporate tax avoiders, while pushing for immediate peace talks on Syria.
World Jun 18, 2013
Pope marks Harley anniversary, blessing thousands of riders, bikes
Biker culture came to the Vatican on Sunday as Pope Francis blessed thousands of Harley-Davidsons and their riders celebrating the manufacturer’s 110th anniversary with a loud parade and plenty of leather. Thundering Harley engines nearly drowned out the Latin recitation of the “Our Father” ...
World Mar 22, 2013
Rise of Jesuit to papacy surprises cerebral order's membership
by Michelle Boorstein
Pope Francis belongs to the Jesuits, a religious order whose members take an unusual — and at the moment seemingly ironic — vow: not to strive for a higher office. The Jesuits’ culture of modesty and self-effacement has been on full display in recent ...
World Mar 19, 2013
Predecessor's spokesman, fellow Jesuit helps new pope stay on message
As Pope Francis starts out in the Vatican, a trusty fellow Jesuit will be helping him broadcast his message: the Rev. Federico Lombardi. The head of the Vatican’s press office under the recently retired Benedict XVI, Lombardi has so far kept his job and ...
World Mar 17, 2013
Pope's alleged inaction in Argentina's 'Dirty War' is scrutinized
The Rev. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 39 years old when Argentina’s military junta seized power in March 1976. The seven years that followed were a time of darkness in his country.
Editorial Mar 17, 2013
New pope faces challenging times
It is hoped that Pope Francis will be successful in restoring and strengthening trust in the Catholic Church by squarely addressing problems plaguing it.
World Mar 16, 2013
Pope-to-be turned to the church after young love thwarted
“If I don’t marry you, I’ll become a priest.” They didn’t get married. He became a priest. And on Wednesday, he became the pope. According to a bespectacled, white-haired woman identified only as Amalia, Jorge Bergoglio wrote those words to her in a letter ...
World Mar 15, 2013
Choice of saint's name signals solidarity with the poor
For his name as pope, Jorge Bergoglio chose one that harks back eight centuries to St. Francis of Assisi, a man who renounced a life of privilege, gave away everything he owned, wore a coarse woolen tunic, lived in a hut and took a ...
World Mar 14, 2013
What's in a name? A lot if you're pope
From Pius to Clement, Hilarius to Simplicius, papal names from down the centuries are inextricably linked to the brilliant or wretched legacies of the men who have ruled the Vatican. Cardinals gathered in a secret conclave to elect a new pope to head up ...
World Mar 14, 2013
Vatican reveals formula for smoke
The famous smoke from a chimney to indicate whether cardinals locked away in the Sistine Chapel have elected a pope is not created just by burning used ballots, the Vatican said Tuesday. “We use smoke flares,” said Paolo Sagretti, who was in charge of ...
Global-related Mar 6, 2013
The Vatican needs a mystic to be the next pope
by Timothy Shriver
There’s no need to rehash the recent disastrous track record of the all-male Roman Catholic hierarchy. The sordid abuse of children by priests, the sinister coverups, the callous treatment of nuns, the deaf ear turned toward Catholics who happen to be gay or divorced ...
Editorial Mar 3, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI bows out
Big problems — from child sex-abuse cases to Vatican politics — probably proved too much for an aging academic theologian like the outgoing pope.
Social Issues Feb 28, 2013
Mystery shrouds pope's retirement
On an April 2009 visit to the Italian mountain town of Sulmona, Pope Benedict XVI solemnly placed his pallium, the vestment symbolizing his papal authority, on the tomb of Celestine V. The medieval pontiff’s abdication in 1294 had resulted in imprisonment by his successor ...