Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
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 ...
Global-related Feb 27, 2013
Five myths about picking a pope
by Thomas J. Reese
Misconceptions abound about how 117 cardinals, gathering from across the globe inside the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, will elect a new pope next month.
World Feb 26, 2013
Emotional pope celebrates final Sunday prayers
Pope Benedict XVI delivered an emotional final Sunday prayer in St. Peter’s Square, saying God had told him to devote himself to quiet contemplation but pledging not to “abandon” the church. Tens of thousands of supporters turned out for Benedict’s weekly Angelus prayer, his ...
Politics & Diplomacy Feb 26, 2013
For China's Catholics, new pope is a cause for hope
by William Wan
Of the long list of problems the next pope will inherit once the white smoke rises in Rome, few on the diplomatic front can rival the bitter, intractable relationship between the Vatican and the Chinese government. The two powers have long battled for control ...
World Feb 22, 2013
Pope considers new election rules and date
Pope Benedict XVI may enact a new law governing the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope amid continued uncertainty over when the voting can begin. The Vatican’s spokesman said Wednesday he didn’t know for sure if the law would address the timing of ...
World Feb 17, 2013
Shady Vatican Bank finances hastened pope's exit
Inside a 13th-century monastery in a sleepy village north of Rome, the Rev. Salvatore Palumbo was allegedly serving more than one higher authority. Italian prosecutors say a Ferrari-driving lawyer who defrauded insurance companies used the priest as a front man, with Palumbo stashing the ...
World Feb 13, 2013
Church scrambles after pope's exit bombshell
Pope Benedict XVI says he will resign this month because of his advancing age in a fast-changing world, becoming the first pontiff in 600 years to step down of his own free will. The 85-year-old said Monday he will step down on Feb. 28 ...
World Feb 13, 2013
Pope leaves legacy of impartial governance
by Jason Horowitz
Yes, Pope Benedict XVI came into the Vatican with the reputation as God’s Rottweiler. Yes, he was an archconservative who seemed to care a lot more about liturgical orthodoxy than the plight of the church’s progressives. Yes, he never escaped the shadow of the ...
World Feb 13, 2013
History has seen popes deposed, flung into jail
Pope Benedict XVI, who stunned the world Monday with the announcement he will resign on Feb. 28 because his age is impairing his ability to govern, is the first pontiff to step down in almost 600 years. In 2,000 years, only one pope has ...
World Feb 12, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI to resign in late February
Pope Benedict XVI says Monday he lacks the strength to fulfill his duties and on Feb. 28 will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign.