Topic: Pope Benedict XVI

A Real-Time Map of the Odds on Where the Next Pope Will Come From

As with basically everything else in the world that has any semblance of an uncertain outcome, people are betting on who will replace Joseph Ratzinger. Allow us to help you decide where to put your money.

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 28, 2013

The Vatican Just Deleted All of Pope Benedict's Tweets

By now, we're all familiar with the rituals associated with the papacy changing hands — white smoke, the red shoes, free helicopter rides — but the Vatican has discovered a new one for the 21st century.

Comments | 1,678 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Trimming the Times

Rape in the Air Force, the Sequester's Immigration Backlash, and Soda Hackers

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 26, 2013

The Pope's New Shoes End the Papal High-End Fashion Truther Movement

B16, who plans to resign on February 28, will trade the red, shiny, and expensive-looking slippers for a pair of pedestrian brown loafers presented to him by a Mexican shoemaker. Can we quit it with the Prada Pope rumors now?

Comments | 4,573 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 25, 2013

Britian's Top Catholic Cardinal Resigns Amid New Scandal

The Archbishop of Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has been forced to resign just days before the Pope Benedict XVI steps down, leaving Great Britain without a representative at the upcoming papal conclave.

Comments | 9,828 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 22, 2013

Did a Secret Vatican Report on Gay Sex and Blackmail Bring Down the Pope?

According to the Italian paper La Repubblica, the real reason Pope Benedict XVI resigned lies in a 300-page Vatican dossier that allegedly found an underground network of high-ranking gay clergy, complete with sex parties and shady dealings with the Vatican bank. Here's what we know.

Comments | 65,550 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 20, 2013

A New Pope May Be Selected Sooner Than Expected

The Vatican admitted on Wednesday that Pope Benedict XVI may issue a decree to speed up the process to select his successor, to prevent the Catholic Church from being leaderless at an important time of the year.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 18, 2013

Does an Ex-Pope Keep His Health Care? ... and Other Papal Resignation Quandaries

Infallibility. Immunity. Health care. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to only have two of these things upon his retirement next week. If you had any questions about the pope, like if we can still call him a pope or about where his infallibility goes now, we have got you covered.

Comments | 3,169 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 18, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Bill Keller on the Catholic Church, Timothy Noah on the new silent majority, Megan Greene on Greece, Jennifer Rubin on Mark Sanford, and John Harris on vegetarianism.

Comments | 2,498 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

They're Already Talking About Who Might Be the Next Pope

The long road to the conclave is well under way. But who wants to wait until then? The campaigning and quizzing about who should be the next Pope is already going on, behind the scenes, in "phone conversations" and "e-mails." How very 21st Century of the Catholic church.

Comments | 2,334 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 15, 2013

The Vatican's New Chief Banker Has Financial Ties to Warships

Vatican officials maintain that no church money ever funds war, but their newly appointed bank president has business ties to a warship builder. 

Comments | 1,897 Views

Pope Benedict's Last Intriguing Piece of Business

In the last weeks and months of his pontificate, Vatican power brokers have been furiously jostling and speculating over another mystery beyond his replacement: who will ascend to the presidency of the Vatican bank.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

All the Pope's Secrets Are Beginning to Leak Out

Today, Pope Benedict XVI announced plans to live out his retirement "hidden from the world." That should come easy, considering how successful the Vatican has been at keeping secrets under wraps during his seven-year papacy. 

Comments | 25,933 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 13, 2013

The Final Days of Pope Benedict Begin

As the papal exit strategy develops, Benedict XVI made his first public appearance since announcing his resignation, reiterating his strong abdication statement that he simply doesn't have the energy to do the job anymore.

Comments | 1,530 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 13, 2013

Trimming the Times

A New Minimum Wage, Frank Lautenberg, and Silicon Valley's Next Political Move

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 690 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 12, 2013

Chart of the Day

Where the World's Catholics Are

It's interesting to think about where the next pope will come from and what that says about the Church's worldwide following. This map from the Washington Post helps.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 12, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Tuesday Columns

Peter Wensierski on the polarizing pope, Greg Sargent on Ted Nugent's friends in D.C., Sam Lagrone on looming Navy cuts, Jeffrey Toobin on vanishing Republicans, and Andrew Ross Sorkin on an elite LinkedIn. 

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 12, 2013

The Pope's Legacy, a Buddhist Scandal, and the Science of Violent Video Games

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 320 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 12, 2013

Jon Stewart Knows Why the Pope Quit

The Daily Show host connects hoaxer extraordinaire Ronaiah Tuiasosopo — the guy who invented the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend — to the swarm of questions surrounding the Pope's resignation.

Comments | 5,275 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 11, 2013

What's Next for the Catholic Church?

Pope Benedict XVI caught nearly everyone off guard with his sudden resignation today, but will his surprise departure also manage to shake up the Vatican? The answer to that question rests heavily on who his own people choose to replace him.

Comments | 1,501 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 11, 2013

Why the Pope Really Stepped Down: Your Guide to Ridiculous Conspiracy Theories

Far from the Vatican, the non-believers of the Internet aren't quite buying the old-age excuse — or at least they're getting distracted on a Monday by alleging everything from Benedict's Nazi past to new sex scandals.

Comments | 29,345 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 11, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Eleanor Clift on State of the Union stakes, Andrew Brown on the pope's resignation, Marc Thiessen on Jack Lew's offshore investments, Connie Rice on the LAPD's culture, and Fouad Ajami on drones.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 11, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI Is Resigning

The Vatican confirmed this morning that Pope Benedict XVI will resign his position as head of the Catholic Church later this month.

Comments | 8,408 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 12, 2012

Here's the Pope's First Tweet

The long wait is over and we've finally got the first words of Twitter wisdom from Pope Benedict XVI. 

Comments | 6,238 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 3, 2012

The Pope Already Has More Twitter Followers Than You

The Vatican officially unveiled the new personal Twitter account of Pope Benedict XVI this morning, and he hasn't even had to tweet anything to blow past your puny follower count.

Comments | 10,518 Views

By Adam Clark Estes and Connor Simpson

Dec 1, 2012

The Pope Goes to the Circus

If there's anything that Pope Benedict XVI loves more than cats, it must be the adorable, collared babies of big exotic cats, because we've never seen the man happier than he was petting a pair of lion cubs at the Vatican on Saturday.

Comments | 1,704 Views

By Connor Simpson

Nov 29, 2012

Sugar Plums! The Pope Did Not Cancel Christmas!

Did you hear? Did you hear? I'll tell you everything, my dears. The pope didn't cancel Christmas after all! 

Comments | 690 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Oct 21, 2012

First Native American Saint Opens New Chapter of Catholic History

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Saint, and six others in front of some 80,000 people at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.

Comments | 1,449 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Aug 13, 2012

The Pope's Whistle-Blowing Ex-Butler Is Going on Trial

Paolo Gabriele, better known as the Pope Benedict XVI's ex-butler, found out today that he might have to spend six years in jail for stealing and leaking confidential papal papers to the press.

Comments

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 23, 2012

Pope Condemns Drug Cartels Even As Some Vow to Protect Him in Mexico

Pope Benedict XVI had some fighting words for Mexican drug cartels ahead of his visit to the country today

Comments | 1,554 Views

By Ray Gustini

Mar 16, 2012

The Smart Set

Kate Middleton Scores a Goal; George Clooney to Be Arrested

Today: Kate Middleton takes the field, George Clooney is planning to get arrested this morning, and Kate Couric's new show will debut on September 10.

Comments | 6,686 Views

By Ray Gustini

Feb 24, 2012

The Smart Set

Gerard Butler Leaves Rehab; Fidel Castro May Meet the Pope

Gerard Butler's stealthy rehab stint is ending today, the John Edwards sex tape is on borrowed time, and Chris Brown is being investigated for stealing a fan's iPhone

Comments | 3,804 Views

By Seth Abramovitch

Feb 18, 2012

Who's Leaking the Vatican's Secrets?

As 22 archbishops are elevated to the elite rank of cardinal, someone is leaking embarrassing Vatican documents.

Comments | 9,223 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Jan 24, 2012

The Pope Thinks You're Tweeting Too Much

Normally we don't take advice on social media from 84-year-old priests, but let's hear Pope Benedict XVI out on this one.

Comments | 2,931 Views

By Eric Randall

Nov 17, 2011

The Vatican Did Not Like Benetton's Papal Makeout Ad

Clothing retailer Benetton has torn downcontroversial ad from stores and billboards that featured a doctored photo of Pope Benedict XVI making out with Grand Imam Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy after the Vatican threatened to take legal action.

Comments | 7,100 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Nov 16, 2011

World Leaders Make Out in Benetton's New Ad Campaign

Clothing retailer Benetton has launched another shock-ad campaign that aims to sell more of their high-end clothes folks with Photoshopped images of world leaders playing tonsil hockey.

Comments | 3,449 Views

By Eric Randall

Oct 27, 2011

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Nicholas Kristof on capitalism, E.J. Dionne on the Vatican, and Jonathan Chait on Paul Ryan.

Comments | 1,674 Views

By Ray Gustini

Jun 28, 2011

What the Tweet?

Borscht, Monkeys, and the Pope's Tweets

Plus: tough questions about William Shakespeare's drug history

Comments | 227 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Jun 28, 2011

Watch the Pope Send His First Tweet on an iPad

Also, watch him go "ahhhh!"

Comments | 3,144 Views

By Ray Gustini

May 10, 2011

What the Tweet?

BBC and TMZ: Separated at Tweet

A special edition of What the Tweet looking at our two of favorite sources of "huh?"

Comments | 745 Views

By Uri Friedman

Apr 22, 2011

Pope Engages in First Ever Televised Q&A

A traditional talk show it wasn't, but it represents the Vatican's efforts to be more transparent

Comments | 172 Views

By Uri Friedman

Mar 31, 2011

Why Libya Is Problematic for the Vatican

A Catholic official claims Western air strikes have killed 40 in Tripoli

Comments | 5,781 Views

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