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THE POPE
BENEDICT XVI
Cardinals
elect new pope
April 19: White smoke billowed from the Vatican tonight followed by peals
of bells in St Peter's Square - signalling that cardinals have elected a new
pope to replace John Paul II.
Newly elected Pope Benedict XVI
German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican after being elected to lead the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.
Vatican
tells full story of pope's death
A detailed account of the final hours of Pope John Paul II is released by the
Vatican.
Special report:
the Pope
VATICAN CITY - Mankind, which has reached other planets and unraveled many of nature’s secrets, should not presume it can live without God, Pope Benedict said in his Christmas message on Monday.
In an age of unbridled consumerism it was shameful many remained deaf to the “heart-rending cry” of those dying of hunger, thirst, disease, poverty, war and terrorism, he said.
“Does a ’Savior’ still have any value and meaning for the men and women of the third millennium?” he asked in his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message to the faithful in St Peter’s Square.
“Is a ’Savior’ still needed by a humanity which has reached the moon and Mars and is prepared to conquer the universe; for a humanity which knows no limits in its pursuit of nature’s secrets and which has succeeded even in deciphering the marvelous codes of the human genome?”
He appealed for peace and justice in the Middle East, an end to the brutal violence in Iraq and to the fratricidal conflict in Darfur and other parts of Africa, and expressed his hope for “a democratic Lebanon”.
The Pope said he hoped to visit the Holy Land as soon as the situation allowed.
Speaking to tens of thousands of people in a sunny square, he wished the world a Happy Christmas in 62 languages -including Arabic, Hebrew, Mongolian and Latin - but his speech highlighted his preoccupation with humanity’s fate.
Suffering humanity
Marking the second Christmas season of his pontificate, he said that while 21st
century man appeared to be a master of his own destiny, “perhaps he needs a
Savior all the more” because much of humanity was suffering.
“People continue to die of hunger and thirst, disease and poverty, in this age of plenty and of unbridled consumerism,” he said from the central balcony of Christendom’s largest church.
“Some people remain enslaved, exploited and stripped of their dignity; others are victims of racial and religious hatred, hampered by intolerance and discrimination, and by political interference and physical or moral coercion with regard to the free profession of their faith.
“Others see their own bodies and those of their dear ones, particularly their children, maimed by weaponry, by terrorism and by all sorts of violence, at a time when everyone invokes and acclaims progress, solidarity and peace for all.”
The Pope also made reference to the controversial case of Piergiorgio Welby, a paralyzed Italian man who was denied a Catholic funeral because he had asked to die.
“What are we to think of those who choose death in the belief that they are celebrating life?” he said.
Welby, an advocate of euthanasia, died on Wednesday after a doctor gave him sedatives and detached a respirator that had kept the victim of advanced muscular dystrophy alive for years.
In his midnight mass for some 10,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica earlier on Monday, the Pope said the image of the baby Jesus in a manger should remind everyone of the plight of poor, abused and neglected children the world over.
At that mass a member of the congregation read a prayer in Arabic asking God to encourage “a spirit of dialogue, mutual understanding and collaboration” among followers of the three great monotheistic religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Pope Sorry for Reaction to His Remarks
Sep 17, 8:21 AM (ET)
By PIER
PAOLO CITO
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he was "deeply sorry" about the angry reaction to his recent remarks about Islam, which he said came from a text that didn't reflect his personal opinion.
"These
(words) were in fact a quotation from a Medieval text which do not in any way
express my personal thought," Benedict told pilgrims at his summer palace
outside Rome.
The pope
sparked the controversy when, in a speech Tuesday to university professors
during a pilgrimage to his native Germany, he cited the words of a Byzantine
emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam's
founder, as "evil and inhuman."
"At this
time I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some
countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which
were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," the pope said
Sunday.
Muslim leaders
in the Mideast gave mixed reactions to the pontiff's apology.
Mahmoud Ashour,
the former deputy of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni Arab world's most
powerful institution, told Al-Arabiya TV immediately after the pope's speech
that, "It is not enough. He should apologize because he insulted the
beliefs of Islam. He must apologize in a frank way and say he made a
mistake."
Mohammed al-Nujeimi,
a professor at the Institute of Judicial and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, also criticized the pope's statement.
"The pope
does not want to apologize. He is evading apology and what he said today is a
repetition of his previous statement," he told Al-Arabiya TV.
The Vatican
released a statement Saturday saying the pope "sincerely regrets" that
Muslims were offended, but stopped short of the apology demanded by many Muslim
leaders.
But the leader
of Egypt's largest Islamic political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, said that
"while anger over the Pope's remarks is necessary, it shouldn't last for
long."
"While he
is the head of the Catholic Church in the world, many Europeans are not
following (the church) so what he said won't influence them. Our relations with
Christians should remain good, civilized and cooperative," Mohammed Mahdi
Akef told The Associated Press.
Turkey's
foreign minister said Sunday the pope was still expected to visit in November in
what would be his first trip to a Muslim nation. "From our point of view,
there is no change," Abdullah Gul told reporters before departing for a
trip to the United States.
The Vatican's
secretary of state echoed Gul's remarks.
"I hope
that he will do" the trip, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was quoted as saying
by the Italian news agency ANSA. "Until now, there are no reasons not to
make it."
Russian
President Vladimir Putin earlier urged world religious leaders to show
"responsibility and restraint" to avoid what he called
"extremes" in relations between faiths.
"We
understand perfectly how sensitive this sphere is. I think it would be right if
we call for responsibility and restraint from the leaders of all world
faiths," he said during a meeting with parliamentary leaders from Group of
Eight nations in the Russian resort city of Sochi.
In his speech
on Tuesday, Benedict quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th
century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian
on the truths of Christianity and Islam.
"The
emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said.
"He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and
there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread
by the sword the faith he preached.'"
The remarks
sparked protests and some violence across parts of the Muslim world.
Earlier Sunday
in the West Bank, two churches were set on fire as anger over the pope's
comments grew throughout the Palestinian territories.
In the town of
Tulkarem, a 170-year-old stone church was torched before dawn and its interior
was destroyed, Christian officials said. In the village of Tubas, a small church
was attacked with firebombs and partially burned, Christians said. Neither
church is Catholic, the officials said.
Palestinian
Muslims hurled firebombs and opened fire at five churches in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip Saturday to protest the Pope's comments, sparking concerns of a rift
between Palestinian Muslims and Christians.
Security was
high at the summer palace before Benedict spoke Sunday. Police patted down many
pilgrims, confiscating umbrellas with metal tips and bottles of liquids.
Sharpshooters kept watch from a balcony and other officers, dressed like
tourists, monitored the crowd with video cameras.
Police
headquarters across Italy were also ordered to raise security at potential
Catholic targets, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. However, at the
Vatican, no additional security measures could be seen as tourists strolled
across St. Peter's Square.
Italian
Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said he believed tensions over Benedict's
remarks wouldn't result in any further heightening of security concerns. He told
Italian state radio that suspected terrorist cells under surveillance inside the
country were considered to be focused on targets "outside of Italy."
Associated Press correspondent Victor L. Simpson at the Vatican and
Nadia Abou el-Magd in Cairo, Egypt contributed to this report.
Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Remarks
Sep 17,
6:55 AM (ET)
By The
Associated Press
The official
Vatican translation of Pope Benedict XVI's remarks, delivered in Italian Sunday
about his Sept. 12 speech that sparked anger among Muslims.
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The pastoral
visit which I recently made to Bavaria was a deep spiritual experience, bringing
together personal memories linked to places well known to me and pastoral
initiatives towards an effective proclamation of the Gospel for today.
I thank God
for the interior joy which he made possible, and I am also grateful to all those
who worked hard for the success of this pastoral visit. As is the custom, I will
speak more of this during next Wednesday's general audience.
At this time,
I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to
a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were
considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims.
These in fact
were a quotation from a Medieval text, which do not in any way express my
personal thought.
Yesterday, the
Cardinal Secretary of State published a statement in this regard in which he
explained the true meaning of my words. I hope that this serves to appease
hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was
and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect.
Muslim Leaders Demand Apology From Pope
Sep 16,
10:38 AM (ET)
By
BENJAMIN HARVEY
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Leaders across the Muslim world demanded Pope Benedict XVI apologize for remarks linking Islam and violence, but the Vatican stopped short of doing so Saturday, saying instead the pontiff "sincerely regrets" that Muslims were offended.
Benedict's
speech in Germany this week unleashed a torrent of rage among Muslims and
stirred fears of violent anti-Western protests like those that followed the
publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
The new
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said Benedict's position
on Islam is in line with Vatican teaching that the church regards Muslims with
"esteem."
Muslim leaders
have been unappeased by previous overtures by Vatican officials.
"We do
not accept the apology through Vatican channels ... and ask him (Benedict) to
offer a personal apology - not through his officials," Grand Ayatollah
Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's most senior Shiite cleric, told
worshippers Friday in Beirut.
Two churches
in the West Bank were hit by firebombs Saturday, and a group claiming
responsibility said it was protesting Benedict's words.
In his speech,
Benedict cited an obscure Medieval text that characterized some of the teachings
of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his
command to spread by the sword the faith." Some experts took the remarks as
a signal that the Vatican was staking a more demanding stance for its dealings
with the Muslim world.
Iraq's main
Sunni party warned that the pope's comments could lead to violence between
Muslims and Christians. The pope "should not be lured into returning to the
Crusades," the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party said in a statement.
"The
world today needs all religious authorities to cooperate to curb the phenomenon
of violence," it said. "We urge all Christian religious authorities in
both the Arab and Western world not to be involved in the confrontation against
the Islamic world as it could lead to Muslim-Christian violence, God
forbid."
Notably, the
strongest denunciations came from Turkey - a moderate democracy seeking European
Union membership where Benedict is scheduled to visit in November as his first
trip as pope to a Muslim country.
Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the pope must apologize for his "ugly,
unfortunate statements," and cast doubt on whether the pontiff's trip would
go ahead as planned.
Earlier
Saturday, Turkish government officials said Ankara would not ask the pope to
cancel the visit. But when asked later if Benedict's remarks could affect the
trip, Erdogan said: "I wouldn't know," leaving open the possibility it
could be canceled.
Salih Kapusuz,
deputy leader of Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party, said Benedict's remarks were
either "the result of pitiful ignorance" about Islam and its prophet
or, worse, a deliberate distortion.
"He has a
dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages," Kapusuz
told Turkish state media. "It looks like an effort to revive the mentality
of the Crusades."
"He is
going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and
Mussolini," he added.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the pope made "a big
mistake" and "contradicted his own leadership of a divine
religion."
At the
Vatican, Bertone issued a statement saying the pope "sincerely regrets that
certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the
sensitivities of the Muslim faithful and should have been interpreted in a
manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions."
Bertone said
the comment came in a speech on the pope's reflections about the relationship
between religion and violence in general. Benedict ended his speech with a
"clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from
whatever side it may come," Bertone said.
Malaysia's
prime minister said Benedict should apologize, echoing demands by the Pakistani
parliament and Lebanon's top Shiite cleric.
"The pope
must not take lightly the spread of outrage that has been created,"
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying Saturday by
the state-run Bernama news agency.
A Christian
leader - the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church - said the pope's comments
went "against the teachings of Christ." Coptic Pope Shenouda III told
Egypt's pro-government Al-Ahram newspaper that "any remarks which offend
Islam and Muslims are against the teachings of Christ."
The last
outpouring of Islamic anger at the West came in February over the prophet
cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper. The drawings sparked protests -
some of them deadly - in almost every Muslim nation in the world.
In the West
Bank, firebombs left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of a Greek
Orthodox and an Anglican church in the city of Nablus on Saturday. In a phone
call to The Associated Press, a group calling itself the "Lions of
Monotheism" claimed responsibility.
Clergy played
down the attacks as isolated incidents, but said they'd worry if more Christian
sites are targeted. "It is easy to worry," said Father Yousef Saada, a
Roman Catholic priest in Nablus. "The atmosphere is charged already, and
the wise should not accept such acts."
Police in
India's only Muslim majority state, Kashmir, detained nearly two dozen people
protesting Benedict's remarks in the second straight day of anti-pope rallies in
the territory.
The pope
quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine
Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of
Christianity and Islam.
"The
emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," Benedict said.
"He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and
there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread
by the sword the faith he preached.'"
The pope did
not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.
The Rev.
Robert Taft, a specialist in Islamic affairs at Rome's Pontifical Oriental
Institute, said it was unlikely Benedict miscalculated how some Muslims would
receive his speech.
"The
message he is sending is very, very clear," Taft said. "Violence in
the name of faith is never acceptable in any religion and that (the pope)
considers it his duty to challenge Islam and anyone else on this."
Associated Press writers Brian Murphy in Athens, Greece, Sinan
Salaheddin in Baghdad, Iraq, and Ali Daraghemeh in Nablus, West Bank,
contributed to this report.
Muslim Leaders Demand Apology From Pope
Sep 16,
10:38 AM (ET)
By
BENJAMIN HARVEY
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Leaders across the Muslim world demanded Pope Benedict XVI apologize for remarks linking Islam and violence, but the Vatican stopped short of doing so Saturday, saying instead the pontiff "sincerely regrets" that Muslims were offended.
Benedict's
speech in Germany this week unleashed a torrent of rage among Muslims and
stirred fears of violent anti-Western protests like those that followed the
publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
The new
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said Benedict's position
on Islam is in line with Vatican teaching that the church regards Muslims with
"esteem."
Muslim leaders
have been unappeased by previous overtures by Vatican officials.
"We do
not accept the apology through Vatican channels ... and ask him (Benedict) to
offer a personal apology - not through his officials," Grand Ayatollah
Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's most senior Shiite cleric, told
worshippers Friday in Beirut.
Two churches
in the West Bank were hit by firebombs Saturday, and a group claiming
responsibility said it was protesting Benedict's words.
In his speech,
Benedict cited an obscure Medieval text that characterized some of the teachings
of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his
command to spread by the sword the faith." Some experts took the remarks as
a signal that the Vatican was staking a more demanding stance for its dealings
with the Muslim world.
Iraq's main
Sunni party warned that the pope's comments could lead to violence between
Muslims and Christians. The pope "should not be lured into returning to the
Crusades," the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party said in a statement.
"The
world today needs all religious authorities to cooperate to curb the phenomenon
of violence," it said. "We urge all Christian religious authorities in
both the Arab and Western world not to be involved in the confrontation against
the Islamic world as it could lead to Muslim-Christian violence, God
forbid."
Notably, the
strongest denunciations came from Turkey - a moderate democracy seeking European
Union membership where Benedict is scheduled to visit in November as his first
trip as pope to a Muslim country.
Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the pope must apologize for his "ugly,
unfortunate statements," and cast doubt on whether the pontiff's trip would
go ahead as planned.
Earlier
Saturday, Turkish government officials said Ankara would not ask the pope to
cancel the visit. But when asked later if Benedict's remarks could affect the
trip, Erdogan said: "I wouldn't know," leaving open the possibility it
could be canceled.
Salih Kapusuz,
deputy leader of Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party, said Benedict's remarks were
either "the result of pitiful ignorance" about Islam and its prophet
or, worse, a deliberate distortion.
"He has a
dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages," Kapusuz
told Turkish state media. "It looks like an effort to revive the mentality
of the Crusades."
"He is
going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and
Mussolini," he added.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the pope made "a big
mistake" and "contradicted his own leadership of a divine
religion."
At the
Vatican, Bertone issued a statement saying the pope "sincerely regrets that
certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the
sensitivities of the Muslim faithful and should have been interpreted in a
manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions."
Bertone said
the comment came in a speech on the pope's reflections about the relationship
between religion and violence in general. Benedict ended his speech with a
"clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from
whatever side it may come," Bertone said.
Malaysia's
prime minister said Benedict should apologize, echoing demands by the Pakistani
parliament and Lebanon's top Shiite cleric.
"The pope
must not take lightly the spread of outrage that has been created,"
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying Saturday by
the state-run Bernama news agency.
A Christian
leader - the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church - said the pope's comments
went "against the teachings of Christ." Coptic Pope Shenouda III told
Egypt's pro-government Al-Ahram newspaper that "any remarks which offend
Islam and Muslims are against the teachings of Christ."
The last
outpouring of Islamic anger at the West came in February over the prophet
cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper. The drawings sparked protests -
some of them deadly - in almost every Muslim nation in the world.
In the West
Bank, firebombs left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of a Greek
Orthodox and an Anglican church in the city of Nablus on Saturday. In a phone
call to The Associated Press, a group calling itself the "Lions of
Monotheism" claimed responsibility.
Clergy played
down the attacks as isolated incidents, but said they'd worry if more Christian
sites are targeted. "It is easy to worry," said Father Yousef Saada, a
Roman Catholic priest in Nablus. "The atmosphere is charged already, and
the wise should not accept such acts."
Police in
India's only Muslim majority state, Kashmir, detained nearly two dozen people
protesting Benedict's remarks in the second straight day of anti-pope rallies in
the territory.
The pope
quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine
Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of
Christianity and Islam.
"The
emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," Benedict said.
"He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and
there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread
by the sword the faith he preached.'"
The pope did
not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.
The Rev.
Robert Taft, a specialist in Islamic affairs at Rome's Pontifical Oriental
Institute, said it was unlikely Benedict miscalculated how some Muslims would
receive his speech.
"The
message he is sending is very, very clear," Taft said. "Violence in
the name of faith is never acceptable in any religion and that (the pope)
considers it his duty to challenge Islam and anyone else on this."
Pope
Benedict Makes Visit to Birthplace
Sep 11,
4:22 PM (ET)
By
VICTOR L. SIMPSON
MARKTL AM INN,
Germany (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI spent a sentimental day in his Bavarian
homecoming Monday, visiting the town where he was born, the church where he was
baptized and his favorite pilgrimage site.
He was also
reunited with his 82-year-old brother, Georg, a retired priest and choir
director who prayed with Benedict before the font where he was baptized in tiny
Marktl am Inn.
Georg was
waiting inside St. Oswald's Church when Benedict's motorcade rolled up for a
brief, upbeat visit. The pope first waded into the enthusiastic crowd outside,
shaking hands and blessing babies.
After three or
four minutes in the church with Georg, the pope came out and rode in his
popemobile about 30 yards to the house where he was born. He took a look at a
bronze column inscribed with words of his namesake, St. Benedict. But he barely
glanced at the house, where blue paint spattered by vandals the night before had
been cleaned up in time for his visit.
Then he flew
to Regensburg where he once taught theology.
The day gave
Benedict a chance to leave the big-city environment of Munich, where he served
as archbishop from 1977 to 1982, for the small-town Bavaria of his childhood and
youth.
Earlier,
Benedict seemed relaxed and sprightly as he led a procession - clad in
gold-colored vestments - through the packed square in Altoetting, the pilgrimage
town where he began the day's events.
"The pope
is very pleased, very content with his welcome," according to the Rev.
Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. He indicated there had been some
concern over the turnout in Munich, given the large number of liberal Catholics
opposed to the pope's conservative line. But at least 250,000 people attended an
outdoor Mass there Sunday.
Altoetting is
Germany's leading pilgrimage site - considered the heart of Roman Catholic
Bavaria and home to a wooden Black Madonna statue, the color dark from centuries
of candle smoke.
Benedict has
made frequent trips to the site, most recently with his brother in January 2005
three months before the death of John Paul II and the election of the German
prelate as his successor.
Some 70,000
people turned out for Mass in the Kapellplatz square in Altoetting, where
Benedict was joined by Georg during the service. Pilgrims gathered in the
Dultplatz, a square near the papal route, as early as 2:30 a.m.
"This is
a really big thing - I've never seen a pope before," said Juergen Tauer, a
38-year-old computer technician who brought his wife and three children.
"Pope John Paul was a great figure for young people, and I think he can do
the same. I hope he can step into those footsteps."
Before leaving
for Marktl, Benedict led an evening prayer service at Altoetting's basilica and
called on the church to bring more people into the priesthood.
"In the
so-called Third World - in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia - people are
waiting for messengers," he said. "And in the so-called West as well,
here in Germany and also in the expanses of Russia, it is true that the harvest
could be large. Yet the people are lacking who are prepared to get down to God's
harvesting work."
Afterward, he
made the 12-mile ride from Altoetting to his birthplace.
It was in
Marktl am Inn where Joseph Ratzinger was born April 16, 1927, and baptized the
same day in St. Oswald parish church with freshly consecrated water.
"To be
the first child baptized with the new holy water was considered to be a very
auspicious sign," he wrote in his biography.
Ratzinger's
father was a policeman and the family moved frequently. The future pope spent
only the first two years of his life in Marktl, but during a 1997 visit he was
given a ceremonial key to the town in honor of his 70th birthday.
Although it
was hard to find anyone who remembered Benedict from when he lived in Marktl,
that was no obstacle to the collective pride shared by its residents. Some 2,000
admission tickets to the central Marktplatz square were all taken, mostly by
residents of the town of 2,700, and the streets started filling up nearly nine
hours before the pope's arrival.
"It's a
great honor that he's come to visit us," said Maria Beck.
Pope
Urges Renewed Respect For All Life
VATICAN
CITY (AP) - In a strong condemnation of abortion, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday
urged the faithful to develop a new respect for life even when it is "sick
or damaged." Marking the Italian Catholic Church's "Day for
Life," Benedict stressed...
Pope
Laments Increase in Anti-Semitism photo
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) - German-born Pope Benedict XVI on Friday became the
second pope to visit a synagogue, entering to the haunting tones of a ram's
horn, praying before a Holocaust memorial and lamenting a rise in anti-Semitism.
"We need to...
Vatican in terror dispute with Israel
Pope
to Attend Germany's World Youth Day photo
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) - Cologne is throwing open its doors to the world next
week for the first foreign trip by Pope Benedict XVI, even as it welds shut
manhole covers in the streets, seals off its airspace and closes bridges.
Mindful of...
Pope
Concerned Over Harry Potter Books photo
BERLIN (AP) - In a letter sent two years before becoming pope, Benedict XVI
expressed concern that the Harry Potter books "erode Christianity in the
soul" of young people, a German writer says. The comments came in an
exchange of letters between...
Pope
calls for debt reduction for poor countries Pope
endorses worldwide anti-poverty action Orthodox
Look to Resume Talks With Pope Pope
Benedict XVI Christians Fatima Third Secret of Fatima Vatican ...
POPE
BENEDICT XVI HAS LUNCH WITH ORTHODOX DELEGATION Vatican
Hopes to Normalize Vietnam Ties Orthodox
leaders tell Pope Benedict XVI theological dialogue with ... Pope
urges action on poverty ahead of G8 summit Thousands
flock to anti-poverty march About
120,000 gather for Edinburgh march Pope
sends plea to G8 leaders Pope
Benedict XVI Chastises Europe in Book Owner
to sell Bavarian house where Pope Benedict XVI was born PERA:
MY RELATION WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI CONTINUES
Pope
Tells Journalists to Search for 'Truth'
Pope
Benedict XVI enters the Vatican's Paul VI Hall to meet with hundreds of
journalists and thank them for coverage of the transition.
John
Paul II Placed on Path to Sainthood photo
ROME (AP) - The Roman Catholic Church placed Pope John Paul II on the path to
sainthood Tuesday during a joyous ceremony at a Roman basilica - the fastest
start to a beatification process in memory for a man many considered a saint
long before he...
John
Paul II sainthood cause launched
The case for sainthood for Pope John Paul II, already considered a saint by many
Roman Catholics even before he died in April, has been formally launched.
Pope's German birthplace up for sale after tourist influx
Vatican
Gets
Victory
in
Italian
Referendum
ROME
(AP)
-
Efforts
to
loosen
Italy's
assisted-fertility
laws
in
a
referendum
failed
Monday
because
low
voter
turnout
invalidated
the
balloting
-
a
victory
for
the
Vatican.
Turnout
must
be
more
than
50
percent
of
the
electorate
for
the
vote
in
a...
Pope
Promotes Abstinence to Fight AIDS
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI told African bishops Friday that
abstinence is the only "fail-safe" way to prevent the spread of HIV,
reiterating the Roman Catholic Church's teaching to the prelates from a
continent ravaged by the virus....
Italian
Fertility
Votes
to
Test
Benedict
ROME
(AP)
-
Franca
longs
to
have
a
healthy
child,
but
she
carries
a
blood-disease
gene,
so
she
underwent
fertility
treatment.
She
had
her
eggs
screened
for
the
condition,
then
implanted
in
her
womb.
But
it
didn't
work
-
and
Italian
law
makes
it...
Benedict
Prefers to Write Own Speeches
VATICAN CITY (AP) - No ghostwriter needed here. By most accounts, Pope Benedict
XVI has been busy writing his own speeches as he grows into his new role as
pastor of the world's Roman Catholics. That hands-on approach by the former
Cardinal Joseph...
BENEDICT XVI ANNOUNCES CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION OF JOHN PAUL II
BENEDICT XVI MEETS DIPLOMATIC CORPS ACCREDITED TO HOLY SEE
POPE CONFIRMS EUCHARISTIC THEME FOR OCTOBER SYNOD OF BISHOPS
Swiss Guards to be sworn in at Vatican ceremony New Pope says will keep up summer tradition Towering Ivory Coast basilica loved and lambasted New Pope Appears for First Time at Window, Keeping Up John Paul's Popular Tradition
Benedict
prayed 'not to be Pope' Pope's
Inaugural Mass Draws More Crowds to Rome
Williams
to meet new pope
The Archbishop of Canterbury will become one of the first non-Catholic
religious leaders to meet the new pope.
Letters:
Pope's past
Special
report: the Pope
Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry The Pope and the child sex claim
German
fury at 'insults' to Pope
April 22: German newspapers reacted with fury yesterday to British media
reports focusing on Pope Benedict's teenage membership of the Hitler Youth.
21.04.05:
Home town ready to greet pilgrims - and euros
Latin is the lingua franca in Pope Benedict's Vatican Pope condemns Spain gay bill
19.04.05, in
pictures: Choosing the new pope
Ratzinger
named as Pope Benedict XVI
April 19: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the 78-year-old German bishop
closely associated with the papacy of John Paul II, was today announced as
Benedict XVI, the 265th leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.
Reaction
to the election of Pope Benedict XVI
Full
text of the new Pope's speech
PROFILE: Back
to the future with Joseph Ratzinger
April 19: The new Pope Benedict XVI's defence of conservative orthodoxy
has not made him popular with more progressive Catholics, writes Stephen
Bates.
Ratzinger
is elected pope
April 19: Neil McIntosh on the man known by fans as 'the Grand Inquisitor
for Mother Rome'.
19.04.05:
A new pope is elected Ratzinger
named as Pope
Special
report: the Pope
German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a close associate of the late Pope John Paul
II, is said to have the inside track to becoming the next head of the Roman
Catholic Church, The New York Times reports.
According to sources, Ratzinger "has up to 50 votes among the 115
elector cardinals, or at least that is the strength his supporters claim,"
the paper reported.
To be elected pope, candidates must garner two-thirds of votes (77) from the
115 cardinals currently in conclave to select John Paul II's replacement.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II passed away. He was in his 27th year as pope, one of the longest reigning popes in history. Despite illness and infirmity, he tirelessly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He defended life in all its forms, wrote prolifically on Catholic topics such as the Eucharist and the rosary, pleaded for peace in the world and created more Roman Catholic saints than any other pope. It is said that he was the most recognized man in the world and he is by far the most widely-travelled pope in history.
First
ballot fails to pick new pope Timetable:
choosing a new pope The
main contenders Black
Smoke From Vatican 01.04.2005: History
of the Pope's health problems
Papal stakes Cardinals take vow of silence
John Paul II Buried in Largest Funeral Ever
Pope John Paul II was laid to rest in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square this
morning as 300,000 people attended, while another 700,000 crowded into nearby
side streets.
According to press reports, that makes John Paul's the largest funeral in
history.
Dozens of world and spiritual leaders were in attendance, including some who
otherwise have been banned from the European continent. Vatican City - which is
located in Rome, Italy - is a neutral, separate entity and, therefore, not prone
to EU auspices...
Pope John Paul II, in his last will and testament, suggested that he considered
resigning his post in 2000, a time when he already had substantial medical
problems and at the beginning of the new millennium.
The Vatican released the document today as tens of thousands of pilgrims
continued to flow into Vatican City, to catch one final glimpse of the late
pontiff.
John Paul succumbed to a host of illnesses and problems last weekend. He was
84.
The group of Roman Catholic cardinals meeting in Rome to select a new pope
following the death of John Paul II have sent April 18 as their conclave date.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the cardinals read John Paul's
spiritual testament during a pre-conclave meeting this morning. In it, however,
John Paul did not name the mystery cardinal he appointed in 2003, ending
speculation the cardinal would join the conclave in selecting a new pope.
Roman Catholic cardinals gathering in Rome to prepare for Pope John Paul II's
Friday funeral say they have not yet decided on a date for the conclave that
will result in the election of a new Holy Father.
Cardinals have met twice already, even as tens of thousands of mourners
stream into Rome to pay their last respects to John Paul, who died on Saturday
after weeks of health problems.
According to church law, the conclave must be convened between 15 and 20 days
after the death of a pope...
The body of Pope John Paul, which has been lying in state in the Vatican Palace,
has been moved to St Peter's Basilica.
Thousands of people have been lining up for close to five hours to view the
body.
Between now and Friday when he will be buried hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims are expected to file past to pay their last respects.
Pope John Paul II has died.
The Vatican says he died shortly after 9.30pm, Rome time.
The 84-year-old pontiff's health had declined dramatically after he came down
with the flu in February, and was twice rushed to hospital last month with
breathing difficulties.
Last Pilgrims Pay Homage Pope 'considered stepping down' Special report: the Pope Poles flock to Pope's funeral Date set to choose next Pope Pope To Be Buried At Vatican
Obituary: John Paul II - Modern Day Apostle
VATICAN
CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84, was a voice of
conscience for the world and a modern-day apostle for his church. To both roles
he brought a philosopher's intellect, a pilgrim's spiritual intensity and an
actor's flair for the dramatic. That combination made him one of the most
forceful moral leaders of the modern age.
As
head of the church for more than 26 years, he held a hard line on doctrinal
issues and drew sharp limits on dissent -- in particular regarding abortion,
birth control and other contested church teachings on human life. But when it
came to the Vatican and the church hierarchy, he was never a micromanager. He
spent relatively little time on administrative issues, and his response to
problems like the priestly sex abuse crisis was less direct than some would have
preferred.
Especially
in later years, his pontificate reflected personal trial and suffering. An
athletic and energetic 58-year-old when elected, he gradually lost his ability
to walk, to stand and to express himself clearly -- the result of a nervous
system disorder believed to be Parkinson's disease. By the time he celebrated
his silver jubilee as pope in October 2003, aides were routinely wheeling him on
a chair and reading his speeches for him. Yet he rejected suggestions of
retirement and pushed himself to the limits of his declining physical
capabilities, convinced that such suffering was a form of spiritual leadership.
The
first non-Italian pope in 455 years, Pope John Paul became a spiritual
protagonist in two global transitions: the fall of European communism, which
began in his native Poland in 1989, and the passage to the third millennium of
Christianity. The start of the new millennium brought a surge in global
terrorism, which the pope saw as a threat to interfaith harmony. He invited
world religions to renounce violence and the logic of "religious
warfare." He condemned the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as
"inhuman" but urged the United States to react with restraint, and he
sharply criticized the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.
As
pastor of the universal church, he jetted around the world, taking his message
to 129 countries in 104 trips outside Italy, including seven to the United
States. A linguist by training, he surprised and pleased millions by
communicating with them in their own languages -- which made it all the more
poignant when his speaking abilities declined in later years.
At
times, he used the world as a pulpit: in Africa, to decry hunger; in Hiroshima,
Japan, to denounce the arms race; in Calcutta, India, to praise the generosity
of Mother Teresa. Whether at home or on the road, he aimed to be the church's
most active evangelizer, trying to open every corner of human society to
Christian values.
Within
the church, the pope was just as vigorous and no less controversial. He
disciplined dissenting theologians, excommunicated self-styled
"traditionalists" and upheld unpopular church positions like the
pronouncement against birth control. At the same time, he pushed Catholic social
teaching into relatively new areas such as bioethics, international economics,
racism and ecology.
He
looked frail but determined as he led the church through a heavy program of
soul-searching events during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, fulfilling a
dream of his pontificate. His long-awaited pilgrimage to the Holy Land that year
took him to the roots of the faith and dramatically illustrated the church's
improved relations with Jews. He also presided over an unprecedented public
apology for the sins of Christians during darker chapters of church history,
such as the Inquisition and the Crusades.
In
a landmark document in 2001, the pope laid out his vision of the church's
future. The apostolic letter, "Novo Millennio Ineunte" ("At the
Beginning of the New Millennium"), called for a "new sense of
mission" to take Gospel values into every area of social and economic life.
Over the years, public reaction to the pope's message and his decisions was
mixed. He was hailed as a daring social critic, chided as the "last
socialist," cheered by millions and caricatured as an inquisitor.
The
pope never paid much attention to his popularity ratings. Pope John Paul's
personality was powerful and complicated. In his prime, he could work a crowd
and banter with young and old, but spontaneity was not his specialty. As a
manager, he set directions but often left policy details to top aides. His
reaction to the mushrooming clerical sex abuse scandal in the United States in
2001-02 underscored his governing style: He suffered deeply, prayed at length
and made brief but forceful statements emphasizing the gravity of such a sin by
priests. He convened a Vatican-U.S. summit to address the problem, but let his
Vatican advisers and U.S. church leaders work out the answers. In the end, he
approved changes that made it easier to defrock abusive priests.
The pope was essentially a private person, with a deep spiritual life -- something not easily translated by the media. Yet in earlier years, this pope seemed made for modern media, and his pontificate was captured in some lasting images. Who can forget the pope wagging his finger sternly at a Sandinista priest in Nicaragua, hugging a young AIDS victim in California or huddling in a prison-cell conversation with his would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca?
Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic
News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Pope
John Paul II, 1920-2005
In Pictures
His Holiness John Paul II
Short Biography
[Updated: 25.02.2005]
Karol Józef
Wojtyła , known
as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in
Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometres from Cracow, on May 18, 1920. He was the
second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother
died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father,
a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941.
He made his First Holy
Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin
Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Cracow's Jagiellonian
University in 1938 and in a school for drama.
The Nazi occupation forces
closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry
(1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living
and to avoid being deported to Germany.
In 1942, aware of his call to
the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Cracow, run by
Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Cracow. At the same time, Karol
Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also
clandestine.
After the Second World War,
he continued his studies in the major seminary of Cracow, once it had re-opened,
and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University, until his
priestly ordination in Cracow on November 1, 1946.
Soon after, Cardinal Sapieha
sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican,
Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis
on the topic of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross. At that time,
during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish
immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.
In 1948 he returned to Poland
and was vicar of various parishes in Cracow as well as chaplain for the
university students until 1951, when he took up again his studies on philosophy
and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis on "evaluation of the
possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler"
at Lublin Catholic University. Later he became professor of moral theology and
social ethics in the major seminary of Cracow and in the Faculty of Theology of
Lublin.
On July 4, 1958, he was
appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cracow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated
September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Cracow, by Archbishop Baziak.
On January 13, 1964, he was
nominated Archbishop of Cracow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal June 26,
1967.
Besides taking part in
Vatican Council II with an important contribution to the elaboration of the
Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyła participated in all
the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
Since the start of his
Pontificate on October 16, 1978, Pope John Paul II has completed 104 pastoral
visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy . As Bishop of Rome he
has visited 317 of the 333 parishes .
His principal documents
include 14 encyclicals , 15 apostolic exhortations , 11
apostolic constitutions and 45 apostolic letters. The Pope has also
published five books : "Crossing the Threshold of Hope"
(October 1994); "Gift and Mystery: On the 50th Anniversary of My Priestly
Ordination" (November 1996); "Roman Triptych - Meditations", a
book of poems (March 2003); "Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way" (May 2004)
and "Memory and Identity" (pubblication spring 2005).
John Paul II has presided at 147
beatification ceremonies ( 1,338 Blesseds proclaimed ) and 51
canonization ceremonies ( 482 Saints ) during his pontificate. He has
held 9 consistories in which he created 231 (+ 1 in pectore)
cardinals . He has also convened six plenary meetings of the College of
Cardinals .
From 1978 to today the Holy
Father has presided at 15 Synods of Bishops : six ordinary (1980, 1983,
1987, 1990, 1994, 2001), one extraordinary (1985) and eight special (1980, 1991,
1994, 1995, 1997, 1998[2] and 1999).
No other Pope has encountered so many individuals like John Paul II: to date, more than 17,600,000 pilgrims have participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1,160). Such figure is without counting all other special audiences and religious ceremonies held [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone] and the millions of faithful met during pastoral visits made in Italy and throughout the world. It must also be remembered the numerous government personalities encountered during 38 official visits and in the 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State , and even the 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers .
THE POPE'S LAST MESSAGE
MESSAGE
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EASTER VIGIL MASS
Holy Saturday, 26 March 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the end of the Lenten penitential journey and after having meditated in these last days on the sorrowful passion and dramatic death of Jesus on the Cross, we are celebrating on this singular night the glorious mystery of his Resurrection.
Thanks to television, I am able to follow from my apartment the suggestive Easter Vigil, over which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is presiding in St Peter's Basilica. To him, I send my fraternal greeting, which I extend to the other Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops present. I also greet with affection the priests, men and women religious and the faithful gathered around the altar of the Lord, with a special thought for the catechumens who prepare themselves during this holy Vigil to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
This night is truly extraordinary, one in which the blazing light of the Risen Christ definitively defeats the dark power of evil and death, and rekindles hope and joy in the hearts of believers. Dear friends, guided by the liturgy, let us pray to the Lord Jesus so that the world may see and recognize that, thanks to his passion, death and Resurrection, what was destroyed is rebuilt, what was ageing is renewed and completely restored, more beautiful than ever, to its original wholeness.
I warmly express to all my fervent best wishes, and I assure you of a remembrance in my prayers so that the Risen Lord bestows on each of you and your families and communities the paschal gift of his peace. I accompany these sentiments with a special Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 26 March 2005, Easter Vigil
Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
PAPAL TRANSITION
How Does The Catholic Church Chooses a New Pope ?
Papal Conclave: How Popes Are Chosen
—Exerpted From Catholic Update, “The Future of the
Papacy”
When the pope dies, the cardinals are summoned to Rome by the dean of the college of cardinals for the conclave that will elect the new pope.
The word conclave (Latin, cum + clavis, literally, "locked with the key") designates the place in a locked section of the Vatican where the cardinals remain until a new pope is elected. It is also used to designate the actual gathering of the cardinals.
Before the conclave: The cardinals may discuss the upcoming election with one another. The conclave begins 15 to 20 days after the pope's death.
The actual conclave: After the celebration of Mass, the cardinal dean presides over the preliminary sessions, where procedures regulated by canon law are clarified. Then all others are dismissed and the cardinals are sealed in the Sistine Chapel where the voting takes place, every morning and afternoon.
Until recently a two-thirds majority plus one was required for election. After his election Pope John Paul II changed this. Now if there is no conclusive vote after 30 ballots, an absolute majority suffices. [This means that if a candidate gets a majority on the first or second ballot, his supporters need only wait till 30 ballots have been cast. He will then be elected on the 31st ballot.]
For each ballot, the cardinals are given rectangular cards with Eligo in summum pontificem ("I elect as supreme pontiff") printed at the top. Each cardinal prints the name of his choice. One by one in order of seniority they approach the altar where there is a chalice with a paten on top. They place the ballot (folded down the middle) on the paten, then drop it into the cup.
After each voting the ballots are burned. Special chemicals are added to make the smoke white or black. To people eagerly waiting outside, black smoke signifies an inconclusive vote. White smoke announces that a pope has been elected.
The cardinals may elect whomever they wish, as long as the person is a baptized male. There have been occasions in the past when laymen were elected. After their election they had to be ordained priest and bishop. The one elected is asked if he accepts. The moment he accepts he is pope and, if he is a bishop, he is Bishop of Rome. If he is not a bishop he is immediately ordained by the dean of the college. The cardinals individually pledge their support to the new pope. The cardinal dean asks the pope what name he chooses. Then the oldest member of the college announces the choice to the city of Rome and to the world.
by John Christensen
(CNN) - There have been
a number of methods for choosing a pope over the centuries since St. Linus, the
second pope, replaced the apostle Peter -- St. Peter to Catholics -- in the year
67.
The first popes were
chosen by local clergymen who lived near Rome, but kings, emperors and other
interested bystanders have done what they could to influence the process as
well. And there were times when those who were displeased with the outcome
appointed their own man, who was known as the antipope.
But in 1059 Pope
Nicholas II decreed that henceforth all papal electors must be cardinals, and in
1179 Pope Alexander III ruled that all cardinals would have an equal vote in the
election.
In 1274, Pope Gregory X
decided that the cardinals must meet within 10 days of a pope's death, and that
they should be kept in strict seclusion until a pope was chosen.
By the late 1500s, most
of the electoral procedures now used were in place.
The pope can be elected
by one of three methods. A unanimous voice vote is permissible, as is the
unanimous selection by the cardinals of a 9- to 15-member committee, which then
must agree on a pope.
The most common method,
however, is election by ballot,
which works as follows:
·
When the pope dies, the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals notifies
the cardinals and calls a meeting -- always held in the morning -- that must
begin no more than 20 days after the pope's death.
·
The cardinals draw lots to select three members to collect ballots from
the infirm, three "tellers" to count the votes and three others to
review the results.
·
Blank ballots are then prepared and distributed.
·
After writing the name of one man on his ballot, each of the
approximately 120 active cardinals -- those under 80 years of age -- walks to an
altar and pledges to perform his duty with integrity. He then places his ballot
in a container which is covered by a plate.
·
After all votes are cast, the tellers tally the ballots and the result is
read to the cardinals.
·
If there is no winner, another vote is taken. If there is still no
winner, two more votes are scheduled for the afternoon.
·
After the votes are counted each time, the ballots are burned. If there
has been no winner, a chemical is mixed with the ballots to produce black smoke
when they are burned. Sight of the black smoke emerging from the roof of the
Vatican Palace tells those waiting in St. Peter's Square that a pope has not yet
been selected. When a winner has been selected, the ballots are burned alone,
and the white smoke indicates there is a new pope.
·
Traditionally, the winner had to garner two-thirds of the vote plus one,
but John Paul II changed that in 1996. He ruled that if, after 12 or 13 days
there is still no winner, the conclave could invoke a rule -- by majority vote
-- that would permit the selection of the pope by an absolute majority.
·
Once there is a winner, the pope-elect is asked if he accepts the
decision. (Pope John Paul II reportedly accepted his election with tears in his
eyes.) If he does, the dean asks what name he chooses and announces it to the
cardinals, who then come forward to offer congratulations.
·
The oldest cardinal then steps out on a balcony overlooking St. Peter's
Square and says to the crowd, "Habemus papam" -- "We have a
pope." He then introduces the pope, who steps out on the balcony to bless
Rome and the world.
· Many popes have been formally installed with a coronation, but Pope John Paul II refused a coronation and was installed as the pope during a Mass in St. Peter's Square.