Pope Benedict's visit may have pulled the plug on a movement that helped define the faith here for almost a half-century
A controversial article by a prominent Italian doctor asserts as much, eliciting a strenuous rebuttal from the Vatican, which opposes euthanasia
A cadet in the Vatican police force was found fatally shot in the head early Monday inside the barracks, in what officials said was an apparent suicide over a breakup with a girlfriend.
While some passengers only turn to prayer when jolted by turbulence, the Vatican made it standard on Monday by launching the world's first airline for Catholic pilgrims.
If the Pope exerts such authority, why is the Holy See impervious to predatory priest lawsuits?
Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church
By lifting restrictions on a rite out of favor since the 1960s, Benedict is signaling the limits on Catholic reform
In an attempt to reunify Chinese Catholics, Benedict XVI sends a conciliatory letter to believers in the People's Republic
Pope Benedict XVI invited all Roman Catholics in China to unite under his jurisdiction Saturday
A movie about the birth of Jesus Christ made its world premiere Sunday at the Vatican, the first time a feature film debuted here.
Pope Benedict's visit may have pulled the plug on a movement that helped define the faith here for almost a half-century
A controversial article by a prominent Italian doctor asserts as much, eliciting a strenuous rebuttal from the Vatican, which opposes euthanasia
A cadet in the Vatican police force was found fatally shot in the head early Monday inside the barracks, in what officials said was an apparent suicide over a breakup with a girlfriend.
While some passengers only turn to prayer when jolted by turbulence, the Vatican made it standard on Monday by launching the world's first airline for Catholic pilgrims.
If the Pope exerts such authority, why is the Holy See impervious to predatory priest lawsuits?
Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church
By lifting restrictions on a rite out of favor since the 1960s, Benedict is signaling the limits on Catholic reform
In an attempt to reunify Chinese Catholics, Benedict XVI sends a conciliatory letter to believers in the People's Republic
Pope Benedict XVI invited all Roman Catholics in China to unite under his jurisdiction Saturday
A movie about the birth of Jesus Christ made its world premiere Sunday at the Vatican, the first time a feature film debuted here.
A Zambian archbishop who has riled the Roman Catholic Church by supporting marriage among Catholic priests has been excommunicated, the Vatican has said.
Pope Benedict XVI has invited ambassadors from Muslim nations to meet him on Monday in a bid to calm anger over his use of a medieval text saying their religion was spread by violence.
Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "deeply sorry" for the reaction to his comments on Islam and said a quote he used from a medieval text about holy wars did not reflect his personal thoughts.
A personal apology by Pope Benedict XVI failed to quell Muslim fury Monday as protests continued despite pleas for calm from world leaders and Islamic officials.
Outrage is mounting around the world over Pope Benedict's comments on Islam and jihad despite assurances from the Vatican that he only intended to point out the incompatibility between faith and war.
Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "very upset" that his speech on Islam offended Muslims and expressed his respect for their faith, according to the Vatican.
Pope Benedict XVI came under a hail of criticism from the Islamic world Friday for comments he made earlier in the week regarding the Prophet Mohammed and the Muslim faith, in some cities provoking street protests.
The stars of movie blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" have arrived at the Cannes Film Festival on board a train that broke the world record for the longest nonstop international rail trip.
The Vatican says it has excommunicated two Chinese bishops consecrated earlier this week to China's government-approved Catholic church, which is not recognized by the Holy See.
Muslim demonstrators in Damascus torched the Norwegian Embassy and the building housing Denmark's embassy because newspapers in those countries published what the protesters consider blasphemous depictions of Islam's Prophet Mohammed.
The Vatican has published a controversial document on gays and the Catholic priesthood, affirming its policy against gay priests but saying anyone who has "clearly overcome" homosexual tendencies can start the process of becoming a priest.
In an eagerly awaited document, the Vatican has reiterated its policy against gay priests, but has said it would allow those who have "clearly overcome" homosexual tendencies to start the process of becoming a priest.
Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, will officially take the helm of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday before a crowd filled with dignitaries, members of his flock and a worldwide television audience of millions.
As he prepares for his inauguration Mass on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his gratitude to his "venerated cardinal brothers" for electing him to head the Roman Catholic Church and asked for their support during his reign.
There is one Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in the Vatican. Then there are thousands of churches -- located in rural and metropolitan, traditional and progressive, affluent and impoverished communities worldwide.
Is nothing sacred?
CNN.com asked users to share their thoughts about the political, spiritual, economic and other global issues the next pope will face. Here is a sampling from thousands of responses, some of which have been edited:
Pope Benedict XVI outlined goals for his papacy Wednesday, including the unification of all Christians, continuing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and reaching out to people of other faiths.
Pope Benedict XVI prepared to celebrate his first Mass as pontiff Wednesday at the Vatican, while world leaders welcomed his selection.
The newly elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, was one of the most powerful men in the Vatican under Pope John Paul II, a strict enforcer of church doctrine who earned the nickname "Cardinal No."
Wearing traditional papal robes and a large smile, Joseph Ratzinger of Germany appeared Tuesday on a Vatican balcony as the 265th pontiff, Benedict XVI, as tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square to cheer him.
The 115 cardinals taking part in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II will convene at the Vatican for the second day on Tuesday with up to four votes scheduled.
Shrouded in secrecy, cardinals will convene the first of a series of private meetings at the Vatican on Monday to elect a new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
From bugs to lasers to cell phones, the Vatican is on guard for high-tech eavesdropping ahead of Monday's opening of the conclave to elect a new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
Pilgrims have been filing past Pope John Paul II's tomb after the Vatican opened the site for the first time since the pontiff's funeral.
Roman Catholic cardinals preparing to elect a new pope have unanimously decided not to talk with the media, a Vatican spokesman told reporters Saturday.
The peaceful grounds of the Collegio Urbano, Rome's Propaganda Fide, on the edge of the Vatican overlooking St. Peter's Square have been transformed this week.
Pope John Paul II will be remembered as a great communicator not only for his language skills, but also for his use of modern technologies to reach his followers.
A document buried along with Pope John Paul II provides biographical details about him. The Latin document, called "Il Roggito," was placed in a lead tube inside his casket.
The mood on the Via della Conciliazione has been changing throughout the week.
Thousands of mourners, including many world leaders, will gather at the Vatican Friday to pay their final respects at the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II.
The city that captured the heart of Pope John Paul II long before he followed his calling into the priesthood may become the final resting place of his physical heart, a Roman Catholic church official in Krakow has told CNN.
As a line of mourners stretched for miles Tuesday to file past Pope John Paul II's body in St. Peter's Basilica, tributes also were being observed across the globe, including the pope's native Poland.
Thousands of mourners filed past as the body of Pope John Paul II lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica after cardinals Monday began the process of choosing a new leader for the world's 1 billion Catholics.
Pope John Paul II's body will be moved Monday to the Sala Bologna at St. Peter's Basilica, where the pontiff will lie in state until his funeral, to be held in four to six days.
Pope John Paul II was remembered Saturday as a "champion of human freedom," a "tireless advocate of peace" and a man with a "wonderful sense of humor" who was easy to talk to.
Newspapers in Italy, and around the world, devoted most of their Saturday editions to the suffering of Pope John Paul II.
Pope John Paul II has developed a high fever and remains in a very serious condition, but is responding to his aides, the Vatican announced Saturday evening.
Pope John Paul II, whose health has been increasingly fragile in recent years, has suffered a series of medical setbacks in the last two months. Some developments:
Pope John Paul II remained in "very serious condition" Vatican officials said Friday, but they described the 84-year-old pontiff as "lucid, fully conscious" and "very serene."
The Vatican says the pope has suffered cardiocirculatory collapse and septic shock. CNN's Richard Quest spoke Friday to Professor Anthony Costello, head of the Department of Urology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, to determine the seriousness of the conditions. The following is a transcript of the interview:
The following is a translation of a statement issued by chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls Saturday morning on the health of Pope John Paul II:
Pope John Paul II edged closer to death Saturday morning -- his breathing shallow and his heart and kidneys failing -- as the world awaited the conclusion of his medical crisis.
Pope John Paul II's condition remained "serious" early Friday, but he appeared to be responding well to antibiotic treatment for a urinary tract infection that caused him to develop a fever, a Vatican official said.
A spokesman for the Vatican criticized the manner in which Terri Schiavo died Thursday.
Pope John Paul II is not considering resignation despite increasingly frail health, according to a Vatican expert.
Pope John Paul II is being fed through a nasal tube in an effort to boost his calorie intake, the Vatican says.
In another sign of his fragile health, Pope John Paul II has skipped the post-Easter Angelus prayer for the first time in his 26-year papacy.
An ailing Pope John Paul II has blessed tens of thousands of jubilant pilgrims and tourists marking Easter Sunday in St. Peter's Square by making the sign of the cross with his hand, but he was unable to speak.
Pope John Paul II, recovering from last month's throat surgery, is expected to bless the faithful from his window on Easter Sunday.
A cardinal who stood in for Pope John Paul II in a Holy Week ceremony at the Vatican said the ailing pontiff was "serenely abandoning" himself to God's will.
It is rare for Vatican officials to publicly discuss ongoing legal matters.
Pope John Paul II returned to the Vatican on Sunday after leaving Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital for the first time since he suffered breathing trouble more than two weeks ago.
Pope John Paul II has accepted his doctors' advice to remain hospitalized "for a few more days," the Vatican said Thursday.
Pope John Paul II, for the first time in his papacy, has delegated senior cardinals to preside over nearly all of his Easter ceremonies, the Vatican says.
The Vatican has said it expects Pope John Paul II to be released from a Rome hospital in time for Holy Week activities leading up to Easter.
For a second week, Pope John Paul II has blessed a cheering crowd gathered at his Rome hospital, where he is recovering from breathing problems, as the traditional Angelus blessing was conducted in his absence at St. Peter's Square.
The condition of Pope John Paul II, hospitalized since last week for breathing problems, "continues to improve," the Vatican has said in a statement.
Pope John Paul II is recovering without complications in hospital following his tracheotomy operation, the Vatican has said.
Pope John Paul II, hospitalized since Thursday and unable to speak since undergoing a tracheotomy, appeared briefly in the window of his hospital room Sunday.
Pope John Paul II, hospitalized since Thursday and unable to speak since undergoing a tracheotomy, will follow Sunday's traditional Angelus blessing from his hospital room, Vatican officials said early Saturday.
The following is the medical bulletin issued Friday, in English, by chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls on the pope's condition:
Hours after Pope John Paul II was hospitalized with a recurrence of the flu, doctors performed a successful tracheotomy to ease the ailing pontiff's breathing, a Vatican spokesman has said.
Pope John Paul II was discharged from a Rome hospital Thursday evening to return to the Vatican.
Pope John Paul II will remain in hospital for a few more days to recover fully from his respiratory infection, the Vatican has said, adding that his condition continues to improve.
Pope John Paul II, in a voice weakened by a respiratory infection, has delivered a blessing to a crowd gathered outside his hospital.
Pope John Paul II appears to feeling better and he was eager to return to work, according to a bishop who visited the pontiff Saturday at the Rome hospital where he is being treated for a respiratory infection.
Pope John Paul II is improving and eating regularly, The Vatican says.
Pope John Paul II is now breathing more easily, according to the Vatican, but it hinted the frail 84-year-old pontiff may have to spend up to a week in hospital to fully recover from a respiratory infection.
Pope John Paul II's condition stabilized Wednesday morning following overnight hospital treatment for an acute respiratory infection, a papal spokesman said.
Pope John Paul II was taken to the hospital late Tuesday with an acute respiratory infection, the Vatican told CNN. Anchor Wolf Blitzer spoke to Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci about the Pope's condition.
Pope John Paul II was taken to a hospital late Tuesday with an acute respiratory infection, hours after aides announced he was suffering from the flu, the Vatican said.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The view is hard to beat, the atmosphere can be, well, heavenly, and the coffee isn't bad either. St Peter's Basilica now has its own rooftop coffee bar.
It is home to 1.6 million books, centuries-old manuscripts and the oldest known complete Bible.
A Vatican delegation has returned a centuries-old Russian Orthodox icon to Russia's Orthodox patriarch in a special ceremony.
President Bush was out of line to ask the Vatican to get U.S. bishops more involved in promoting his conservative social agenda, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Tuesday.
President Bush has urged the Vatican to ask U.S. bishops to become more involved in promoting his conservative social agenda, a Vatican official told CNN on Monday.
Pope John Paul celebrates his 84th birthday on Tuesday. CNN International Anchor Ralitsa Vasileva asked CNN's Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci how the pontiff and the Vatican plan to mark the occasion.
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