Italy Holds Mass Funeral for Quake Victims

Pontiff's visit comes as 65,000 remain homeless

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict has arrived in central Italy to visit survivors of the earthquake that killed nearly 300 people earlier this month and left 65,000 homeless, reports the BBC. The pontiff began his visit with greetings to victims in a village where all the buildings have become uninhabitable; later today, he will visit a dormitory where several students were killed. More»

(NEWSER) - Italy has legalized the abortion drug RU-486, drawing the ire of the Vatican, which threatened to excommunicate doctors who prescribe the medication and women who take it. A church official said using the pill is "a sin in a moral and juridical sense," but a politician who is also a gynecologist hailed yesterday's decision, telling ANSA, "It's above all a victory for Italian women, who from today have more choice." More»

No survivors were found today

(NEWSER) - The first wave of funerals for Italy's earthquake victims took place today. In small towns throughout the ravaged Abruzzo region, thousands mourned the loss of their neighbors, BBC reports. A mass funeral will take place in the regional capital Friday, marking a national day of mourning. With aftershocks hampering rescue efforts, relief crews have shifted their focus to the 28,000 left homeless. The death toll is now at 272. More»

Vatican grants audience to pro-choice House speaker as a politician rather than as a Catholic

(NEWSER) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been granted an audience with Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow, the Hill reports. Pelosi, who describes herself as an "ardent Catholic" but holds views on reproductive rights firmly at odds with the Vatican's position, is on an eight-day official trip to Italy. Vatican officials made it clear she is being received as a head of state. More»

Sit-down with pope sparks talk that prez could turn Catholic

(NEWSER) - President Bush visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican yesterday, sparking rumors that the president may convert to Catholicism, the Telegraph reports. They spoke in a garden where the pontiff prays daily, not in the library where Benedict greets most world leaders. “What an honor!” said Bush, who has been called the most “Catholic-minded” president since JFK. More»