Stories related to: Catholic Church

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 »

On orders from the Vatican, a dozen top US bishops have asked their Australian colleague to cancel his American book tour, the Los Angeles Times reports. But Geoffrey Robinson, former auxiliary bishop of Sydney, vows to keep on promoting Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church , which blames clergy sex abuse on the Vatican's policy of forced celibacy. More »

The question of whether pro-choice Catholic politicians should take Communion is a familiar one in election years, but in 2008 it has a new twist. A Repubilcan abortion opponent, onetime Reagan administration official, and private citizen who supports Barack Obama was denied Communion in April. EJ Dionne of the Washington Post tells the story of Douglas Kmiec, "one of the nation's leading 'Obamacons.'" More »

The Catholic Church is going digital. During July’s World Youth Day in Sydney, Pope Benedict will reach out to the 225,000 young Catholics in attendance by text message, "using new ways to connect with today's tech-savvy youth," a spokesman tells Reuters. More »

Both the pontiff and the Catholic Church got an image boost following the pope's recent US visit, reports Reuters. A post-trip poll found that 61% of Americans, both Catholics and non-Catholics, believe the pope's 6-day stint met or exceeded their expectations; 65% now have a more positive view of Pope Benedict. More »

If Polish priests don’t stop their plagiarizing ways, they could be slapped with a fine or even thrown in jail for 3 years, church authorities warn. Uninspired priests have been swiping their homilies off the Internet, and “unfortunately the practice has become more usual than not,” said Father Wieslaw Przyczyna, who opposes the “unethical” pilfering. More »

Beloved saint Padre Pio, exhumed in March after 40 years, is now on display in southern Italy, where 700,000 faithful have signed up to view his remains, BBC reports. The archbishop who ran the exhumation marveled at the body: “The knees, hands, mittens, and nails are clearly visible.” More »

Pope Benedict XVI got on his knees at Ground Zero today to bless the site where 2,600 people died and pray for the victims of the 9/11 attacks and their grieving families. "Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred," he said, in offering a prayer for peace. He then met with survivors and victims' families, as well as local leaders, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg. More »

About 25,000 teens experienced Popemania today at a rocking rally in Yonkers, NY, the New York Daily News reports. After Kelly Clarkson belted out tunes, Benedict XVI emerged from a seminary meeting with disabled kids to receive gifts of bread and bless the crowd. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said a 15-year-old who left home before dawn to attend. More »

Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff to ever set foot inside an American synagogue with his visit to New York's Park East Synagogue yesterday, the New York Times reports. Benedict, presented with matzo, a Seder plate and a Passover prayer book, spoke to the congregation of "building bridges of friendship" but didn't touch on any thorny issues. More »

Just a day after a Washington meeting where Pope Benedict XVI talked with victims sexually abused by Catholic priests, a Vatican official said the church would consider changes to canon law dictating how the church deals with such offenses, the New York Times reports. Cardinal William Levada holds Benedict’s old post as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. More »

Benedict XVI is wearing some pretty flashy, and pretty old-school, outfits, and pope-watchers the world over are atwitter, the Washington Post reports. Unlike his predecessor, who “would just wear whatever was given to him,” the current pontiff is reaching into a closet that dates back hundreds of years, causing some to wonder whether “this old-fashioned 'character' also comes with an old-style authoritarianism.” More »

Washington's Nationals Park was transformed into a church today as more than 46,000 gathered to hear Pope Benedict XVI say Mass. Beer stands were replaced with confessionals and choirs filled the outfield as the popemobile circled the bases, the Washington Post reports. Giving his homily in English and Spanish, Benedict again warned against society's growing secularism and addressed the sexual abuse scandal. More »

Pope Benedict XVI had strong words for America's Roman Catholic bishops today, asserting that the clerical sexual molestation scandal had been "very badly handled" in many cases, the AP reports. "It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged," he said. More »

Pope Benedict's attempt to placate priests' sex abuse victims has only served to anger many of them, reports the New York Times . The pontiff said he was "deeply ashamed" of the scandal that has triggered complaints from some 13,000 victims. He does not plan to meet with any victims' organizations during his US visit, however, and numerous protests are planned. More »

Today's arrival of Pope Benedict XVI "had the look and feel of a monumental and historic event," a CNN correspondent notes—and the six-day visit will indeed be eventful. Benedict will speak to US Catholic leadership tomorrow after a welcoming ceremony at the White House, then visit the UN. The Vatican hopes to galvanize American Catholics, whose enthusiasm has been sapped by sex scandals. More »

Pope Benedict XVI said today he is "deeply ashamed" by the priest sex-abuse scandal that caused a crisis of faith in the US, and he vowed that the church "will absolutely exclude pedophiles" from the priesthood, the AP reports. "We will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future," the Pope said in English on the plane flying him to the US. More »

As Pope Benedict XVI arrives for his first visit to America, a Washington Post poll finds that the pontiff enjoys wide support among US Catholics. Nearly three in four say that they have a positive impression of Benedict. But the poll also reveals that most Catholics find the church out of sync with their personal views, and that many remain pained by the clergy sex abuse scandal. More »

Almost a year after opening, Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan’s made-to-order Catholic town is growing. Although the 1,000 residents of Ave Maria, Fla., are not exclusively Catholic, the town wears it identity on its sleeve: The only coffee shop plays Mass on TV 24/7, and the bookstores prominently display Vatican, a "papal election board game." The Telegraph pays a visit. More »

Pope Benedict XVI is a known hardliner, but Americans may see his softer side during a 5-day US tour this week, the New York Times reports. During stops at the White House, United Nations, and various churches, Benedict will touch on abortion, divorce, war, and the priest sex-abuse scandals, but “what he will not do is wag fingers,” said one professor. More »