Pope Benedict XVI

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November 2008
- Alleged Abuse Victims Can Sue the Vatican
  
  Wall Street Journal | Nov 25, 08 5:32 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests can move ahead with a lawsuit against the Vatican, the Wall Street Journal reports. A federal appeals court in Cincinnati ruled that the Vatican can be held liable for negligence in the thousands of such cases reported in the US. A Vatican spokesman said it will probably not appeal to the Supreme Court. More »
- Catholics, Muslims Seek Common Ground at Vatican
  
  Reuters | Nov 4, 08 2:04 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Clerics of the world’s two largest faiths are meeting at the Vatican this week to improve relations between the long-divided communities. Muslim clerics invited Christians to dialogue after comments Pope Benedict made in 2006 that implied Islam was violent and irrational. The mostly male Vatican members and imams will have an audience with the pope Thursday as the meeting culminates, Reuters reports. More »
October 2008
- Vatican Will Root Out Gay Priests With Sex Tests
  
  Scotsman (UK) | Oct 31, 08 1:23 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Catholic Church plans to screen gay men out of the priesthood with psychological tests aimed to detect "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" in seminary candidates, the Scotsman reports. Under the new guidelines, issued yesterday by the Vatican, potential priests will also be screened for "grave immaturity" and “imbalances” that imply a candidate would have a hard time coping with celibacy. More »
- 'Hitler's Pope' Closer to Sainthood
  
  Der Spiegel | Oct 10, 08 1:50 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The most controversial pope of modern times may soon be a step closer to sainthood, reports Der Spiegel. Pius XII—known by many as "Hitler's Pope" because of his lack of action during the Holocaust or criticism of the Nazis—is about to be beatified, despite decades of dispute. Beatification is the final step before sainthood is declared. Pope Benedict XVI claims Pius worked "secretly and silently" to save Jews. More »
September 2008
- Pope Calls for Holding Line on Divorce
  
  AFP | Sep 14, 08 5:27 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI urged bishops to uphold the Catholic tradition of marriage today during a 150,000-strong mass in Lourdes, the French town where apparitions of Madonna reportedly appeared in 1858, AFP reports. Benedict pledged not to allow divorced Catholics into the church and told bishops to "uphold firmly, even at the cost of opposing prevailing trends." More »
- Vatican Gets Back in the Art Biz
  
  Newsweek | Sep 13, 08 7:54 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Vatican was the world's biggest buyer of modern art in the days when modern art meant Michelangelo, but its influence on art has ebbed in recent centuries. The church now plans to put itself back in the forefront of the art world, Newsweek reports. A commission of critics and clergy will search for artists able to put a new twist on ancient spiritual themes. More »
- Madonna Dedicates 'Virgin' to Pope
  
  Reuters | Sep 8, 08 9:51 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - During a performance in Rome Saturday night, Madonna dedicated her hit single "Like a Virgin" to the Pope, Reuters reports. "I dedicate this song to the pope, because I'm a child of God. All of you are also children of God," the 50-year-old announced on the stage of her Sticky & Sweet tour. The Vatican has not been a fan of the Material Girl, denouncing her shows, replete with religious imagery, as among the most "satanic shows in the history of humanity." More »
August 2008
- Vatican Objects to Image of Frog on Crucifix
  
  Reuters | Aug 28, 08 6:45 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Despite objections from the pope, a sculpture of a crucified frog will continue to hang in an Italian museum, board officials said today. The Vatican slammed the work, called Feet First , as a blasphemous attack on Christianity. But museum officials cited artistic freedom and said its German creator considered the piece a self-portrait illustrating human angst, Reuters reports. More »
- Knights Templar Heirs Sue Pope for $150B
  
  NPR | Aug 19, 08 11:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A group claiming to be descended from the ancient Knights Templar want Pope Benedict XVI to right a 700-year-old wrong, NPR reports. The group has filed a lawsuit in Spain seeking $150 billion in compensation for property seized by the church. It also wants the church to apologize and restore the good name of the Templars, who were officially dissolved as a group in 1307 after being accused of heresy. More »
July 2008
- Boston Diocese Boots 'Women Priests'
  
  Boston Globe | Jul 21, 08 9:08 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A group campaigning for women to be admitted to the Roman Catholic priesthood held a ceremony in a Protestant church in Boston yesterday in which three women were declared Catholic priests and a fourth a deacon. The Archdiocese of Boston immediately denounced the action and declared that the women had automatically excommunicated themselves by taking part in the unauthorized ordination, reports the Boston Globe . More »
- Pope to Kids: Spurn 'Spiritual Desert'
  
  Associated Press | Jul 20, 08 9:11 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI called on young Christians to revive spirituality by rejecting modern society's greed and materialism, AP reports. At a mass of 350,000 young pilgrims in Sydney, and a global TV audience of millions, the pope called for "a new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy, and self-absorption which deadens our souls." The mass concluded a six-day World Youth festival, which drew crowds from 160 countries. More »
- Pope Apologizes for 'Evil' Clergy Sex Abuse
  
  Associated Press | Jul 19, 08 6:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI used unusually strong language today in condemning the sexual abuse of children by Australia's Catholic clergy, reports the AP. The pontiff said the clergy's "grave betrayal of trust" had damaged the Catholic church. "I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured. I assure them as their pastor that I, too, share in their suffering," Benedict said during a mass in Sydney. "Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice." More »
- Mickey Mouse Hat Doesn't Get Pope's Blessing
  
  Reuters | Jul 18, 08 2:09 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Photographers, children and Disney executives were sorely disappointed this morning when Pope Benedict refused to don a black Mickey Mouse hat, complete with ears, in place of his usual white skullcap. A group from Orange County, Calif., presented Benedict with the getup during World Youth Day festivities in Australia, Reuters reports, but the pontiff politely passed the headgear to aides. More »
- Aussies May Have Slipped Pope a Cat
  
  Associated Press | Jul 15, 08 1:23 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - There’s a new papal mystery swirling around the Outback—is Pope Benedict hanging out with a borrowed kitten? Organizers of the Catholic youth festival say they gave Benedict a gray loaner named Bella to keep the cat-loving pontiff company during his Australian sojurn. But when pressed, a Vatican spokesman told the AP he had no knowledge of such a feline. More »
- Aussie Court Strikes Down Law Banning Pope Protests
  
  Reuters | Jul 15, 08 3:25 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - An Australian court has struck down a law aimed at curbing protests during Pope Benedict XVI's visit Down Under, reports Reuters. The law, ruled unconstitutional, had banned protesters from "annoying" those attending papal events. People handing out condoms or wearing anti-Pope t-shirts faced possible $5,000 fines.