(EXPLAINER) Pope Francis’ death and funeral will usher in a period of transition for the Catholic Church, with cardinals gathering at the Vatican for the papal conclave, the secretive voting that will result in the election of a new pope. A conclave is the special gathering of cardinals for the purpose of electing a pope. The next conclave is not expected to begin before May 5.
Read MoreA crowd of 250,000 gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, who was remembered as having had “an open heart towards everyone.” The Argentine-born pope — the first Latin American and first Jesuit pontiff — died this past Monday at the age of 88 after suffering from cardiac arrest while recovering from pneumonia.
Read MoreAbove all, Francis preached dialogue and “synodality,” but promoted (and protected) his allies while and punishing his most powerful critics. Under his orders, the Vatican often hinted at major changes — with a vague footnote, a blunt quotation to reporters or documents that served as ecclesiastical executive orders. In the end, he appointed 108 of the 135 cardinal electors who will select the next pope.
Read MorePope Francis — the first pontiff from the Americas, who clashed with traditional Catholics but was hailed as a reformer by progressives — died on Monday, a day after Easter, at age 88. The pope had been plagued by a series of health issues in recent years. Hours after his death was announced, the Vatican said Francis died from a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.
Read More(REVIEW) In an age ruled by smartphones, “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” arrives as a timely and stirring documentary that invites viewers to pause, reflect and reconnect — with others, with the world and with something greater than themselves. This 90-minute documentary recounts the story of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006 and now set to be canonized a saint.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Shakespeare’s works are, and have always been, profoundly theological — not because they provide answers but because they compel us to confront fundamental questions of existence. Is there justice in the universe? Do our actions have eternal consequences? Can the worst among us be saved? These questions not easily answered, if they can be answered at all. These are questions that still haunt us.
Read MoreTheodore McCarrick — once one of the Catholic Church's most influential figures in the United States who was later defrocked following a Vatican investigation that found he had abused both adults and minors — has died at age 94. McCarrick, who served as the archbishop of Washington from 2000 to 2006, remains one of the highest-ranking U.S. prelates accused in a sexual abuse scandal.
Read MoreRome has been all gussied up for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year. An extra 10 million pilgrims are forecast, adding to last year's record of 22 million. More than $8 billion has been spent to refurbish the city’s historic sites with their ancient ruins, spectacular churches and Renaissance fountains. Nothing of the like has taken place in Israel as it also awaits pilgrims.
Read More(EXPLAINER) You’ve seen the movie “Conclave” — but what does a real one look like? A papal conclave is one of the most unique and secretive processes in the world, bringing together cardinals who gather under intense pressure to choose a new pope. Unlike the film, the tradition is meant to ensure the election is conducted in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection.
Read MoreLocal residents and the Catholic order have engaged in a years-long court battle after the church tried to evict them from their ancestral land on the outskirts of the capital Harare. The more than 1,000 families, however, were relieved when a court agreed to halt, for now, a move by the Jesuits to evict them from their land that the church wants to turn into an urban residential area.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On July 25, a Hong Kong court dismissed Jimmy Lai’s defense’s mid-trial submission of “no case to answer” and adjourned the trial for four months until the end of November 2024, when Lai is expected to give evidence.
Read MoreA large majority of U.S. Catholics have a positive view of Pope Francis — although his popularity has slipped since he became pontiff in 2013, a new poll has found. Furthermore, when it comes to whether priests should be allowed to marry, among other hot-button issues, Catholics in the United States remain divided primarily along political lines.
Read MoreHong Kong pro-democracy leader and Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen told Religion Unplugged that if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were to pull out of cooperation with the Vatican and attempt to maintain an entirely Chinese Catholic Church without the pope as its head, the entire organization will be rejected by the laity. New regulations on the Church go into effect May 1 and appear designed to block the Vatican’s control of the Church inside China.
Read MoreEgypt, Israel and Palestine are closing several holy sites after a fleet of Greek tourists who visited them have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Meanwhile, faith groups around the world are rethinking traditions to curb the spread of the disease and protect their worshippers without straying from their religious laws.
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