Vatican

Canonist Explains 'Rigid, Highly Formal' Rules For Electing Pope

The voting by cardinals to elect the next pope takes place behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, following a highly detailed procedure that underwent major revisions by Blessed John Paul II and a small, but very significant change, by Pope Benedict XVI.

Under the rules, secret ballots can be cast once on the first day of the conclave, then normally twice during each subsequent morning and evening session. Read more »

Castel Gandolfo Prepares To Receive First Retired Pope

Residents of the town that is home to the Pope’s summer residence say they are happy Pope Benedict is returning to live there.

“When the Pope arrives he will find his apartment the same as always, but also the affection and devotion of everyone here,” Saverio Petrillo, director of the pontifical villas in Castel Gandolfo, told EWTN News Feb. 20. Read more »

Lombardi: Sede Vacante And Conclave Explained

The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, held a briefing for Journalists on Friday, during which an explanation was given of the law governing the period sede vacante and the process of election of the new Bishop of Rome.

The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, Bishop Juan Arrieta, presented the law, contained in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici gregis and the June, 2007 motu proprio of Benedict XVI, which made modifications to the electoral process. Read more »

Vatican Guesthouse Offers Cardinals Privacy, Relaxed Comfort

When they are not in the Sistine Chapel, seated under Michelangelo's frescoes to vote for the next pope, the cardinal-electors will stay in a modern guesthouse that offers them both privacy and space to gather for relaxed conversation.

The Domus Sanctae Marthae, a hospitality residence named after St. Martha, lies on the edge of Vatican City. Read more »

Pope Benedict's Unprecedented Abdication

In the days following Pope Benedict XVI’s announcement that he will be resigning his office on February 28, local and international media reports made much of the fact that he was the fifth pontiff to do so in the Church’s history.

What those media reports failed to note was whether any previous pope had publicly resigned by reading a letter of intent before the College of Cardinals, in which he detailed his reasons for taking such a dramatic step. Read more »

Pope Benedict XVI Announces His Resignation At End Of Month

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th. Below please find his announcement.

Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. Read more »

Pope Sends New Year’s Greetings To The Chinese, Koreans And Vietnamese

Pope Benedict XVI extended his greetings to “the various peoples of the Far East” that are today celebrating the Lunar New Year, in particular the Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese.

He also sent “a special greeting” to the Catholics of those countries.

He did so when, speaking from his study window in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, he addressed thousands of pilgrims from many countries who had gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray with him and receive his blessing at midday on this sunny but cold Sunday. Read more »

At 900 Years, Knights Of Malta Confronts Modernity

Matthew Festing - aka His Most Eminent Highness The Prince and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta - bounds into the sitting room of his magnificent Renaissance palazzo sweaty and somewhat disheveled, and asks an aide if he should take off his sweater to be photographed.

Garrulous and self-effacing, Festing embodies some of the paradoxes of a fabled Catholic religious order that dates from the medieval Crusades: Steeped in European nobility and mystique, the order's mission is humility and charity - running hospitals, ambulance services and old folks' homes around the globe. Read more »

Vatican Communique: Pope Appoints Apostolic Nuncio To Malaysia

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has appointed His Excellency Archbishop Joseph MARINO as Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia and to East Timor (with residence in Kuala Lumpur), and Apostolic Delegate to Brunei Darussalam.

Archbishop Joseph Marino was born in Birmingham (USA) on 23 January 1953. He was ordained a priest on 25 August 1979 for the Diocese of Birmingham (USA). He joined the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on 15 July 1988, after obtaining a Diploma in Diplomatic Science from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. Read more »

Pope Appoints American As First Nuncio To Malaysia, Opens New Nunciature

Benedict XVI has appointed the American Archbishop Joseph Marino as the first resident Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, after deciding to open a new nunciature (embassy) in Kuala Lumpur, in what is seen as a highly significant development in relations between the Holy See and this south-east Asian Islamic state.

At the same time, the Pope has also appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to East Timor (Timor Leste) and Apostolic Delegate to Brunei Darussalam; the Vatican stated when it broke the news of the appointment on January 16. Read more »

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