Wednesday, February 27 2013 4:52 AM EST2013-02-27 09:52:46 GMT
Pope Benedict XVI is greeting pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for the final time before retiring, waving to tens of thousands of people who have gathered to bid him farewell.More >>
Pope Benedict XVI is greeting pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for the final time before retiring, waving to tens of thousands of people who have gathered to bid him farewell.More >>
Monday, February 11 2013 6:14 PM EST2013-02-11 23:14:49 GMT
Pope Benedict XVI made his announcement Monday and cited his age and declining health. It has Catholics around the world talking, including here in the Lowcountry.More >>
For the first time in 600 years, a pope is resigning. Pope Benedict XVI made his announcement Monday and cited his age and declining health. It has Catholics around the world talking, including here in the Lowcountry. More >>
Monday, February 11 2013 8:31 AM EST2013-02-11 13:31:02 GMT
Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 -- the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.More >>
Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 -- the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.More >>
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV/AP) - St. Patrick Catholic Church in downtown Charleston will hold a special mass on Thursday to honor the outgoing Pope.
The mass will be held at 8 a.m., but the Pope's resignation takes effect at 2 p.m., which is 8 p.m. Rome time.
The Pope announced his resignation Feb. 11, declaring that he was too infirm to continue the duties of the papacy.
The 85-year-old pope dropped the bombshell in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, surprising even his closest collaborators even though he had made clear previously that he would step down if he became too old or infirm to carry on.
Benedict called his choice "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."
Indeed, the move allows the Vatican to hold a conclave before Easter to elect a new pope, since the traditional nine days of mourning that would follow the death of a pope doesn't have to be observed.
It will also allow Benedict to hold great sway over the choice of his successor, though he will not vote. He has already hand-picked the bulk of the College of Cardinals — the princes of the church who will elect the next pope — to guarantee his conservative legacy and ensure an orthodox future for the church.
Evangelist Franklin Graham prayed on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon Thursday after his invitation to a prayer service inside was withdrawn because of comments that insulted people of other religions. More>>
