Repay evil with kindness. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle made this call on Sunday as millions of Filipino Catholics flocked to churches to mark Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.
In one electrifying moment, the rain-soaked crowd on St. Peter’s Square lit up with a frenzy of passion. Before, the pilgrims were orderly and polite, subdued by suspense and unyielding rain. After, complete mayhem as it became clear that white smoke was billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
Tears and cheers erupted across Latin America on Wednesday as an Argentine cardinal became the first pope from the hemisphere, and many expressed hope that he help bring the church closer to the poverty-wracked region that is home to more Roman Catholics than any other.
Clergy sexual abuse victims urged newly-elected Pope Francis to reform the Catholic Church and declare “zero tolerance” for sex crimes as his first official act.
In the end, American-style transparency was no match for the Vatican’s obsession with secrecy. Cardinals attending closed-door discussions ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope imposed a media blackout Wednesday, forcing the cancellation of the popular daily press briefings by U.S. cardinals that had provided crucial insights into the deliberations.
The two American cardinals sat on the stage, microphones in hand, fielding questions from the world’s news media on everything from the delayed arrival of some of their colleagues to their own wardrobe choices if elected pope.
On Monday, April 4, 2005, a priest walked up to the Renaissance palazzo housing the Vatican’s doctrine department and asked the doorman to call the official in charge: It was the first day of business after Pope John Paul II had died, and the cleric wanted to get back to work.
Cardinals electing the new pope will be looking for a charismatic but tenacious man capable of re-uniting a fractious Church, stamping down on scandals and re-igniting faith among the young.
Pope Benedict XVI will meet cardinals from around the world on Thursday in his final hours as leader of 1.2 billion Catholics before he becomes the first pontiff to resign since the Middle Ages.
Pope Benedict XVI’s historic departure on Thursday sets in motion a timetable of centuries-old traditions after he steps down in a resignation that is unprecedented in modern Catholic history.
Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, criticized outgoing Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, describing his historic resignation as destabilising and questioning his governance skills.
Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is among the eight candidates being considered to replace Pope Benedict XVI who is scheduled to formalize his resignation Thursday.
Pope Benedict XVI was spending his last night in his Vatican apartments Thursday after bidding an emotional farewell to 150,000 pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on the eve of his historic resignation.
