Pope Benedict has warned German lawmakers not to abuse power, referring to excesses in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany as a lesson in history. In a speech to the German parliament Thursday, at the start of his first state visit to his native country, the pope said Germans know from experience what happens when power is […]
Pope Warns German Lawmakers Not to Abuse Power
Pope Begins State Visit to Germany Amid Calls for Church Reform
Pope Benedict has warned Germans of the danger of ignoring religion as he began his first state visit to his native country. But he acknowledged the damage caused by the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church. Speaking at a formal welcoming ceremony at President Christian Wullf’s Bellevue palace Thursday, the pope […]
Benedict to Make First State Visit to Native Germany as Pope
Amid calls for reform in the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict is making his first state visit to his native Germany, kicking off the four-day trip Thursday in the capital, Berlin. The visit is controversial, with as many as 100 lawmakers planning to skip the pontiff’s address to the lower house of parliament. German Interior […]
Pope Sued for Alleged Crimes Against Humanity
A group representing victims of sexual abuse by priests says it is suing Pope Benedict and other top Vatican officials through the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity. The U.S.-based human rights group Center for Constitutional Rights says it it filing the suit on behalf of the Survivors Network of Those […]
Pope Tells 1.5 Million Pilgrims to Spread Gospel
Pope Benedict held the final Mass of his four-day visit to Spain Sunday and urged some 1.5 million young Catholics to spread the gospel and avoid trying to find faith on their own. The pontiff encouraged pilgrims from 193 nations, who gathered in Madrid for the World Youth Day, to do so even if they […]
Pope Benedict Holds Huge Mass in Spain
Pope Benedict held the final Mass of his 4-day visit to Spain Sunday, urging some 1.5 million young people at the Roman Catholic Church’s youth festival to become active in their church and avoid trying to find faith on their own. Benedict told pilgrims from 193 nations to spread their faith even if they are […]
Storm Cuts Short Pope’s Speech in Madrid
A huge thunderstorm in Madrid Saturday night forced Pope Benedict to cut short his speech to an estimated one million young pilgrims gathered for the church’s world youth festival. The freak storm gave the outdoor prayer vigil at a Madrid airfield a dramatic climax. Firefighters checked the stage before allowing the leader of the world’s […]
Pope to Bestow Rare Honor on Spanish Saint
Pope Benedict says he will confer one of the Roman Catholic Church’s highest honors on a 16th-century Spanish saint. The leader of the world’s 1.6 billion Catholics made the surprise announcement Saturday during a visit to the Spanish capital, Madrid. The pontiff said he will declare St. John of Avila a doctor of the church. […]
Pope Scolds Profit Driven Economies
Pope Benedict is blaming Europe’s economic woes on economies driven solely by profit. The pope spoke to reporters on his papal plane shortly before arriving in Madrid Thursday to attend a four-day Catholic youth festival. He said economies needed to be guided by ethics and serve the common good, instead of being based on “the […]
Pope Visiting Spain as Protesters Decry Cost
Pope Benedict is in Spain for a Catholic youth festival that has sparked protests because of its high cost. Spain’s king and queen greeted the pope as he arrived at the airport in the capital, Madrid, Thursday. A throng of young people waving Vatican flags also was there to welcome him. More than one million […]