23/04/2013 | Argentina

Argentine bishops thankful for selection of Pope Francis

The Argentine Episcopal Conference released a “Letter to the people of God in relation to the appointment of Pope Francis,” in which Argentine bishops express their “joy and gratitude” for his election.

24/04/2013 | Argentina

Pope tells Estela de Carlotto 'count on me' after greeting her in San Peter's Square

Pope Francis today saluted the president of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Estela de Carlotto in San Peter's Square after leading the Wednesday's audience. They smiled and clasped hands before the pontiff ended the conversation by kissing her on the head. Carlotto handed the Pope a white envelope.

22/03/2013 | Argentina

'Pope can open doors to know where the disappeared are,' Estela de Carlotto

The head of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo organization, Estela de Carlotto, assured that Pope Francis “can open doors to know where the disappeared are.”

22/03/2013 | Argentina

Garzón: 'Pope Francis should release Vatican files on dictatorship'

Former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón said Pope Francis “could perfectly open the Vatican files to make public all communications and information sent from Argentina at the time of the last military dictatorship.”

28/03/2013 | Argentina

Vatican names Bergoglio's successor in Buenos Aires

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Mario Auerlio Poli, 65, of the diocese of Santa Rosa to succeed him as archbishop of Buenos Aires, the Vatican said today.

19/03/2013 | Argentina

CFK, first head of state to salute Pope Francis

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was the first head of state to salute Pope Francis after the inauguration mass.

19/03/2013 | Argentina

'Pray for unity,' Pope to Plaza de Mayo vigil

As thousands of Catholics were congregated at Plaza de Mayo in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, where huge screens and Vatican and Argentine flags were set up for people to joyfully celebrate the beginning of Francis’ papacy, the Pontiff surprised the masses with an unexpected phone call.

21/03/2013 | Argentina

Pérez Esquivel meets Pope, rejects links to last dictatorship

Pope Francis met today with Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel who defended the new pontiff against accusations of involvement with the last military dictatorship.

15/03/2013 | Argentina

Opposition senators miss papal mass, follow Francis' 'charity call'

17/03/2013 | Argentina

CFK arrives in Rome for papacy inauguration

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner arrived to the Vatican where she will meet with elected Pope Francis and attend the inauguration mass of his papacy next Tuesday.

19/03/2013 | Argentina

Hope for change as new Pope inaugurated

14/03/2013 | Argentina

Old stories target New World Pope

By Carolina Barros
In such a politically polarized country as Argentina today (in accordance with government needs), there are no more than two options — K or anti-K.

19/03/2013 | Argentina

Argentine catholics congregate at Cathedrals

15/03/2013 | Argentina

Carlotto: 'Bergoglio has time to think over and make a 'mea culpa''

The head of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Estela de Carlotto today gave a “vote of confidence” to former cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in his “new mission” as Pope but warned that he should make a “mea culpa” if he committed “a crime or a mistake” during Argentina’s military dictatorship.

14/03/2013 | Argentina

First message of Pope Francis to Argentine Catholic Church

In first message that Pope Francis delivered to the Argentine Catholic Church, the elected pontiff called them to accompany his assumption on March 19th with “some charity gesture towards those in need."

14/03/2013 | Argentina

Against liberalism, critic of the IMF and foreign debt

By Carlos Burgueño
Harsh critic of free-market liberalism, the IMF and adjustment policies, and defender of the debt restructuring processes, Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, never refused to define where he stands when it comes down to economics, even in the most difficult moments.

14/03/2013 | Argentina

The Pope's chalice: silver-made, austere and featuring Our Lady of Luján

By Pablo Jiménez
Sitting in his workshop in San Telmo, pencil in hand, goldsmith Juan Carlos Pallarols drafts one of his most meaningful works of art: a chalice that will be delivered to “Pope Jorge” on behalf of all Argentines.

13/03/2013 | Argentina

Election astounds country

By Santiago Del Carril.- Argentines were in complete disbelief after the Vatican announced the election of the first ever Latin American pope, the Argentine Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Church bells immediately began to throng throughout the whole country.

14/03/2013 | Argentina

‘Bergoglio had no links with the dictatorship,’ Peace Nobel Prize winner

Peace Nobel Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, assured today that elected pope Jorge Bergoglio "had no links with the dictatorship” that ruled Argentina between the years 1976-1983 as he’s been accused for many years.

14/03/2013 | Argentina

Pope Francis 'a friend of the Islamic community'

By BuenosAiresHerald.com staff
Argentine Muslims have welcomed the election of Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the head of the Roman Cathoilic Churhc. In an interview with Buenosairesherald.com, Sheij Mohsen Ali and CIRA Secretary General Dr.Sumer Noufouri praised Pope Francis’s “pro-dialogue” nature.

20/02/2012 | Argentina

Former Archbishop accused of sexual abuse dies

Santa Fe’s former Archbishop Edgardo Storni, who was accused of aggravated sexual abuse, died at 75 years old at La Falda City, Córdoba province.

13/03/2013 | Argentina

CFK congratulates elected Pope Francis

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sent a letter to Jorge Bergoglio and congratulated him on being elected the new leader of the Catholic Church.

13/03/2013 | Argentina

People rush to churches, weep as Argentine elected pope

Jubilant Argentines poured into churches to celebrate the surprise announcement that one of their own - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio - was the first Latin American pope, and many hoped he'd bring change to a Church in crisis.

07/05/2013 | World

Pope Francis to visit Brazil slum, meet prisoners, on first trip

Pope Francis will visit a favela and meet young prisoners when he travels to Brazil on his first international trip as pontiff in July, the Vatican said.

26/05/2013 | World

'Stop wrecking people's lives and repent,' Pope tells mafia

Pope Francis spoke out against mafia organisations exploiting and enslaving people, calling on mafiosi to repent in words that recalled an impassioned plea by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago.

14/04/2013 | World

Pope says hypocrisy undermines Church's credibility

Pope Francis said clergy and Christians must not betray the word of God with their actions or they undermine the credibility of the Catholic Church.

01/05/2013 | World

Pope Francis condemns Bangladesh working conditions as 'slave labour'

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the conditions of workers who died in the Bangladesh factory collapse as "slave labour," saying unjust salaries and the unbridled quest for profits were "against God".

05/05/2013 | World

Pope encourages protection of children from abuse

Pope Francis is calling for courageous defence of children to protect them from abuse. Francis made no mention of the church scandals in many countries in which clergy abused children and hierarchy covered up for them. 

28/03/2013 | World

Pope includes women for first time in Holy Thursday foot-washing rite

Two young women were among 12 people whose feet Pope Francis washed and kissed at a traditional ceremony in a Rome youth prison on Holy Thursday, the first time a pontiff has included females in the rite.

31/03/2013 | World

Easter: Pope appeals for peace, end to Korea tensions

Pope Francis used his first Easter Sunday address to call for peace in the world and appealed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

02/04/2013 | World

Pope to review Vatican bureaucracy, bank scandal

Pope Francis, who has said he wants the Catholic Church to be a model of austerity and honesty, could restructure or even close the Vatican's scandal-ridden bank as part of a broad review of its troubled bureaucracy, Vatican sources say.

22/03/2013 | World

Pope urges dialogue with Islam, says world must do more for poor

Pope Francis urged the West to intensify dialogue with Islam and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty.

24/03/2013 | World

Pope cites grandma's folk wisdom at his first Palm Sunday

28/03/2013 | World

Pope urges Catholic priests to help poor, shun careerism

Beginning a busy programme of Easter events, Pope Francis urged Catholic priests to devote themselves to helping the poor and suffering instead of worrying about careers as Church "managers."

19/03/2013 | World

New pope's style an implicit criticism of Benedict's papacy

With every day Pope Francis reigns, his style reveals more contrasts with his predecessor Benedict in ways that amount to an unspoken criticism of how the retired pontiff conducted his papacy.

19/03/2013 | World

Pope toured St Peter square in open jeep

19/03/2013 | World

Excerpts from pope's inauguration Mass

Pope Francis inaugurated his papacy with a Mass for about 200,000 people, including foreign leaders and representatives of other religions in St. Peter's Square. An inaugural homily is significant because its themes are seen as offering clues to the future papacy.

17/03/2013 | World

'Show mercy, don't rush to condemn others' failures,' Pope Francis

Pope Francis, speaking to an overflow crowd of more than 150,000 in St Peter's Square, urged the world to be more forgiving and merciful and not so quick to condemn other people's failures.

18/03/2013 | World

'Vatican has no role to play in Malvinas,' UK

The United Kingdom played down the request made by President Cristina Fernández to Pope Francis to intervene in the Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute.

18/03/2013 | World

Simpler inauguration for a more modest pope

Pope Francis celebrates his inaugural Mass among political and religious leaders from around the world and amid a wave of hope for a renewal of the scandal-plagued Roman Catholic Church.

15/03/2013 | World

Official translation of Pope Francis' first homily

Pope Francis delivered his first homily last night in the Sistine Chapel, indicating the path he wanted the Catholic Church to take. Here is the Vatican's official translation of the homily, released today.

15/03/2013 | World

Vatican denies Pope Francis stayed silent during dictatorship

The Vatican today strongly denied accusations by some critics in Argentina that Pope Francis stayed silent during systematic human rights abuses by the former military dictatorship. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters the accusations "must be clearly and firmly denied." He added, "They reveal anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the Church."

15/03/2013 | World

UK's Cameron tells Pope over Malvinas: 'White smoke over the islands was clear'

British Prime Minister David Cameron said today that Pope Francis had been wrong to say last year that Britain had "usurped" the Malvinas Islands from Argentina, saying he respectfully disagreed with the new Pontiff.

14/03/2013 | World

Francis wants to 'contribute' to Catholic-Jewish relations

In a letter addressed to the rabbi of the Roman Jewish community Riccardo Di Segni, Pope Francis said he expects to “contribute to the progress of the relations between Jews and Catholics."

14/03/2013 | World

Israeli President congratulates Francis, invites him to visit Holy Land

Israeli President Shimon Perez congratulated Pope Francis on his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church and officially invited him to Israel in order to promote peace in a “stormy region."

15/03/2013 | World

Pope to cardinals: 'Let us never give in to the pessimism'

Pope Francis today urged leaders of the Roman Catholic Church never to give in to discouragement and bitterness but to keep their eyes on their true mission.

14/03/2013 | World

Pope second biggest Twitter event of all time

Twitter said it had seen some 7 million tweets related to the new pontiff Francis. At its peak, the papal tweeting reached a crescendo of 132,000 tweets per minute.

14/03/2013 | World

African, Asian Catholics see Pope Francis as force for renewal

Catholics in Africa and Asia today greeted the election of Pope Francis from Argentina as a historic breakthrough that would pump the developing world's vital energy into a struggling Church and amplify the voice of the planet's poor.

14/03/2013 | World

With Francis, 'we'll have to get used to a new way of doing things'

The Vatican, an age-old institution used to having almost everything done by the book, is bracing for the unscripted papacy. In less than 24 hours after he became the first non-European pope in some 1,300 years, Francis seemed to break more rules than his predecessor did in eight years.

13/03/2013 | World

Pope Francis welcome in Malvinas, says priest

By Andrew Hughes. - The head of the Catholic Church in the Malvinas Islands, Monsignor Michael McMarcam, told the Herald that he was delighted by the news of Pope Francis’ election.

14/03/2013 | World

Francis visits Basilica in Roma

Francis went to Rome's 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore; there he prayed before a famed icon of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which is known as the Salus Populi Romani, or Protectress of the Roman People.

14/03/2013 | World

For electing him, Pope Francis tells cardinals: 'May God forgive you'

"May God forgive you," Bergoglio said to the cardinals at a dinner, raising loud laughter, according to the Vatican’s Spoeksman, Federico Lombardi.

13/03/2013 | World

Bergoglio, the first pontiff from Latin America

The first pope to be elected from the Americas and outside Europe in more than a milllenium, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio has become the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

13/03/2013 | World

Vatican takes to Twitter to announce new Pope

The Holy See announced to the World that a new Pope had been chosen not only through white smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel, but also via a social network after it tweeted “Habemus Papam”.

13/03/2013 | World

World leaders congratulate new Pope

Leaders across the world celebrated the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as the new Pope, considering it a "historical moment" and a fact that makes the "Church more universal than ever."

13/03/2013 | World

Austrian cardinal's mother hopes he doesn't become pope

Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn's elderly mother hopes he won't become pope because she fears she would never see him and that he would be overwhelmed by Vatican intrigues.

13/03/2013 | World

Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new pope Francis

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the troubled Roman Catholic Church, the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years, and said he would take the name Francis.

13/03/2013 | World

Bergoglio delivers first blessing

Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argetnina, delivered his first blessing to a huge crowd in St Peter's Square on Wednesday night, asking for the prayers of "all men and women of good will" to help him lead the Catholic Church.

11/03/2013 | World

Cardinals hold last discussions before Vatican lockdown

Cardinals held final discussions on the troubled state of the Roman Catholic Church, the day before they seclude themselves from the world to elect a new pontiff, with no frontrunner in view.

12/03/2013 | World

Black smoke signals no pope chosen at conclave

Black smoke rose from the Vatican's Sistine Chapel today, signaling that Roman Catholic cardinals had not elected a new pope in the first vote of their secret conclave.

13/03/2013 | World

Cardinals fail to elect pope after three ballots

Black smoke rose from above the Sistine Chapel for a second day today after a secret conclave of cardinals held two more inconclusive votes for a new pope to lead the troubled Church.

26/02/2013 | World

Pope will keep title 'His Holiness' after resignation

Pope Benedict will keep the honorific title of "His Holiness" after he abdicates and will be known as "pope emeritus," the Vatican said.

27/02/2013 | World

Pope speaks of 'rough seas' of papacy at farewell

Pope Benedict bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience, acknowledging the "rough seas" that marked his papacy "when it seemed that the Lord was sleeping."

01/03/2013 | World

Ex-pope relaxes as cardinals prepare for vote

A relaxed and rested Pope Emeritus Benedict read messages from well-wishers and strolled in his retirement palace gardens today as cardinals due to elect his successor planned pre-vote meetings for next week.

17/02/2013 | World

Pope, at one of last appearances, says pray for me and next pope

Pope Benedict, speaking before a larger than usual crowd at his penultimate Sunday address, asked the faithful to pray for him and for the next pope.

23/02/2013 | World

Vatican accuses Italian media of false reports ahead of conclave

The Vatican today accused the Italian media of spreading "false and damaging" reports in what it condemned as a deplorable attempt to influence cardinals who will meet in a secret conclave next month to elect a new pope.

24/02/2013 | World

Pope, on last Sunday, says following God's wishes

Pope Benedict, speaking in his last Sunday address before becoming the first pope in some six centuries to step down, said he was following God's wishes and that he was not abandoning the Roman Catholic Church.

13/02/2013 | World

Crowd in St Peter's gives Pope standing ovation at final Mass

A capacity crowd in St Peter's Basilica gave Pope Benedict a thunderous standing ovation at an emotional last public Mass before his resignation at the end of the month.

14/02/2013 | World

Benedict says to be 'hidden from world' after papacy

Pope Benedict will see out his life in prayer, "hidden from the world", he said today in his first personal comment on his plans since he stunned Roman Catholics by announcing his retirement.

16/02/2013 | World

Conclave electing new pope could start before March 15 - Vatican

The conclave to choose Pope Benedict's successor could start earlier than expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid March, the Vatican said..

06/01/2013 | World

Pope says Church must stand firm against 'intolerant agnosticism'

Pope Benedict said that Roman Catholic leaders must have the courage to stand up to attacks by "intolerant agnosticism" prevalent in many countries.

11/02/2013 | World

Pope resignation announcement text

12/02/2013 | World

Vatican plans big send off for pope, consultations begin

Cardinals around the world began informal contacts to discuss who should next lead the Church through a period of major crisis and the Vatican said it planned a big send-off for Pope Benedict before he becomes the first pontiff in centuries to resign

24/11/2012 | World

Pope appoints six cardinals who will elect his successor

Pope Benedict made six non-European prelates Roman Catholic cardinals, chipping away at the old continent's domination of the elite group that will one day elect his successor

22/12/2012 | World

Pope grants pre-Christmas pardon to former butler

Pope Benedict has pardoned Paolo Gabriele, his former butler who was convicted in October of leaking sensitive documents that alleged corruption in the Holy See, the Vatican said,

25/12/2012 | World

Pope's Christmas message: 'hope must not die'

Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.

05/10/2012 | World

Judgment looms for butler who leaked papal papers

A trial that has thrown open the window on a betrayal of trust and sensitive secrets in the Vatican will come to a head on Saturday with final arguments before judges deliver their verdict on Pope Benedict's former butler.

06/10/2012 | World

Pope Benedict's former butler sentenced to prison

A Vatican court convicted Pope Benedict's former butler of stealing sensitive documents and sentenced him to 18 months in prison today, at the end of one of the most sensational trials in the recent history of the Holy See.

11/10/2012 | World

Pope acknowledges 'bad fish' in Church

Pope Benedict urged lapsed and lukewarm Roman Catholics to rediscover their faith but acknowledged there are "bad fish" in the Church itself.

29/09/2012 | World

Pope's butler goes on trial

Pope Benedict's former butler went on trial on Saturday for using his intimate access to the pope's desk to steal and leak explosive documents in what he said was an attempt to clean up corruption in the Vatican.

01/10/2012 | World

Pope's butler set to testify at Vatican trial

Pope Benedict's former butler is to give evidence for the first time on Tuesday on the second day of his trial for stealing documents he hoped would expose corrupt dealings in the Vatican.

03/10/2012 | World

Butler stole papers pope wanted destroyed, police says

Pope Benedict's former butler stole highly sensitive papers the pontiff had marked "to be destroyed" and compromised Vatican security through his actions, the Holy See's police told his trial.

13/08/2012 | World

Vatican orders butler to stand trial, charges second man

A Vatican magistrate ordered Pope Benedict's former butler to stand trial on charges of aggravated theft for leaking documents alleging corruption in the Vatican.

14/09/2012 | World

Pope says import of arms to Syria a 'grave sin'

Pope Benedict appealed for a halt to the flow of arms into Syria, saying it would help end a civil war that has killed many thousands of people and which Christians fear could bring Islamists to power.

28/09/2012 | World

Trial of Pope Benedict's former butler to start on Saturday

Pope Benedict's former butler, Paolo Gabriele, goes on trial on Saturday in one of the most embarrassing episodes in recent Vatican history.

25/05/2012 | World

Pope's butler arrested in leaks investigation

Pope Benedict's butler was arrested in connection with an investigation into leaks of confidential documents, some alleging cronyism and corruption in Vatican contracts, a senior Vatican source said.

26/05/2012 | World

Pope's butler charged over leaks scandal

Vatican magistrates formally charged Pope Benedict's butler with illegal possession of secret documents and said a wider investigation would take place to see if he had any accomplices who helped him leak them.

03/06/2012 | World

No respite for pope as more documents leaked

Pope Benedict got no rest from a leaks scandal when an Italian newspaper published documents showing that his butler was not the only person in possession of confidential correspondence indicating a Vatican in disarray.

06/04/2012 | World

Pope urges families to persevere in economic crisis

07/04/2012 | World

Pope says technology without God is 'dangerous'

Pope Benedict, leading the world's Catholics into Easter, said on Saturday technological progress, in the absence of awareness of God and moral values, posed a threat to the world.

15/04/2012 | World

Pope marks milestones amid signs of frailty, succession talk

Pope Benedict marks two milestones this week and while his health appears stable, signs of frailty have again prompted speculation over whether he will be the first pontiff in seven centuries to resign.

28/03/2012 | World

Pope gives huge mass, urges for changes in Cuba

Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up his visit to Cuba today with an enormous Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in emblematic Revolution Square. “Cuba and the world need change,’’ he said.

01/04/2012 | World

Pope preaches unity on Palm Sunday after Latin America visit

Pope Benedict preached a message of unity as he opened Holy Week celebrations on Palm Sunday before tens of thousands of faithful packed into St Peter's Square.

05/04/2012 | World

Pope reaffirms ban on women priests, assails disobedience

Pope Benedict today re-stated the Roman Catholic Church's ban on women priests and warned that he would not tolerate disobedience by clerics on fundamental teachings.

18/02/2012 | World

Pope leaves stamp on Church future with new cardinals

Pope Benedict, putting his mark on his Church's future, on Saturday inducted 22 men into the exclusive group of cardinals who will one day elect one of their own to succeed him as leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.

23/02/2012 | World

Pope Benedict XVI sends condolence letter to relatives of train crash victims

Pope Benedict XVI sent a letter to Argentine Church's Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio expressing to be "profoundly afflicted" by yesterday' s Once train crash in which 50 people lost their lives, and giving his condolences to all relatives and victims. 

27/03/2012 | World

Pope, Castro meet as official squashes reform hopes

Pope Benedict and Cuban President Raúl Castro met on Tuesday for talks on a papal trip that has sparked hopes for economic and political change, but one national leader said there would be no political reform on the communist island.

19/11/2011 | World

Pope says West should not condescend to Africa

Pope Benedict said on the developed world could not continue to look down on Africa "with the judgmental tone of a moralizer" and impose rules, but must come up with real partnership solutions to solve the continent's many problems.

09/01/2012 | World

Pope Benedict: gay marriage a threat to humanity's future

Pope Benedict said today that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined "the future of humanity itself".

26/01/2012 | World

Corruption scandal shakes Vatican as internal letters leaked

The Vatican was shaken by a corruption scandal after an Italian television investigation said a former top official had been transferred against his will after complaining about irregularities in awarding contracts.

16/11/2011 | World

Obama kisses Chávez in Benetton ad campaign

Italian store Benetton launched its new ad campaign with photo montages showing the Pope kissing the imam of Cairo's al-Azhar, Ahmed el Tayeb, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez also kissing his US counterpart Barack Obama in the name of the fight “against hate.”

17/11/2011 | World

Vatican takes legal action over Benetton Pope kiss ad

The Vatican said today it would take legal action to stop the distribution of a photo montage in an advertisement by the Italian fashion firm Benetton showing Pope Benedict kissing an imam on the mouth.

18/11/2011 | World

Pope Benedict VXI urges Africa not to surrender to market forces

Pope Benedict, arriving on his second trip to Africa as Roman Catholic leader, urged African nations to resist the temptation to surrender to market forces as they grow and modernize.

23/09/2011 | World

Pope meets sexual abuse victims, expresses regret

Pope Benedict held an unannounced meeting with German victims of sexual abuse by priests and expressed his deep regret for their suffering and that of their families, the Vatican said in a statement.

24/09/2011 | World

Catholics cannot accept gay marriage, pope says

Pope Benedict said the Catholic Church could not accept gay marriage and urged young people to root out evil in society and shun a "lukewarm" faith that damages their Church.

27/10/2011 | World

Pope expresses shame for Christian violence in history

Pope Benedict, leading a global inter-religious meeting, acknowledged today "with great shame" that Christianity had used force in its long history but said violence in God's name had no place in the world today.

19/08/2011 | World

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates World Youth Day

Pope Benedict XVI met with teachers and university professors today at the historic San Lorenzo de Escorial Monastery, on the second day of his visit to Spain and warned against a utilitarian focus in education, which he considered to conduct “science without limits,” and to be “totalitarianism”.

10/09/2011 | World

Pope recalls 9/11,condemns violence in God's name

Pope Benedict condemned violence in God's name, but said that 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the world still had much to do to address the grievances that can give rise to acts of terrorism.

22/09/2011 | World

Berlin greets pope with praise and protests

Germans opposed to Pope Benedict's teachings on sexuality and angry at cases of abuse by priests protested in Berlin while members of parliament boycotted a speech by the pontiff at the start of his four-day visit to his homeland.

29/04/2011 | World

Pope John Paul body exhumed ahead of beatification

Pope John Paul's coffin was exhumed ahead of his beatification as tens of thousands of people began arriving in Rome for one of the biggest events since his funeral in 2005.

16/08/2011 | World

Pope to face protests over Spain trip costs

While thousands gather in Madrid at a lavish welcome offered to Pope Benedict for a Roman Catholic youth festival this week, protesters are planning to march to complain over its cost at a time of economic hardship.

17/08/2011 | World

Thousands rally in Spain against cost of Pope visit

Thousands of protesters marched in Madrid against the cost of the Pope's visit to Spain this week at a time of growing public anxiety and economic hardship in the country.

17/04/2011 | World

'Technology can't replace God' -Pope on Palm Sunday

Pope Benedict led Roman Catholics into Holy Week celebrations, telling a Palm Sunday crowd that man will pay the price for his pride if he believes technology can give him the powers of God.

21/04/2011 | World

Pope warns of falling belief in West

Pope Benedict lamented the widespread abandonment of faith in the West on Holy Thursday before he washed and dried the feet of 12 men to mark Christ's gesture of humility to his apostles on the night before he died.

23/04/2011 | World

Pope begins Easter as John Paul beatification nears

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24/01/2011 | World

Pope warns of alienation risk in social networks

Pope Benedict gave a qualified blessing to social networking, praising its potential but warning that online friendships are no substitute for real human contact.

02/03/2011 | World

Pope book says Jews not guilty of Jesus Christ's death

Pope Benedict, in a new book, has personally exonerated Jews of allegations they were responsible for Jesus Christ's death, repudiating the concept of collective guilt that has haunted Christian-Jewish relations for centuries.

10/03/2011 | World

Pope's book on Jesus condemns religious violence

Pope Benedict has condemned violence committed in God's name and personally exonerated Jews of responsibility for Jesus' death in his latest book.

20/12/2010 | World

Church must reform after abuse scandal, pope says

Pope Benedict called for a re-examination of the Church's message and practices to enable it to learn from the scandal of the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests.

02/01/2011 | World

Pope Benedict condemns church attack in Egypt

Pope Benedict condemned a bomb blast outside a church in Egypt which killed at least 21 people, the latest in a series of attacks on Christians in the Middle East and Africa.

14/01/2011 | World

Pope John Paul close to sainthood, to be beatified

The late Pope John Paul II was moved a major step closer to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church when his successor approved a decree attributing a miracle to him.

24/03/2013 | Latin America

Francis confirms Rio de Janeiro visit

Francis confirmed that he will go to Rio de Janeiro at the end of the July to take part in the Church's World Day of Youth, a gathering of Catholic young people that takes place in a different city every two years.

31/03/2012 | Latin America

Cuba declares Good Friday a holiday at pope's request

Cuba has declared next week's Good Friday a holiday following a request from Pope Benedict during his visit to the island, state media said on Saturday.

11/02/2013 | Latin America

Our turn next for pope, say Latin Americans

Latin America senses an opportunity to break Europe's grip on the papacy as Pope Benedict's decision to step down stirs hopes the world's biggest Roman Catholic bloc may finally get to lead the Church.

13/03/2013 | Latin America

Latin America’s pontiff

By Carolina Barros.- The first Jesuit, Latin American and Argentine pope ever. Sounds like another case of “God is also Argentine,” that popular saying which offers so much consolation and hope in bleak times — not to mention “the hand of God.”

27/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope calls for more justice, peace, freedom in Cuba

Pope Benedict urged Cubans to build a better, "renewed and open society" and pressed the communist government to give the Catholic Church more liberties to help the country as it faced an uncertain future.

28/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope to end Cuba trip with mass, Fidel Castro meeting

Pope Benedict will step onto Cuba's biggest stage today with a public mass in Havana's Revolution Square as he wraps up a trip that began with a blast at communism and will end with a visit with Fidel Castro.

28/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope meets with Fidel Castro

Pope Benedict ended his visit to Cuba on Wednesday by urging the communist-run island to search for "authentic freedom" and condemning a 50-year-old US trade embargo while also making time to meet with ailing revolutionary icon Fidel Castro.

25/03/2012 | Latin America

Chávez starts radiation therapy, may meet Pope

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez said on Sunday he had started radiation treatment in Cuba, where he could also meet Pope Benedict in the latest high profile development as the president tries to fight off cancer and win re-election.

25/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope condemns corruption, drug trade in Mexico

Pope Benedict at a huge outdoor Mass on Sunday condemned drug trafficking and corruption in Mexico, urging people to put aside violence and revenge in the country where a murderous war between cartels has led to tens of thousands of deaths.

26/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope lands in Cuba for 3-day visit

Pope Benedict arrived in Cuba for a three-day visit to showcase improving Church-state relations and push for a larger Church role at a time of change on the communist island.

23/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope says communism does not work in Cuba

Pope Benedict said communism no longer works in Cuba and the Church was ready to help the island find new ways of moving forward without "trauma."

23/03/2012 | Latin America

Cuba will listen to Pope Benedict with respect, foreign minister says

“Cuba will receive and listen affectionately and respectfully to what Pope Benedict XVI has to say,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told the international press today. His remarks come just a few hours after the international media published the Pope’s views on the island’s regime.

23/03/2012 | Latin America

Pope arrives in Mexico talking tough on drug gangs

Pope Benedict landed in Mexico promising to send out a strong message against drug cartels in a country convulsed by a surge in gang violence over the past five years.

23/12/2011 | Latin America

Cuba says to release 2,900 prisoners

Cuba, which is preparing for a visit by Pope Benedict XVI next spring, will release 2,900 prisoners in the coming days for humanitarian reasons, including some convicted of crimes against "the security of the state," the Cuban government said.

14/03/2012 | Latin America

Seeking pope's help, Cuban dissidents occupy church

Cuban dissidents occupied a Roman Catholic church in Havana in what a Church spokesman said was part of a broader orchestrated action to get Pope Benedict to press for change when he visits later this month.

19/03/2012 | Latin America

Cuba releases Ladies in White as pope visit nears

Cuba released 70 members of the dissident Ladies in White group detained during the weekend but warned them not to attend activities related to next week's visit of Pope Benedict, the group's leader said.

17/10/2011 | Entertainment

Susan Sarandon calls Pope Benedict a Nazi

Actress and social activist Susan Sarandon was reported to have called Pope Benedict a Nazi during a public discussion at a US film festival in New York.

05/03/2013 | Entertainment

Rome exhibition takes aim at the Church as papal vote looms

As cardinals flock to Rome to choose the next pope, two artists have taken the opportunity to stage an exhibition taking aim at the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church and the sex abuse scandals that plagued Pope Benedict.

14/03/2013 | Argentina

Election astounds country

By Santiago del Carril - Argentines were in complete disbelief yesterday after the Vatican announced the election of the first ever Latin American pope, the Argentine Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Church bells immediately began to throng throughout the whole country.