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Benedictions: The Pope in America

Pope John Paul II was the spiritual force behind the Solidarity labor movement that helped bring Soviet-led communism to its knees in the 1980s, but bishops have struggled with unions operating within the walls of the Catholic Church, especially as lay people–with families to raise and pensions to worry over–replace low paid religious in the…

By Nicole Neroulias Religion News Service NEW YORK — High-profile political leaders get Secret Service agents and police escorts to guard against assassins. Celebrities rely on bodyguards to shield them from overzealous fans. When it comes to Pope Benedict XVI, who visits New York and Washington, D.C. April 15-20, both kinds of protection are equally…

<!––> Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the death of John Paul II, a passing that provoked such an enormous outpouring that the world—and even the College of Cardinals who gathered with the unenviable task of choosing his successor—was transfixed for weeks. We hardly need much prompting to remind us of the emotions and images…

By Elizabeth Birge Religion News Service Two days after the 2004 presidential election, William Portier ran into an acquaintance at the grocery store. The man was a strong opponent of the Iraq war and had demonstrated against it, but when it came time to vote, he chose not to. “He said he couldn’t vote for…

The pre-papal spinning is picking up speed, though it seems largely in the form of pre-emptive whirling by those who fear Benedict won’t get the fair shake he deserves. I wonder if some of the spinning is so out of control that it will have the opposite effect. The latest, and loudest, comes from the…

Several readers, including the sharp-eyed Thomas Peters and his posse over at American Papist, noticed that one of the questions in our survey–the one on possible roles for women–did not allow for an alternative to the role of “priest” (“priestess”?) or “deaconess.” Not kosher, really. So we have added a couple possibilities, including a “none…

Interest groups are cranking up campaigns to take advantage of the publicity attending Benedict’s visit, and among them is one of the more novel approaches I’ve seen: According to a CNS story, Physicians and Nurses Against Tobacco, a U.S.-based group, is launching an on-line petition asking the pontiff to make the 108-acre Vatican the world’s…

For those of you who may not know already, if you really want to start a knock down, drag out, mud-slinging dust-up among Catholics, start a debate about LITURGY. Nothing draws attention or raises hackles as quickly, and nothing is as central to Benedict’s pontificate–or the upcoming papal visit–as the way Mass (and other liturgical…

By Francis X. Rocca Religion News Service VATICAN CITY — For more than two decades, Pope Benedict XVI served as one of the closest and most influential subordinates to his predecessor, John Paul II, a relationship built on common priorities, affection and mutual respect. Only weeks after John Paul’s death in 2005, Benedict opened the…

As CNS reports, the Popemobile is on its way! I can’t wait till the Magliozzi brothers on “Car Talk” get hold of this one. Popes have almost always used Mercedes (though you’d think the Bavarian Benedict might like a BMW, no?), and this one is a modified version of the Mercedes-Benz ML430 off-road vehicle. Not…
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