Rome is at its best when there is a big event to organise. A city that is usually disorganised and chaotic transforms itself overnight into a model of good humour and efficiency.
The inauguration of Pope Francis on 19...
Security in Rome is tight as world leaders arrive for an inauguration mass for Pope Francis in St Peter’s at 09.30 on Tuesday 19 March.
The security operation in place is similar to that employed by the city for...
It’s Pope Francis, said the tallest man in the group sheltering from the rain under Bernini’s columns to the left of St Peter’s Square. “So it must be O’Malley”, he continued with a kn...
There was no mistaking the colour of the suffocating smoke that came pouring out the chimney above the Sistine Chapel on the evening of 12 March after the first vote of the cardinals to elect the new pope.
There was n...
Anyone hoping to get into the last celebration of Mass in St Peter’s before the conclave in 2005 would have been disappointed. Eight years ago, from the death of Pope John Paul II to the election of the new pope, S...
A major security and logistics operation has been put in place around Vatican City in preparation for the large crowds expected in St Peter’s Square during the papal conclave which begins on Tuesday 12 March.
Vi...
With over 4,000 journalists accredited to the Vatican (some figures put the number as high as 6,000) the papal conclave promises to produce saturation news across the world this week.
But for Romans the appointment wi...
By next weekend the Roman Catholic Church could have a new pope to fill the vacuum and uncertainty caused by the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI at the beginning of February.
If the new pontiff has not been...
In the continuing absence of any date for the start of the conclave to elect the new pope the spotlight has turned to a quiet and unassuming Jesuit. Father Federico Lombardi is the head of the Vatican’s press offic...
A man dressed as a Catholic bishop attempted to gate-crash a private meeting of cardinals at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Monday 4 March, ahead of the forthcoming conclave to elect a new pope.
Ralph Napierski, though...
The Sistine Chapel was closed to the public as of 13.00 on Tuesday 5 March, in preparation for the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope, following the resignation of Benedict XVI on 28 February.
The announcement, whi...
Tourists and Rome residents have been joining lengthy queues to obtain the Vatican’s "Sede vacante" postage stamps, which went on sale on Friday 1 March following the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI the previous ev...
More than 50,000 people are expected to attend the weekly papal audience at 10.30 on the morning of Wednesday 27 February, in what is the last major public event of Pope Benedict XVI before he retires on Thursday 28 Febr...
The decision by the Scottish Cardinal, Keith O’Brien not to attend the conclave to elect the next pope in Rome in March means that the number of cardinal electors is now down to 115.
Cardinal O’Brien&rsquo...
It’s still just a guess, but the conclave of cardinals to elect the successor to Benedict XVI could open at the beginning of the second week of March.
This date would allow a seemly amount of time for Pope Bened...
A ban on the use of credit cards and bank cards in Vatican City ended on 12 February after having been in place since 1 January.
The new service was "guaranteed" by a deal with Swiss company Aduno Sa, according to Vat...
Pope Benedict XVI began his final round of public appearances as pontiff at 10.30 on Wednesday 13 February, two days after he announced that he would resign at the end of the month.
Speaking from the Vatican audience...
24 hours after the shock announcement of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on the morning of 11 February it was business as usual in a cold but sunny St Peter's Square.
The only difference was the excited, almost t...
In a shock development the Vatican has announced the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The 85-year-old pope is to step down on 28 February, in just over two weeks time.
The announcement comes just two days before the...
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined m...
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