Pope Benedict XVI
Vatican threatens new China bishop with excommunication
November 24, 2010The Vatican has threatened a bishop with excommunication after he was ordained by China's state-backed Catholic Church without papal approval. Pope Benedict XVI had learned of the ordination of Rev Joseph Guo Jincai "with deep regret" as...
Pope backs celibacy as priests rally in Rome
June 11, 2010Pope Benedict XVI has strongly defended the Catholic Church's rule of celibacy for priests, speaking to 10,000 priests in St Peter's Square in Rome. He called it a sign of faith in an increasingly secular world. But the Pope made no reference to the...
Pope Benedict XVI: Bones Found in Rome Tomb Belong to Apostle Paul
June 30, 2009Pope Benedict XVI says bone fragments found in a tomb beneath the floor of Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside-The-Walls are probably remains of the Apostle Paul. The pontiff announced Sunday that carbon dating tests run on the fragments, which were...