Glimpses from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's funeral at the Vatican City, January 5, 2023.
Pope Benedict passed away two days after Pontiff Francis asked to pray for the "very sick" former Pope
An estimated two lakh people thronged St Peter's Square at Vatican City on Wednesday to hear Pope Benedict's final address
The Pope was presented with the symbols of power -- the Papal ring and the pallium (a narrow stole of wool).
Rediff.com takes look at the grand lakeside villa, which will be Benedict's first refuge.
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the highs and lows that marked Pope Benedict XVI's tenure.
During Sunday prayer in St Peter's Square, where tens of thousands of supporters turned out for Benedict XVI's ahead of his formal resignation, the Pope also assured people that he would not 'abandon' the Church.
The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI will set in motion preparations to elect a new pope. Rediff.com takes you through the election process.
Catholics pay homage to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
"The pope announced that he will leave his ministry at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on February 28," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
Pope Francis has died, the Vatican said on Monday. The Pope passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, according to a statement from the Vatican.
Pope Francis shaped the Church he led. And in death, his reforms shape his farewell.
The mourning will be observed across the country on April 22 and 23, and again on the day of the Pope's funeral.
Pope Benedict XVI's official representative Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor is visiting Vasai, an extended suburb of Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday left the Vatican for the last time as pontiff and flew by helicopter to the Vatican's vacation retreat Castel Gandolfo, a hilltop town southeast of the city.
Following his weekly general audience in the Vatican City, the Pope received the group on Wednesday, which included five wives of country leaders.
The Roman Catholic cardinals will begin electing a new pope on Tuesday, the Vatican announced on Friday after 115 cardinals gathered for talks, BBC reported.
It was an embarrassing situation when the Doves of Peace released by Pope Benedict XVI during the weekly Angelus prayer refused to leave the Vatican and flew right in.
Pope Benedict XVI said on Wednesday that he has "deep respect" for Islam.
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the prominent papabile cardinals who might take over from Pope Benedict XVI.
The Pope had made remarks while receiving India's envoy.
As the world awaits with bated breath for the election of the new pope, five Indian Roman Catholic Cardinals are part of the secret conclave to elect the Church's 266th pontiff, forming the biggest bloc of electors from a country in Asia.
In his maiden address to the 192-member General Assembly, the pontiff avoided reference to political issues, but concentrated on the need for inter-faith dialogue and human rights based on ethical values.
After prayers and ceremonies, the Pope presented beret (Cardinal's cap) and the ring to Cleemis,elevating him to the highest strata of the Catholic hierarchy vested with the voting right to elect the Pontiff, when a situation arises.
An "unbalanced woman" jumped the barriers in St Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass, a Vatican spokesman said on Thursday.
"We join with our fellow citizens and millions around the world who pray for continued strength and wisdom as His Holiness leads the Catholic Church," Pope said.
On a historic visit to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday, strongly condemned anti-Semitism and sought an early resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by finding a way that "people can live in security in a homeland of their own."
The Catholic Church in India expects more representation in Vatican during Pope Francis' tenure considering the humble background of the first pontiff from Latin America.
Pope Benedict would watch the most important matches of the World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer said after meeting the Pontiff
The Pope had, in a recent pronouncement at St Peter's square in Vatican, spoken of St Thomas, the Apostle, seemingly taking away from him the traditional title 'Apostle of India'.
The Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, supported by the Kashmir high court bar association, the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, traders and several other groups, gave the strike call.
The high profile visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the US is noted for the involvement of several Indian Americans as well as a protest in New York. People belonging to different faiths, excluding the Sikhs, will meet with him in an interfaith dialogue at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington DC, on Thursday evening. Several Indians are also invited to the White House reception to the Pope.
The Vatican defines matrimony as a divine union between man and woman.
Five people, suspected to be Arabs, were arrested in London on Friday over an alleged plot to harm Pope Benedict XVI, now on a state visit to the UK. The five men, in the age group of 26-50, were picked up by Scotland Yard on Friday morning in central London and were being questioned by counter-terror detectives.
"AIDS cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems," he told media persons on March 17 while on his way to Cameroon.
"Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate their religious sentiments, and must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the Prophet."
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