International News

News from outside of Canada.

Conclave not just an election, it's a liturgy

March 9, 2013

Updated 03/11/13 - Updates throughout ROME - Elections are conducted differently in every country. Brazil insists on electronic voting machines while Canada sticks with paper ballots. In North Korea there's just one candidate and in Kenya half the population is running.

Global challenges await successor to Benedict

March 9, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Like the rest of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, including the 5,100 bishops and 412,000 priests, the Pope exercises what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls his "baptismal priesthood" by participating in "Christ's mission as priest, prophet and king."

Tourists, locals stake out spot where cardinals gather for meetings

March 8, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Everyone is curious about the cardinals.

Cardinals recount conclave experience

March 7, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Chanting the Litany of the Saints, asking a host of holy men and women to help them, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel in procession, aware of their enormous responsibility to elect a new pope.

Cardinals need time to talk before conclave, spokesman says

March 7, 2013

VATICAN CITY - When 115 cardinal electors gather in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to elect a new pope, they will be praying and voting four times a day.

Ring of retired Pope Benedict no longer can be used as seal

March 7, 2013

VATICAN CITY - When Pope Benedict XVI officially stepped down from office Feb. 28, his wardrobe changed -- right down to the ring on his finger.

Sistine Chapel goes from tourist magnet to polling place for pope

March 6, 2013

VATICAN CITY - The Sistine Chapel's transformation from a world-famous tourist site to the prayer-filled space where cardinal electors will choose the next pope is under way.

No conclave date, but cardinals develop 'profile' of new pope

March 6, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Although by March 6 the world's cardinals had not set a date to begin the conclave to elect a new pope, they had begun discussing "the profile" required of the next pope to meet the needs of the church, the Vatican spokesman said.

Venezuelan president changed nation, had rocky relations with bishops

March 6, 2013

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Hugo Chavez, a socialist president who transformed Venezuela while acting as chief protagonist in what was one of the worst Catholic Church-government relationships in Latin America, died March 5. He was 58.

Cardinals discuss needs of church but don't set conclave date

March 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY - After completing their third pre-conclave meeting, the College of Cardinals still had not announced a date for the conclave. Instead, they used the March 4 and 5 meetings to discuss needs of the church.