Vatican, former Vatican auditor give differing accounts of resignation
VATICAN CITY – The first person to serve as the Vatican's independent auditor said he was forced to resign after opponents of Pope Francis' financial reforms mounted a campaign against him.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Pope Francis accepted the resignations June 15 of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piche of St. Paul and Minneapolis and named coadjutor Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of Newark, New Jersey, a canon lawyer, to be apostolic administrator of the Minnesota archdiocese.
OXFORD, England - A Belgian bishop said the president of the bishops' conference urged Catholics to respect a court judgment against him for failing to act on allegations of abuse.
Pope accepts resignation of Bishop Finn
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanour count of failing to report suspected child abuse.
Pope Benedict's resignation will set in motion period of transition
VATICAN CITY - While the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI is a first for the church in centuries, it also leads to a complicated period of transition that ends in the election of a new pope.
Papal resignation catches Cardinal Collins by surprise
TORONTO - Surprise and then prayer was Cardinal Thomas Collins' reaction to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation from the Throne of Peter Feb. 11.
Pope Benedict shows signs of aging, but Vatican reports no illness
VATICAN CITY - From the moment he was elected pope at the age of 78 in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI has kept a schedule that appeared light compared to that of Blessed John Paul II, but busy for a man who already had a pacemaker and who wanted to retire to study, write and pray when he turned 75.
Pope Benedict's resignation announcement stuns world religious leaders
WASHINGTON - Pope Benedict XVI's announcement that he planned to resign Feb. 28 stunned and shocked religious leaders around the world.
Citing health reasons, Pope Benedict announces he will resign
Updated 02/11/13
VATICAN CITY - Saying he no longer has the strength to exercise ministry over the universal church, Pope Benedict XVI announced Feb. 11 that he would be resigning at the end of the month after an eight-year pontificate.