By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
A standing-room-only crowd joined Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, in celebrating Easter Mass, where he explained how Pope Francis had the honor of leading the 2,000-year-old tradition for 1.2 billion Catholics around the world.
A pastor in Ontario wondered about behind-the-scenes politicking ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope. He could have read news reports or listened to briefings by the Vatican spokesman. Instead, he asked a cardinal. Less than an hour later via Twitter, the response arrived.
Cardinals have set Tuesday as the start date for the conclave to elect the next pope.
A Scottish cardinal Sunday admitted to engaging in sexual misconduct, one day before Roman Catholic leaders prepare for a meeting here to begin the selection of a pope under a cloud of church scandals, including those involving pedophile priests.
Pope Benedict XVI told cardinals Thursday that he would give them "unconditional reverence and obedience" in his retirement, which is due to take official effect at 8 p.m.
Pope Benedict XVI signed several decrees Monday to ensure a swift and smooth election of a successor without hint of a brewing scandal, as the most senior cardinals in Britain and the U.S. wrestled with their personal involvements in the Roman Catholic Church's decade-old sex scandal.
The archbishop of Washington is one of 118 men who will be locked inside a chapel in Vatican City in the coming weeks to decide the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. But he's most looking forward to seeing the art.
Monday's announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he will resign the papacy at the end of this month because of his increasingly frail health has revealed what we practicing Catholics in America have long understood: Our faith remains a mystery.
Pope Benedict XVI broke centuries of precedent Monday by resigning the papacy because of issues of old age, surprising the globe's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics and prompting speculation that the next pope will be the first non-European to lead the church in modern times.
Pope Benedict XVI formally created 24 new cardinals on Saturday amid cheers in St. Peter's Basilica, bringing a mostly Italian group into the elite club that will eventually elect his successor.
The outcome in a handful of Senate races could alter the political direction of the country, and abortion is a pivotal issue. America's newest cardinal is urging Catholic voters to take their faith seriously and select only candidates committed to protecting innocent life.
