By Greg Hartman & John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  The conclave starts Tuesday, and a more detailed schedule of the events has become available. Here is a guide to what happens now, before, during and after the conclave. All times listed are Rome local time with Eastern Daylight Time listed …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — 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 …

UPDATE FROM CNS: Voting for new pope to begin March 12 By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cardinal electors assembled in Rome will begin voting for the next pope March 12. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, announced the date for the start of …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Everyone is curious about the cardinals. As they arrive for their daily meetings or general congregations at the Vatican before the conclave, reporters and photographers are on the scene, often behind a barricade but sometimes literally chasing the cardinals with …

By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  After hearing directly from immigrants and advocates during public comments, Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the council’s commitment to improving the lives of immigrants and fostering civility and respect for those immigrants living in Cincinnati. The resolution, sponsored by Vice Mayor …

By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  The resignation of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, from the office of the papacy may go down as one of the biggest media events of 2013. Many newspapers, radio stations and television channels devoted time and resources to covering everything from Benedict’s last …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Citing unauthorized press reports on their preparatory meetings for the upcoming papal election, the College of Cardinals agreed to a media blackout similar to one observed before the previous conclave in 2005. The change was announced March 6 in …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — 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. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — 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. Less than half of the …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The period immediately following a pontificate is one of excited speculation, more or less loose, about the identity of the next pope. Though secrecy rules do not forbid cardinals from naming their preferences, custom and prudence effectively do. In …