Europe

Over the last few months I have been thinking a lot about a rebellious cleric. No, it wasn’t one of the so-called Muslim hate preachers that so excited recent public debates, but a man whose

Five hundred years ago, on Friday 4 March 1513, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church gathered in conclave. Among them was the Englishman Christopher Bainbridge, who snuck news of proceedings out by scratching messages

The pope retires to a monastic life today, a withdrawal from the world that marks the end of both his pontificate and his public life. As historians assess his reign, they will all ask how

The recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has given media commentators a gratefully received excuse to trot out the list of bad, weird and notorious popes of the past. Near the top, along with (the

History will tell us whether there is more to Benedict XVI's abdication than Monday’s Vatican press statement about his advanced age and deteriorating strength. In the meantime, it is the novelty of the move that

Introduction, by Caroline Pennock It's been a pretty hectic week, all in all. What with the launch of the History Matters blog and the not-Maya-apocalypse, I've been kept rather busy explaining to people that no,