Pope Posts

A letter to The Guardian last week pointed out that another pope had ‘ducked’ the now 422-year-old challenge of becoming Sixtus VI. The new pope, Francis I, has perhaps met a greater challenge; he is

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