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 Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment" is seen through the Sistine Chapel doors on April 16, 2005. The painting, on the wall above the altar, was completed in 1541.
March 6th, 2013
01:18 PM ET
Electing a pope: What's taking so long?By Richard Allen Greene, CNN Rome (CNN) - In and around the Vatican these days, there's one question everyone keeps asking: When is the conclave to elect the new pope going to start? The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church aren't saying, but they're sending a clear message: They will not be rushed. As of the seventh day after Pope Benedict XVI flew off into the sunset, the voting cardinals hadn't even all arrived in Rome, leaving the world wondering what's taking so long. But don't be fooled. The conclave matters, but it isn't the only game in town. What's happening now is at least as important.  Archbishops (purple hats) and cardinals (red hats) sit in St Peter's Square on February 27 in Vatican City.
March 6th, 2013
11:56 AM ET
Priest abuse victims' group blacklists 12 cardinals for popeBy Richard Allen Greene, Laura Smith-Spark and Hada Messia, CNN Rome (CNN) - A group representing survivors of sexual abuse by priests named a "Dirty Dozen" list of cardinals it said would be the worst candidates for pope based on their handling of child sex abuse claims. Their presence on the list is based "on their actions and/or public comment about child sex abuse and cover up in the church," the group said. The list includes Roman Catholic cardinals from several countries. SNAP, the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, said as it released the list Wednesday that its accusations were based on media reports, legal filings and victims' statements. The cardinals named on the list have not yet responded to the move by SNAP. But when asked about it by CNN, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican, said: "We believe it is not up to SNAP to decide who comes to conclave and who is chosen ... cardinals can decide themselves without asking SNAP for advice." FULL STORY The faithfull fill St Peter's Square ahead of Pope Benedict XVI final general audience before his retirement on February 27, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican.
March 6th, 2013
07:14 AM ET
My Take: What the next pope will face
By Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Special to CNN (CNN) - The world is waiting on the next pope in more ways than one. Everyone, including the College of Cardinals, is wondering who the next Bishop of Rome and leader of the world's billion Catholics will be. But the world is waiting in another, more urgent sense, because the pope isn't just a spiritual leader to Catholics. His work has a global dimension. As has been true in the past, the next pope will have to provide a moral voice to a range of challenges. An estimated 1.7 billion people live without adequate health care or decent living conditions and more than 1.3 billion live below the measure of extreme poverty. Some 870 million people are chronically malnourished. Jesus identified himself with the poor and the marginalized and all Christians have a responsibility to them. But the pope, as Servant of the Servants of God and Vicar of Christ on Earth, bears a special burden. FULL STORY |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's note: Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is the Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C. He participated in the 2005 election of Pope Benedict XVI. Watch Cardinal McCarrick on 
