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 American Cardinals head to a special Mass Tuesday at St. Peter's Basilica before they enter the conclave to elect a new pope.
March 12th, 2013
04:38 AM ET
Papal conclave: By the numbersRome (CNN) - The conclave in numbers: 115: Number of cardinal electors in the conclave to elect the new pope 67: Number of cardinal electors appointed by Benedict XVI 48: Number of cardinal electors appointed by John Paul II 77: Number of votes to be elected pope (2/3 of 115, rounded up)  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.
February 27th, 2013
08:41 PM ET
Was Benedict XVI the right man for the job?By Richard Allen Greene, CNN Rome (CNN) - Thirty-five years before a German intellectual named Joseph Ratzinger ascended the throne of St. Peter and took the name Benedict XVI, a very different intellectual named Laurence Peter coined a rule which he named after himself: the Peter Principle. Put simply, the Peter Principle says that people who are good at their jobs get promoted, and if they're good at their new jobs, they keep getting promoted - until they get to a job they're not good at, where they stay. As the troubled papacy of Benedict XVI limps to a close, it appears very possible that the rule describes Ratzinger's eight years at the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Call it the Throne of Peter Principle. 
September 18th, 2012
06:26 AM ET
What really enrages Muslims? Twitter knowsBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN What really enrages Muslims? Having a really good hair day - but no one knows because you wear a hijab. Not being able to say "Hi" to your friend Jack in a plane - or to call out for your nephew when he gets lost in an airport because his name is "Jihad." The 72 virgins all turn out to be male. The tongue-in-cheek answers are part of an explosion of sharply satirical responses on Twitter to a Newsweek magazine cover showing Muslim men in turbans and keffiyahs, apparently rioting, under the banner all caps headline "MUSLIM RAGE."
September 4th, 2012
08:07 AM ET
Christians take discrimination cases to Europe's top courtBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN Four British Christians urged Europe's top court Tuesday to rule that they faced discrimination because of their religious beliefs. Two women accuse their employers of refusing to let them wear crosses openly at work. Alongside them, a woman who declined to register gay civil partnerships and a man who did not want to give sex therapy to same-sex couples say they were unfairly dismissed from their jobs. Gary McFarlane, the relationship counselor, said he was pleased with the way Tuesday's hearing went. "Today, for the first time, I heard somebody talking about my rights," he said. "Surely I have some rights. I am a member of society. I have some beliefs." 
August 14th, 2012
12:19 PM ET
Mohammed retakes top spot in English baby namesBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN Mohammed reclaimed its place as the most popular name for baby boys born in England and Wales in 2011 - convincingly ahead of Harry, in second place, according to data released by the government this week. The government declared that Harry was the most popular boy's name, but if you add up the five most popular different spellings of Mohammed, that name comes top. Mohammed is also the most popular boy's name of the past five years for England and Wales, ahead of Oliver and Jack. It came first or second every year since 2007, the only name to do so. And it could become even more popular in 2012, given the adulation around long-distance runner Mo Farah, who won two gold medals for Britain at the Olympics. 
August 13th, 2012
05:48 AM ET
Pope's butler leaked papers to shock 'corrupt' Church, prosecutor saysBy Richard Allen Greene and Hada Messia, CNN Pope Benedict XVI's butler will be tried on an aggravated theft charge over the leaking of hundreds of secret papers from the pope's personal apartment to an Italian journalist, a Vatican spokesman said Monday. The butler, Paolo Gabriele, acted out of a desire to combat "evil and corruption everywhere in the Church," according to a prosecutor in the case. "I was certain that a shock ... would have been healthy to bring the church back onto the right track," the prosecutor, Nicola Piccardi, wrote in a report released Monday by the Vatican. A second man, Vatican IT expert Claudio Sciarpelletti, will be charged with aiding Gabriele, according to the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman.
August 9th, 2012
02:56 PM ET
Gold medalist returns to Olympics as spiritual guideBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN London (CNN)– Madeline Manning Mims has a message for the athletes at the London Olympics. "They are loved. They are a part of humanity in a very special way and what they do matters," Mims said. She's not talking about being loved by the fans - she's talking about being loved by God. Mims is a gospel singer and a sports chaplain, and she's no stranger to the Olympics. 
July 26th, 2012
02:18 PM ET
Evangelist Billy Graham defends Chick-fil-ABy Richard Allen Greene, CNN (CNN)– Billy Graham, the dean of American evangelists, has once again broken his usual silence on hot-button issues, defending the president of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain for his opposition to same-sex marriage days after issuing a letter decrying what he sees as the nation's moral decay. Earlier this year, the ailing preacher publicly endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay unions in North Carolina, raising eyebrows among many who'd watched Graham studiously avoid thorny social issues for years. On Thursday, he issued a statement of support for the popular fast-food chain. Many people have slammed Chick-fil-A President Don Cathy for saying his company backs the traditional family unit and is opposed to same-sex marriage.
July 22nd, 2012
03:00 AM ET
Muslim Olympians wrestle with Ramadan dilemmaBy Richard Allen Greene and Aroub Abdelhaq, CNN London (CNN)– Olympic judo competitor Hemeed Al Drie plans to sin during the Games in London, he admits with a grin. "God is merciful and compassionate, even when our sins are many," said Al Drie, kneeling on a mat while martial artists hurled each other to the floor around him. Al Drie's sin isn't what you might expect. It's that he is planning to eat and drink while the sun is up during the Olympics, even thought the Games fall smack in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Observant Muslims are supposed to fast during Ramadan, abstaining from all food and drink, even water, during daylight hours, then eating and drinking after sundown. Fasting for the month is a major religious obligation, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. But Al Drie, 19, knows that fasting on days when he has up to six judo matches against the world's best competitors would doom his chances of winning. "If you don't eat and you enter a competition, you might faint," he said. That would lead to instant elimination. |
  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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