Italian economist named president of Vatican bank

September 26th, 2009 Berlusconi, pope meet 1st time since sex scandalROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi had his first meeting Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI since the Italian leader was implicated in a sex scandal that broke last spring. Vatican spokesman the Rev.

September 17th, 2009 Vatican sees end to tensions with Russian OrthodoxVATICAN CITY — Relations with the Russian Orthodox church have vastly improved, possibly paving the way for a papal visit to Moscow or a historic meeting between the pope and the Orthodox patriarch outside of Russia or the Vatican, a senior Vatican cardinal said Thursday. Cardinal Walter Kasper told Vatican Radio "we have overcome all the tensions in recent years." He spoke after meeting with Archbishop Hilarion, head of external relations for the Moscow patriarch's office.

September 8th, 2009 Vatican museums to stay open at night through Oct.VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Friday nights at its museums have been a great success, so it is extending the initiative to include September and October. The Vatican Museums, which include a visit to the Sistine Chapel, are jammed by tourists during the daytime, so this summer they opened the doors on an experimental basis on July 24.

August 28th, 2009 Vatican: Berlusconi cancels L'Aquila visitVATICAN CITY — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi who is embroiled in a sex scandal has canceled a visit to L'Aquila for a religious service for the remission of sins. Berlusconi was supposed to have participated in the observation Friday alongside Vatican No.

August 18th, 2009 Vatican extends museum nights through OctoberVATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Friday nights at its museums have been a great success and will be extended through September and October. The Vatican Museums, which include a visit to the Sistine Chapel, are jammed by tourists during the daytime.

August 17th, 2009 Catholic sisters under Vatican review want answersSILVER SPRING, Md. — A group representing Roman Catholic sisters in the United States is raising concerns about why the Vatican is investigating them and who is funding the inquiry.

July 10th, 2009 Obama meets with Pope Benedict XVIVATICAN CITY — President Barack Obama is meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Shaking hands with the pope, Obama said it was "a great honor" to meet him.

July 10th, 2009 Obama at Vatican to meet with Pope Benedict XVIVATICAN CITY — President Barack Obama has arrived at the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Obama's motorcade arrived at the Holy See on Friday, greeted by Swiss Guards in their colorful uniforms.

July 5th, 2009 Russian president: We want better Vatican tiesVATICAN CITY — Russia's president says Moscow plans to improve its ties with the Vatican. Tensions between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches over property disputes and other issues have so far made it impossible for any pope to visit Moscow.

July 2nd, 2009 Possible Michelangelo self-portrait revealedVATICAN CITY — The restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Vatican's Pauline Chapel may have produced a special prize — a previously unknown self-portrait of the artist. Chief Vatican restorer Maurizio De Luca said Thursday that the face of a man on horseback in the artist's "The Crucifixion of St.

July 1st, 2009 Controversial Brazilian bishop retiresVATICAN CITY — The Vatican has announced the retirement of a Brazilian archbishop who caused a major stir when he declared that those involved in an abortion for a 9-year-old rape victim were excommunicated. The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the resignation submitted for reasons of age of 76-year-old Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife.

June 24th, 2009 Obama to meet the pope while in Italy for G-8VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI and President Barack Obama will meet on July 10, a much-anticipated Vatican audience with a president under attack by some American bishops for his support of abortion rights. Vatican spokesman the Rev.

June 16th, 2009 Pope taps Ranjith to head Colombo archdioceseVATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI has named a Vatican official, Monsignor Albert Malcolm Ranjith, to head the Colombo, Sri Lanka archdiocese. Ranjith takes the seat from the retiring Archbishop Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis at a delicate time in Sri Lanka's history, with a brutal 25-year civil war between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels ending last month.

May 13th, 2009 Pope gunman wants to convert to ChristianityANKARA, Turkey — The gunman who shot Pope John Paul II says he would like to convert to Christianity at a baptism ceremony at the Vatican after his release from prison in January. In comments relayed by his lawyer on Wednesday, Mehmet Ali Agca also says he wants to visit the grave of Pope John Paul II, meet with Pope Benedict XVI and produce a television documentary on the Vatican.

April 22nd, 2009 Vatican to help restore art damaged in Italy quakeVATICAN CITY — The Vatican will help restore paintings, statues and other artworks damaged in the earthquake that devastated central earlier this month. Francesco Buranelli, a top culture official at the Holy See, said experts from the Vatican museums will directly restore some of the works.