HISTORICAL FACTS: 6 - Caught on Camera

Before Dawn At The Vatican Museums, The Key Keeper Unlocks History

It's still dark outside when Gianni Crea pushes open the imposing entrance door to the Vatican Museums, a heavy ring of keys in his hand.

International Business Times · Feb 15, 2024

Abdication in our age: a look at royals who have retired in recent years

Queen Margrethe II will become Denmark’s first monarch to abdicate in nearly 900 years when she hands over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik

The Independent UK · Jan 14, 2024

Queen Margrethe II is the first Danish monarch to abdicate in 900 years – but it is just a sign of the times

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s announcement of her abdication in her New Year’s Eve address, citing her age and health, was a significant shock to the Danes.

The Conversation · Jan 10, 2024

Pope Francis' 87th birthday closes out a big year of efforts to reform the church, cement his legacy

Pope Francis is marking a birthday

The Independent UK · Dec 17, 2023

Pope Says Has Chosen His Tomb -- In Rome, Not Vatican

Pope Francis has chosen to be buried not in St Peter's Basilica alongside his immediate predecessors but in a basilica in Rome, he revealed in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

International Business Times · Dec 13, 2023

Vatican monastery that served as Pope Benedict XVI's retirement home gets new tenants

The converted monastery in the Vatican gardens that served as Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement home is getting some new tenants

The Independent UK · Nov 13, 2023

Pope removes Tyler’s Bishop Joseph Strickland after opposition to church reforms

Bishop Strickland, a Pope Benedict XVI appointee, has been a fiercely vocal critic of Pope Francis’ efforts to reform the Catholic Church.

The Texas Tribune · Nov 11, 2023

Pope Francis has appointed 21 new cardinals – an expert on medieval Christianity explains what it means for the future of the Catholic Church

On Sept. 30, 2023, Pope Francis swore in 21 clergymen as new members of the College of Cardinals. The College is an important part of the church’s governance structure – each new member takes a formal oath during a ritual ceremony in the presence of present members of the College.

The Conversation · Oct 2, 2023

Pope Benedict's ex-secretary won't get a permanent job in his new German archdiocese

Church authorities say the longtime secretary to the late Pope Benedict XVI won’t be given a permanent job in the German archdiocese where he has settled, but will lead regular services at Freiburg’s cathedral and can take on “individual assignments” such as confirmations

The Independent UK · Jul 17, 2023

Rome's historic bakery to the popes closes

ROME - The Arrigoni bakery has made bread for the popes for almost a century, from rosetta rolls to wholewheat loaves -- but mass tourism has proved deadly and no prayers can save it now.

Bangkok Post · Jul 6, 2023