NEWS

On his last full day as pope, Pope Benedict XVI delivered an unusually personal and emotional farewell address, thanking the faithful around the world for their support and assuring them that he would remain in their service even in retirement.

St. Henry parishioners moved onto the new property Feb. 1, seven hours before a midnight Mass would be offered celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Blessed Sacrament had a new, permanent home in a 150-seat chapel.

Pope Benedict XVI's disgust over the abuse scandals marring the church was made evident even before his election as pope.

Florida's Catholic bishops urged Gov. Rick Scott to stay the Feb. 26 execution of Paul Howell, saying that "all human life has dignity and is sacred, created in God's image -- even those who have done great harm."

Vatican officials released a pair of unusual statements Feb. 23 condemning some press coverage of the papal transition. A communique from the Secretariat of State called "deplorable" the "widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories" intended to exert "pressures on the election of the pope."

In one of his last public appearances, Pope Benedict XVI told an overflow crowd in St. Peter's Square Feb. 24 that his upcoming retirement does not mean he is abandoning the Church, but that he will be serving it in a new way, through prayer and meditation.

A prominent voice at the Vatican in the run-up to the papal election, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is a well-known biblical scholar who can quote just as easily from Sufi poets, Dante and Danish philosophers as he can from sacred Scripture.

In his last week as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI issued new rules for conclaves, including a clause that allows the College of Cardinals to move up the date for the beginning of the conclave to elect his successor.

The last few popes have been elected and installed within a fairly short period of time after the deaths of their predecessors. The conclave to choose Pope John XXIII began June 19 and lasted two days.

Since his installation as Vienna's archbishop in 1995, Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn has weathered several major storms with his patient pastoral approach.