By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After Pope Benedict XVI officially became pope emeritus, he ate dinner, watched the television news and strolled through the lake-view rooms of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said he spoke March 1 with …

UPDATE: For more up to date information, visit Conclave Central.   Effective Thursday at 2 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. in Rome, the papacy of Benedict XVI came to an end. With that, the Catholic Church entered a period of sede vacante. Sede vacante is Latin for “the seat being empty” …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — The Clementine Hall is traditionally the place where cardinals bid farewell to popes at the end of a pontificate, but usually when the pope in question is lying in state before his funeral. But on Feb. 28, hours before resigning …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — 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. However, the …