Popes of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance left behind a shady legacy, to put it mildly. Exhibit A: Pope Benedict IX (r. 1032–1048) sold the papacy to his godfather.

The official and witnesses said the incident happened after accusations made by members of the ruling party's powerful youth ...

Who was this maniacal pontiff?H e is one of the most controversial popes in papal history. A pontiff who was corrupt to the core, Benedict IX was barely out of his teens when he became leader of the ...

1187: Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, destroys Jerusalem’s crusader army. 1250: Louis IX of France is captured by Baibars’ Mamluk army at the Battle of Fariskur in Egypt during the Seventh Crusade ...

Pope Leo XIV is starting a six-week vacation this weekend at the papal summer retreat south of Rome. It's his first break ...

The Vatican says leaked documents that seemingly undermined Pope Francis’ stated reason for restricting the old Latin Mass ...

Pope Leo XIV is signalling his commitment to continuing the fight against clergy sexual abuse. He has appointed a French ...

The prelate succeeds U.S.-born Cardinal Seán O’Malley, 81, the founding president of the safeguarding commission established ...

From the time of Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922), popes have worn the Stole of the Four Evangelists, embroidered in gold with the images of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Pope Benedict XVI had stated, in the book-interview Salt of the Earth with Peter Seewald that he was still a man of the old world, but the new world had not yet begun. It has begun with this Pontiff.