The Papacy is the dominant symbol of the continuity, consistency and resiliency of the institution of the Catholic Church.
The so-called Meridian Hall, created to verify the accuracy of the calendar Pope Gregory XIII promulgated in 1582, is in the Vatican Secret Archives, which hold some 10m documents stored by the papacy over the past 1, 200 years.
The whiff of scandal involving Cardinal Mahony and a separate case involving Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien is overshadowing the transition period to the next papacy, the BBC's David Willey in Rome says.
The imediate impact of the Francis papacy on the region could hardly be felt more than in Villa 21-24, a slum of cramped dwellings and narrow alleys that clings to railroad tracks in the Agentine priest's home town of Buenos Aires.
Over the course of his papacy, the pope garnered praise for his writings and drew large crowds during trips abroad.
This will mark the formal end of his papacy and the beginning of the period of transition to his successor, due to be chosen next month.
The whiff of scandal involving a Scottish and a US Cardinal is overshadowing the transition to a new papacy, the BBC's David Willey in Rome says.
CNN's Brent Sadler said that with interfaith unity and increasing tension in the Middle East topping the agenda, John Paul II is tackling some of the most difficult diplomatic and theological problems of his papacy on the second leg of his pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Paul.
Even in resigning from the papacy, he embraces the monastic life to pray for a church he has ever loved.
One document governs the period during which the papacy is vacant, the other gives details of the running of the conclave.
Here are four reasons, in no particular order, why electing an American Cardinal to the Papacy makes sense for the future of the Church.
His successor must focus on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy, which has often been overly hesitant to react to the various crises which have arisen during Benedict's papacy, the BBC's David Willey reports from the Vatican.
The job description for Benedict's successor, whoever he may be, must reflect this sea-change in the requirements for the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church which has occurred during this first full papacy of the 21st Century.
He leaves the papacy on Thursday, becoming the first pope to step down since 1415.
The change to the constitution means cardinals will no longer have to wait 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant before beginning the conclave.
The cape has since come to symbolize his rejection of the trappings of the papacy and to some degree the pontificate of Benedict XVI, since the German pontiff relished in resurrecting many of the liturgical vestments of his predecessors.
He became cardinal in 1981 and held the post during most of the papacy of John Paul II, the first Polish pope.
That difficulty was underscored early in his papacy when the pope delivered a 2007 speech to scholars on the relationship between faith and reason.
Is it possible for those who regard the popes' claim to be the representatives of God on earth as wrong, or simply nonsensical, to view with some respect the papacy of John Paul, and the church he remoulded?
But Lombardi has said that because Benedict was leaving the papacy through resignation rather than death, the Vatican would explore the possibility of selecting a new pope sooner than normally prescribed.
These qualities made him a strong contender for the papacy in 2005, when he was reportedly the chief rival to Joseph Ratzinger.
This exhibition, held in a museum and architectural complex endowed, rebuilt and expanded by a series of Renaissance and Early Modern popes, includes many reminders of the papacy's glorious record of patronage of the arts and learning.
WSJ: Lux in Arcana | Capitoline Museum | The Papacy's Private Papers | By Francis X. Rocca
We know very little about them except a few biographical details which all of a sudden seem ideally suited to the papacy. (This is totally opposite the case of U.S. Presidents, whom we know far too much about thanks to exhaustive, psyche-exposing multiyear campaigns).
FORBES: Don't Expect Pope Francis To Change The Vatican Anytime Soon
These delicate calculations are a long way from the early days of John Paul's papacy, when the Vatican and America were aligned in defence of Polish freedom.
He has also said he regards Europe as a major challenge for the papacy, because its secularised society has lost sight of the "supernatural" and transcendent aspects of the human being.
But they are weighing myriad candidates, and they are split over where the papacy should focus its attention: in Europe, where the Church's influence has faded, or in Latin America, where it is still a dominant force.
Benedict wore the simple white cassock of the papacy, with a quilted white jacket over it to guard against the chill, but minus the sash and cape worn by Francis.
But the papacy is, more even than most other high offices, what God and the man make of it.
But within a few years of Boniface's death in 1303, Pope Clement V, his successor, moved the papacy to Avignon, France, repudiated Boniface and quickly began canonization proceedings for the soon-to-be St.
The papacy ended on a very low key after Benedict promised during a final meeting with the cardinals - who will shortly elect his successor - to show "reverence and obedience" to the new head of the Church, from whichever continent or nation he may come.
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