International Theological Commission

With bells tolling, thousands of faithful, political leaders and the pope himself mourned Benedict XVI, the German theologian who made history by resigning, at a rare requiem Mass Thursday for a dead pontiff presided over by a living one.

Pope Francis will preside Thursday over the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI at the Vatican, an unprecedented event in modern times expected to draw tens of thousands of people.

Turkish researchers have been invited by Vatican librarian Jean-Louis Brugues to the Vatican Library, which hosts one of the world's most significant manuscript collectionsFrench archbishop and Vatican librarian Jean-Louis Brugues was in Istanbul on Feb.

Pope Francis has arrived in Turkey for a three-day visit that many are billing as an opportunity to increase dialogue between the Muslim and Christian worlds at a time of increased religious tension.
 

Catholic clergy gathered in central Istanbul on Nov. 24 ahead of Pope Francis’ scheduled visit to Turkey this week.

Speaking at the gathering Istanbul Latin Catholic Church Bishop Monsignor Louis Pelatre stated that the pope's Nov. 28-30 visit will only include the cities of Ankara and Istanbul and he would not be visiting Ä°zmir, as previously reported.

Pope Francis says he wishes to overcome the obstacles between the Orthodox and the Catholic churches during his visit to Turkey late November Pope Francis said Oct. 24 he wished to overcome the obstacles between the Orthodox and the Catholic churches during his visit to Turkey late November.
      

Pope Francis is set to become the fourth Pope to visit Turkey, after the Vatican published details of an upcoming three-day visit to Ankara and Istanbul.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras will travel to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis on Thursday according to reports.

Social justice, unemployment, immigration and the Mideast crisis are on the agenda, the reports said.