English edition of book co-written by Pope Francis, released in Spanish in 2010, coming in May

NEW YORK, N.Y. - An English-language edition of a 2010 book co-authored by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, will be published in May.

Image Books, a "Catholic-interest" imprint of Random House Inc., announced Tuesday that "On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the 21st Century" will come out May 7. The book was co-written by Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to Image Books, "On Heaven and Earth" includes discussions between the two religious leaders on everything from atheism and euthanasia to abortion and globalization. A Spanish-language edition was released in Latin America and Spain in 2010 by Random House Mondadori. Vintage Espanol, also a Random House imprint, will publish the Spanish edition in North America.

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Southern Baptists expand north with church plants

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Pastor Tom Cabral still tells people to meet him at "the bar," even though it's his church now. Locals best remember his worn building as a former sports bar where a 19-year-old once walked in and shot three suspected rival crack dealers.

Eight years later, the mirrored walls, parquet dance floor and bar remain. But the worst trouble may be found around the Sunday school table, where kids try to heed a handwritten list of rules including: "We will walk indoors, not run."

Redemption Fellowship of Fall River is one of dozens of churches the Southern Baptist Convention has planted around New England in the last decade with a multi-million dollar push into territory skeptical of the South and increasingly indifferent to religion.

Cabral seems unfazed. He's "indigenous," he explains, a native of nearby Somerset. He's so eager to share his faith that he regularly carries a wood cross asking, "Are You Ready?" to a traffic island in this southeastern Massachusetts city and evangelizes to anyone who rolls down their window.

"I really believe that God wants to change this city," he said.

Since 2002, the Southern Baptists have spent roughly $5 million to plant churches around the region, and have another $800,000 committed for this year, said Jim Wideman, executive director of the Baptist Convention of New England, the Southern Baptist's regional church-planting arm.

They've started 133 new churches in that time, a nearly 70 percent increase that brings their regional total to 325.

No denomination is investing as much in New England church planting, though Hartford Seminary professor Scott Thumma notes that attendance isn't growing as fast as the number of churches.

Thumma said the roughly 30,500 members the denomination had in New England 2010 is a 20 percent increase from a decade ago, according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. That growth is about the same as another religiously conservative group, the Assemblies of God, which hasn't emphasized church planting.

Thumma said Southern Baptists are drawing immigrants and new residents, but there's little proof they've reaching area lifers, including the large Roman Catholic population and increasing numbers of secularists.

"I don't see a third Great Awakening happening at the moment," Thumma said.

A Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life study last year found that since 2007, the Northeast had the largest percentage increase nationwide of people who describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. Meanwhile, a 2012 Gallup poll indicates the six-state New England region hosts the country's five least religious states (Connecticut is No. 11).

Southern Baptists, the nation's largest Protestant group with about 16 million members, have been trying since the late 1950s to build a northern presence. But their vigorous, recent church-planting is part of a broader, denomination-wide emphasis at a time when overall membership is declining.

Wideman said research indicates that the unchurched are far more likely to be drawn to a new church than one that already exists. And multiple church plants in neighborhood-centric urban areas, though unlikely to draw huge numbers, aim to create enduring Southern Baptist communities, he said.

A similarity among the New England church plants is that none of their names include the words "Southern Baptist."

Thumma said it's a clear effort to avoid some of the stereotypes about Southerners, such as negative perceptions of their racial views or reputed "damn-us-all-to-hell" fundamentalism. It's not malicious, he said, but "they're church-planting by stealth."

Wideman said they never deny they're Southern Baptist, but if it's a barrier to sharing the faith, why broadcast it? The Southern Baptist Convention itself has acknowledged this problem by approving an optional alternative name last summer: Great Commission Baptists.

The main concern, Wideman said, is that Northerners will see the churches as excluding them. And he has a question for Southern friends who complain about the tactic: "How well do you think First Yankee Baptist Church would go over in Alabama?"

With a thick North Carolina accent, Lyandon Warren can't hide his roots. But in seven years planting churches in West Pawlet and Poultney, Vt., he finds showing a commitment to the local community is more important.

Many New Englanders have zero familiarity with the Bible, so you can't just throw open the doors of a new church and expect people to come in, he said. Instead, his group reached out with novel approaches like offering water and a diaper-changing station at a town-wide tag sale. In Norwich, Conn., Pastor Shaun Pillay's group volunteers for various tasks, from filling sand bags to snow shoveling. It creates a foothold and trust in the community, if not converts, he said.

"They say, 'We like what you do, but we don't like your God,'" Pillay said.

Persistence is critical, said Pillay and Warren, who emphasize showing up at the same place, at the same times, with the same Christian message, like Cabral with his cross at the Fall River intersection.

Cabral's consistency paid off with Angelique Vargas, who was so drunk she didn't remember the first three times she met her future pastor. But on a sober day, the 39-year-old was surprised when a stranger called her by name as she crossed the street. She listened to his message, Vargas said, "for the simple fact that he remembered me on my darkest day."

On a recent February afternoon, horns honked and a middle finger flew as Cabral walked the traffic island. Drivers also kept engaging him, trying to answer the question on his cross, which he'd explain meant, "Are you ready to face God when you die?" Cabral would share how he knew that he was, then hand out a card with a gospel message and his church's address.

"God bless you!" he'd call as the light changed. "I want you to go to heaven!"

Cabral's church has 35 members, barely enough to cast a decent shadow in the annex of larger Southern Baptist churches. But Cabral says he's not going anywhere. He says he wants to love people, give them a chance to let God change them and see how this church plant goes.

"It's like growing a garden," he said. "You've got to plant the seed, you've got to water it and you've got to be faithful."

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True Religion's founder steps down from CEO post

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VERNON, Calif. (AP) -- True Religion Apparel CEO Jeff Lubell is stepping down from his post, a little over two weeks after the clothing company announced that it would not be renewing its founder's contract.

The company, based in Vernon, Calif., on Tuesday named President Lynne Koplin as interim CEO. She has worked as True Religion since January 2010.

Earlier this month True Religion Apparel Inc. said in a regulatory filing that its board decided not to extend Lubell's employment contract for another three years because of an ongoing strategic review. The filing also said that the company wanted to explore an "alternative arrangement" with Lubell.

True Religion, which is best known for its high-priced jeans, has posted slower growth in recent years. It announced in October that it was reviewing strategic alternatives and said Wednesday that the process is ongoing.

In addition, the company said that Lubell, who also served as its chairman and creative director, will become chairman emeritus and a creative consultant for two years. Lubell had served as chairman and CEO since 2003.

True Religion had 122 U.S. stores and 30 stores overseas as of Dec. 31.

True Religion shares gained 83 cents, or 3.1 percent, to hit $27.99 in morning trading Wednesday.

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Excerpts from pope's inauguration Mass homily

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis inaugurated his papacy on Tuesday with a Mass for about 200,000 people, including foreign leaders and representatives of other religions in St. Peter's Square. An inaugural homily is significant because its themes are seen as offering clues to the future papacy.

Here are excerpts from the Vatican's English translation of his homily, which the pope read in Italian.

ON PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE WEAKEST IN SOCIETY:

"The vocation of being a "protector", however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone.

"It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.

"It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts!"

WARNING ON DESTRUCTION AND HATRED:

"Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are "Herods" who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

"Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.

"Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!"

ON HOW HE SEES HIS ROLE AS POPE:

"Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross.

"He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important.

..."To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!"

ON HOPE:

"Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!"

(Reporting by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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Pilgrims hope Francis can revive Church with simple values

By Catherine Hornby

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pilgrims who flocked to Rome for the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis on Tuesday had high hopes he can reform and revive the Catholic Church, bring it closer to ordinary people and focus global attention on helping the poor.

"Ideas are changing under Francis. The powerful have to finally understand they can't destroy the world for money," said Francisca Fernandes, a psychologist who traveled to Rome from Patagonia in Argentina for the inauguration.

People watched and cheered as Francis toured St. Peter's Square in an open white jeep, frequently stopping to greet the crowds and kiss babies. Many of them said they were struck by the new pope's openness and accessibility.

"He has a very special presence, his smile and attitude. I feel close to him," said Veronique Blaise, a 40-year-old purchasing manager from Paris. "We need someone sincere and simple like him to bring back traditional values."

Up to 200,000 people waving flags and banners crammed into the square to hear a homily in which Francis appealed for the protection of the environment and the defense of the weakest in society.

"He touched me the most when he was talking about the poor, the sick and the aged - he has the world at heart," said Rev. Emmanuel Korsah, a priest from Ghana studying Church law at a Catholic university in Rome.

"There will be a lot of challenges, but he means to face them, in the name of St. Francis and with the lifestyle of simplicity he wants to live," he said.

Others noted that the Jesuit pope's humble style was a clear break with the past.

"The new pope seems different. He is closer to young people," said Michele Del Grosso, a 17-year-old student who traveled overnight from Olevano sul Tusciano in southern Italy to take part in the Mass.

"His approach is almost revolutionary," said 42-year-old sports writer Marco Da Milano. "His words are very interesting and also easy to understand."

The former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio has tried his best so far to flout Vatican pomp, stressing his role as bishop of Rome and frequently reaching out to greet well-wishers, to the obvious discomfort of his security detail.

Some pilgrims attending the Mass said they believed Francis also has what it takes to shake up the Church's dysfunctional central administration, or Curia, which has been blighted by rivalry, scandal and infighting.

"I hope he can reform the establishment. Because he is an outsider, he can clean up a bit, said Franz Schoen, a 70-year-old pensioner from Lucerne, Switzerland. "There's a lot to do. I hope he has enough time to do it."

(Reporting By Catherine Hornby; Editing by Philip Pullella and Tom Pfeiffer)

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Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup: Obama’s Hebrew * Gay-friendly Pope? * Dr. Livingstone at 200

An 1876 illustration of Stanley meeting Livingstone in Africa. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

That giant sucking sound you hear is the world’s media legion decamping from Rome after the installation of Pope Francis … and heading to Israel, where Barack Obama has landed for his first trip to the Holy Land as president.

Expectations are low – what do you expect when the guy looks like the Devil? (Or not, say producers of “The Bible,” the popular series on the History channel.)

Obama cited the Bible on his arrival (the book, not the movie), saying that here, “sons of Abraham” and “daughters of Sarah” are fulfilling a “dream.” Does that include Muslims and Christians as well as Jews?

He even showed off the Hebrew no one knew he could speak: “Lihiyot shuv ba’aretz.” (What, you need a translation? H/T to the Forward: “It’s good to be back here in Israel.”

He won’t visit the Western Wall, security reasons they say. Some say he shouldn’t for other reasons.

Okay, wish we were still talking about the new pope? Our superb gallery of original photos from his installation is a good way to refresh your memory.

With Francis, hope springs anew this spring for Catholic “greens,” says Fr. Drew Christiansen.

And what about gays and lesbians? Our Blog Post of the Day: “Pope Francis, a pastor for gay Catholics?”

CORRECTION: All those who said the presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was the first time the Orthodox leader has attended a papal installation (or enthronement, in days of olde) since the Great Schism of 1054 are likely wrong: it never happened before that either.

Francis wants “a poor church, for the poor.” How poor is the church now? Or at least the Vatican part of it? NCR’s John Allen makes a comparison:

The Vatican has an annual operating budget of under $300 million, while Harvard University, arguably the Vatican of elite secular opinion, has a budget of $3.7 billion, meaning it’s 10 times greater. The Vatican’s “patrimony,” what other institutions would call an endowment, is around $1 billion. In this case, Harvard’s ahead by a robust factor of 30, with an endowment of $30.7 billion.

The new pope has been getting some heat over his role during Argentina’s notorious “dirty war” of government-sponsored killings against perceived subversives – now add this to the mix: He gave the go-ahead to the process for canonizing some of the priests and other Catholics who were murdered.

He has confirmed that he will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro in July for World Youth Day. He used to tango. Time to samba?

Dr. Livingstone, we exhume: A missionary icon turns 200.

Clever Mormons: If you liked the musical of the “Book of Mormon,” they want you to try the book. (Paging the History channel.)

F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in American lives, but he must have been on the Appalachian Trail when he wrote that. Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, on the other hand, may have found redemption and a path back to power via a congressional seat.

Sanford’s paramour, by the way, is Argentine – just like Pope Francis. Coincidence?

Interesting: Can the Supreme Court save Republicans from their gay marriage conundrum?

Why Lent can make us happier, according to the positive psychologists, not the pastors.

Good Big Read: Before he died last month, the renowned legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin sent The New York Review an excerpt of his new book, “Religion Without God.” Here’s how it starts:

“The familiar stark divide between people of religion and without religion is too crude. Many millions of people who count themselves atheists have convictions and experiences very like and just as profound as those that believers count as religious.”

Somehow this all ties together, but I’m too jet-lagged to figure it out. Put your email in the box below to receive the Religion News Roundup every morning and maybe we’ll have figured it out by tomorrow. No promises.

David Gibson

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COMMENTARY: Honest questions about the Argentine pope

(RNS) Even as a non-Catholic, I was filled with hope when an Argentine cardinal said to be passionate about serving the poor stepped onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square as Pope Francis.

By taking the name of a church reformer, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio promised a better day for an ossified institution whose people beg for hope while hierarchs defend medieval power and pomp.

Pope Francis waves from the pope-mobile during his inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday (March 19) at the Vatican. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini Download this photo. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

In greeting the crowd, the new pope showed a common touch that could repurpose a global movement from being lost in scandal and self-serving.

By standing in silence and bowing his head for the crowd’s blessing, Francis showed a humility that could inspire believers grown weary of Roman arrogance.

In ways that world leaders rarely manage, Francis conveyed sincerity and commitment to a singular vision of servanthood. Whether that vision survives remains to be seen. But for now he read the moment: a vast constituency eager for something deeper than palace intrigue, something closer to Jesus than elaborate processions of old men wearing costly garments.

Perhaps he will read the rest of the moment: Women eager for the place that Jesus conferred on them but early male church leaders took away. Young people eager for faith in action, not encyclicals issued from above. Dark-skinned people eager for recognition. Homosexuals eager for a place at the table without having to seek ordination first.

To be sure, Francis will meet a firestorm of resistance at every level. The Roman Curia has faced down reformists before. But if Francis can continue as he began, there is hope.

That hope matters to all Christians. Each of our denominations and institutions struggles against the same demons: Mammon offering wealth as the ultimate measure of life, power seeking allies at the expense of fighting oppression and injustice, and hucksters promising magic. It’s the temptation of Jesus all over again. It always is.

But first things first. Just days after being elected pontiff, Francis is discovering what other leaders discover: Their past eventually catches up with them. In his case, it’s scrutiny for his possible role in Argentina’s “Dirty War” of the 1970s, when some church leaders curried favor with the military dictatorship by looking the other way when people were tortured and “disappeared.”

The church hierarchy calls it “defamation” to raise such questions. But as any penitent knows, a desire to move forward must be accompanied by candor about the past.

It’s the same issue we all face when we want to move forward. Reconciliation, restoration and renewal must begin in the swamp of needing to start over, not the gossamer of lofty hopes.

The first test of Francis’ reign, therefore, might not be his steel in reforming the Curia, but his candor about his own experience in Argentina.

This is especially critical for religious leaders. Religion tends to make compromises in order to preserve itself. The Jewish hierarchy chose Rome’s imperial favor over God’s promise of a Messiah. The early church sought the emperor’s favor and then allied itself with monarchs and dictators.

German churches remained largely silent during Hitler’s rise. Dutch Reformed leaders provided theological cover for apartheid in South Africa. White religious leaders in the South supported slavery and then segregation. Even today, churches invite bigots into their pulpits and call it patriotism.

To move toward God’s Easter Day, we must first acknowledge the darker days when we turned against God and each other.

(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus” and founder of the Church Wellness Project. His website is www.morningwalkmedia.com. Follow Tom on Twitter @tomehrich.)

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Photo Gallery: Pope Francis celebrates inaugural Mass

Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Vatican on Tuesday. Francis was slowly driven around a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square in an open-top car, shunning the bulletproof, air-conditioned popemobile preferred by his predecessors. At one point, he asked to stop the car and got out to bless a disabled person.  Religion News Service photos by Andrea Sabbadini.

Click any image below to view a photo slideshow.

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Dr. Livingstone, I presume? Missionary icon turns 200

LONDON (RNS) When journalist Henry Morton Stanley found the world’s most famous missionary barely alive at the tiny village of Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika on Nov. 10, 1871, he gave the English language one of its most famous introductions: “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

As Britain marks David Livingstone’s 200th birthday (pictured here) on Tuesday (March 19), Christians are being reintroduced to one of the greatest missionaries and explorers of the 19th century. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons/National Portrait Gallery in London This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

As Britain marks David Livingstone’s 200th birthday on Tuesday (March 19), Christians are being reintroduced to one of the greatest missionaries and explorers of the 19th century. A new book, meanwhile, introduces a darker side to Livingstone’s globe-trotting career and the corrosive effect it had on his marriage.

That 1871 meeting in the heart of Africa is the stuff of legend.

In 1864, Livingstone — already one of the world’s most famous men because of his trek across Africa and the 1855 “discovery” of the Victoria Falls that straddles modern-day Zambia and Zimbabwe — mounted an expedition to discover the source of the Nile River.

As months stretched into years, nothing was heard from the famed explorer.

Rumors swirled in London that he was dead. “Where is Livingstone?” yelled newspaper headlines. The public demanded an answer. By 1871, the hunt for Livingstone had reached fever pitch.

James Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York Herald, sensed a major scoop and commissioned Stanley to find Livingstone, dead or alive.

After eight months of back-breaking travel, Stanley arrived in Ujiji to learn that Livingstone was alive but far from well.

“I did not know how he would receive me,” he later wrote. “So I did what cowardice and false pride suggested was the best thing – walked deliberately to him, took off my hat and said, ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’”

“Yes,” he said, with a kind smile, lifting his cap slightly.

“Then,” said Stanley, “I said aloud – ‘Thank God, Doctor, I have been permitted to see you.’”

And Livingstone answered: “I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you.”

Born into extreme poverty in Blantyre, Scotland on March 19, 1813, Livingstone started work as a mill hand at the age of 10, working up to 14 hours a day in temperatures that often reached 90 degrees.

Livingstone studied to become a medical doctor, and at age 27 he was accepted as a missionary to Africa. Soon after his arrival in 1840, he set three goals: to explore the continent, convert Africans to Christianity (he managed only one) and help end the slave trade.

An 1876 illustration of Henry Morton Stanley meeting David Livingstone in Africa. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

The letters he sent back to the London Missionary Society helped fuel the movement to end the slave trade, which he often described as “the world’s open and running sore.” His work sowed the seeds for the modern Anglican Communion, the global outpost of the Church of England scattered across the British Empire.

“Livingstone was an outstanding, distinguished missionary and much more,” said Scottish historian Tom Devine. “He was not the most famous man in Scotland; he was the most famous man in the world.”

The former Anglican bishop of Botswana, Musonda Mwamba, added: “Livingstone identified very much with our people. He fell in love with Africa. He was one of us.”

Livingstone remains popular in his native Scotland and England, but also in Africa, where leaders are usually quick to tear down any street name or building that reminds them of their British colonial past. The Livingstonia Mission in Malawi was established by missionaries from the Free Church of Scotland in 1875, and remains a Christian learning center.

When Livingstone died at age 60 in 1873, two years after his meeting with Stanley, his heart was buried under a tree and his body was carried 1,500 miles to the coast by two loyal African servants, Susi and Chuma. It was then shipped by the Royal Navy to London, where it was later taken to Westminster Abbey for burial.

Tim Jeal, author of the classic 1973 biography “Livingstone,” believes the man was the victim (or recipient) of positive Victorian “spin.”

“It’s unfortunate that Livingstone was hijacked by the myth that grew up around him,” Jeal said. “Henry Stanley was a very gifted journalist who re-invented Livingstone as a near saint and he deliberately didn’t write the bits about him that were nasty.”

One of the nasty bits is detailed in a new book, “Looking for Mrs. Livingstone,” by Scottish historian Julie Davidson that chronicles Mary Livingstone’s lonely and brokenhearted descent into alcoholism.

Born to prominent Scottish missionary Robert Moffat, Mary met her future husband during his first trip to Africa and they were married in 1845. The couple had five children, but Mary endured several miscarriages. At the height of his fame, Livingstone sent his wife and children back to Scotland so he could explore on his own.

“Without him, she was wretched and vulnerable, couldn’t manage money, was tempted to drink too much and became increasingly embittered,” Davidson said.

Ravaged by the bottle, Mary begged the London Missionary Society for an advance on her husband’s salary in order to feed and clothe her children. Her petitions were usually greeted with contempt.

When Livingstone heard rumors that Mary was having an affair with a handsome 30-year-old minister, he demanded she leave the children in Scotland and join him in Africa at once. She set sail from Southampton, England, to Cape Town and rejoined her husband in 1862.

The couple was reunited, but Mary had lost her faith and belief that Christian missionaries in Africa served a useful purpose. Nine months later, she was dead from malaria.

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Mormons steal a page from ‘Book of Mormon’ popularity

TORONTO (RNS) Liked the show? You should try reading the book.

That’s the message the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is sending in three full-page advertisements in the playbill of the stage musical “The Book of Mormon.”

“The Book of Mormon,” opens on March 24. Somewhat surprisingly, the satirical musical is getting rave reviews from Mormons. Religion News Service file photo by Joan Marcus. This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

The hit show, already sold out for its run at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre from April 30 through June 9, was co-written by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Robert Lopez, who also helped write the similarly irreverent “Avenue Q.”

The occasionally blasphemous musical, which won the Tony Award for best musical in 2011, follows two hapless Mormon missionaries who are dropped into a remote village in Uganda to evangelize the locals.

The Mormon church, which had no involvement in the show’s creation, bought ads in the upcoming Toronto production’s program. The ads include a link to the church’s website, thebookofmormon.org, and a QR code that connects smartphone users to more online information.

“The book is always better,” reads one of the ads.

“You’ve seen the play . . . now read the book,” says another.

Sandra Pallin, a spokeswoman for the church in Canada, told the Toronto Star that most people who see the musical understand they are not seeing an accurate portrayal of Mormon belief, much less a realistic depiction of the Mormons’ sacred text.

“The playbill advertisements are really just a way of inviting people that want to know more, showing them where they can get that information … that there is accurate information available at these different resources, and those are provided in the playbill,” said Pallin.

While the church bought billboards in Time Square to capitalize on the show’s popularity, the church has taken a mostly passive approach to the satirical musical.

“The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening,” a church statement said in February 2011, “but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people’s lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ.”

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Les Mis 3,500 years ago – a Passover medley

The Maccabeats, a Yeshiva University a capella group, has co-opted the hit musical and movie Les Miserables to tell the story of Passover, which begins Monday night.

To appreciate this music video you need at least a passing familiarity with the Book of Exodus and an ability to recognize at least one Les Mis song. This should be mostly everyone.

END MARKOE

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‘The Bible’ producers deny their Satan resembles Obama

Satan in the miniseries “The Bible.” Photo courtesy of The History channel This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

(RNS) The producers of History channel’s “The Bible” fended off claims Monday (March 18) that the actor who plays Satan in the miniseries resembles President Barack Obama.

Executive producers Mark Burnett, who created “Survivor,” and his wife, the actress Roma Downey, described the comparisons as “utter nonsense.”

“Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our President, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of the Bible,” according to a statement from Downey, who starred in the television show “Touched by an Angel.”

Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni, the Moroccan actor who portrays Satan, has played satanic roles prior to his work on “The Bible,” the statement said.

The social media sphere blew up with the comparison Sunday night, which was touted by  conservative commentator Glenn Beck, among others.

“Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on History Channel looks exactly like That Guy?” Beck tweeted along with a picture of Ouazanni in costume.

Beck followed up Monday telling the media to relax. He said the similarity was “funny, nothing more.”

The History channel also sought to dampen the controversy.

President Obama speaks to Congress. Photo courtesy the White House This image is not available to download. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

“History channel has the highest respect for President Obama,” in the statement released Monday.

“The series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It’s unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. History’s ‘The Bible’ is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history,” it continued.

“The Bible” has raked in huge TV ratings since its beginning. According to Nielsen, 10.9 million people tuned in to watch Sunday, making it the most watched show on TV that night.

The five-part miniseries, which has two installations left, airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. EST on the History channel.

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At inaugural Mass, Pope Francis calls for defending environment, poor

Pope Francis waves from the pope-mobile during his inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday (March 19) at the Vatican. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini Download this photo. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis issued a powerful call for the protection of the environment and of society’s most vulnerable during his formal installation Mass at the Vatican, while qualifying his papal power as a “service” to the church and to humanity.

The pope on Tuesday (March 19) celebrated a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square in front of an estimated 200,000 people, as well as political and religious leaders from all over the world.

During the Mass, Francis received the symbols of his papal authority over the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics: the pallium, a lamb’s wool stole that recalls Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the “ring of the fisherman.”

In keeping with the low-key style that has been the hallmark of his pontificate so far, Francis presided over a somewhat simpler, and definitely shorter, rite than the one that marked the start of Benedict XVI’s reign in 2005.

Francis was slowly driven around a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square in an open-top car, shunning the bulletproof, air-conditioned popemobile preferred by his predecessors. At one point, he asked to stop the car and got out to bless a disabled person.

Pope Francis waves from the pope-mobile during his inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday (March 19) at the Vatican. World leaders flew in for Pope Francis’ inauguration Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday where Latin America’s first pontiff will receive the formal symbols of papal power. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini Download this photo. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

In his homily, delivered in Italian, Francis described the church’s mission as “respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live.”

“It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about,” he added.

Francis took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment who first showed that the church’s mission includes “protecting all creation,” he said.

The pope’s homily was striking for its repeated references to environmental protection, highlighting what is likely to be a central theme of his papacy and setting up the 76-year-old pope as a leading activist against climate change.

When mankind fails to care for creation and for the weak, “the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are ‘Herods’ who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.”

Cardinals listen during Pope Francis’ grandiose inauguration Mass on Tuesday (March 19) at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini Download this photo. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

Francis addressed himself to “all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life,” asking them to be “’protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.”

“Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world!” he added.

The pontiff, who has won wide praise for his simple and low-key style since his election on March 13, also reflected on his role as pope, saying that the power it entails must actually be a service towards “the poorest, the weakest, the least important.”

“Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service. … He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph.”

Pope Francis issued a powerful call for the protection of the environment and of society’s most vulnerable during his formal installation Mass at the Vatican, while qualifying his papal power as a “service” to the church and to humanity. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini Download this photo. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

About 180 cardinals and senior church leaders joined the pope in celebrating the Mass, which was attended by more than 1,000 priests and seminarians. The rite began with Francis’ brief visit to the tomb of St. Peter beneath the central altar of the basilica named for the saint.

In his homily, the Argentine pontiff called on Christians not to be afraid to show “goodness or even tenderness” to other men.

Tenderness, he said, “is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love.”

The Mass was attended by six sovereigns and 32 heads of state. The U.S. was represented by Vice President Joe Biden, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, among others.

For the first time in a thousand years, the papal installation was attended by the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodoxy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Bartholomew is often dubbed the “Green Patriarch” for his environmental activism.

In another first, the chief rabbi of Rome was also present after receiving a personal invitation from Francis.

In the hours before the Mass, Francis sent a surprise telephone message to a crowd of faithful gathered in Buenos Aires’ central square, the Plaza de Mayo, waiting to watch the Mass on giant screens. He asked them not to forget their former archbishop, “who though far away, cares so much for you.”

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Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup: Papal Inaugural * Atheists’ Lent * Onward Mormon Women

It took about 48 hours since he was chosen for the image of Pope Francis, whose installation is today, to begin to appear in paintings, on rosaries and postcards.
Photo courtesy of faithmouse via flckr.

Pope Francis was officially installed early this morning.

It’s already clear that it’s not going to be business as usual around the Vatican. David Gibson reports.

Here’s one thing Pope Francis will not change: his Argentine coat of arms (with its very prominent Jesuit symbol.)

The whole Argentine thing makes some Italians, who had their hearts set on an Italian pope, cranky.

But a new pope means brisk business for Italian hoteliers, restaurant owners and souvenir makers who are happily counting their lira.

How did this pope come to be pope? Here’s the story behind the story despite the fact that everything that happens in the conclave is supposed to stay in the conclave.

Omar Sacirbey explains how Pope Francis may have a model for engagement with Muslims in St. Francis of Assisi.

Mark Silk gives us seven reasons to like this new pope. Number 2: No more Prada.

A lot of people seem to like Francis. He’s got 4 million Twitter followers.

Three quarters of American Catholics say they’re happy with the new pope.

Onward Mormon women? Apparently for the first time in 183 years, Mormon women will get to offer prayers at next month’s General Conference.

What would an “atheist Lent” look like? Kimberly Winston reports on young nonbelievers who are adopting the Christian practice minus its religious context.

Jana Riess is flunking Lent.

The producers of the History Channel’s The Bible are denying the devil character was meant to look like President Obama.

Obama begins his first trip to Israel and the Occupied Territories tomorrow with an itinerary that is laden with cultural and historical stops, each designed to check a different diplomatic box.

The suspected murderer of former Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl is nabbed in Pakistan.

A former Pennsylvania pastor gets life in prison for bludgeoning his wife to death.

Mumford and Sons is a hot band and not Christian per se but appealing to many for its seemingly Christian-inspired lyrics. But now its frontman tells Rolling Stone: “I’ve kind of separated myself from the culture of Christianity.”

- Lauren Markoe

Don’t separate yourself from the culture of RNS. Get a healthy dose of it in your inbox by filling in the box below.

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Quote of the Day: Actress/producer Roma Downey

“Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love for our president, who is a fellow Christian.”

- Roma Downey, the executive producer of The History Channel’s “The Bible” miniseries, denying with her husband and co-producer Mark Burnett that the actor playing Satan was meant to look like President Obama.

Categories: Beliefs

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Pope's brother: Benedict seeks quiet retirement

REGENSBURG, Germany (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not even write any more, his brother said Tuesday after talking with the pontiff.

Speaking to reporters in his home in the southern German city of Regensburg, 89-year-old Georg Ratzinger said his brother also has no plans to move back to his German homeland but would instead stay in the Vatican.

"You don't transplant an old tree," Ratzinger said.

The two are very close, however, and Ratzinger said he's already planning to visit his brother later in the year.

The 85-year-old Benedict shocked the world Monday by announcing that he planned to step down from the papacy at the end of the month.

For Ratzinger, however, the decision was no surprise.

"He has been thinking about it for several months," he said. "He concluded that his powers are falling victim to age."

He talked with the pope by telephone on Monday evening after the announcement and said his brother was now hoping to lead a quiet life in the Vatican. A prolific writer during his papacy, Ratzinger said that was also something his brother would now likely end.

"I don't think he will write anymore," Ratzinger said.

Rudolf Voderholzer, the bishop of Regensburg who is also in charge of the pope's theological institute that publishes his work, said even if Benedict does write, not more would be published during his lifetime.

"Anything he published could be conceived as interference in the work of the next pope," he said.

As for his successor, Ratzinger said only that his brother "feels that a younger person is needed to deal with the problems of the times."

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Our turn next for pope, say Latin Americans

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Latin America senses an opportunity to break Europe's grip on the papacy as Pope Benedict's decision on Monday to step down stirs hopes the world's biggest Roman Catholic bloc may finally get to lead the Church.

Home to 42 percent of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Latin America far outweighs Europe's 25 percent, although the Church has for years been losing ground to Protestant and evangelical rivals across the region.

Ever since Rome broke with a longstanding tradition in 1978 by appointing a non-Italian pope, John Paul II, the faithful of Latin America have harbored hopes that one of their own would soon take charge of the largest flock in Christendom.

"A Latin American pope would be good politics by the Church. There are many Catholics here, but they're losing their share in the market," said Acacia Ramirez, a 36-year-old actuary, as she headed to work in Mexico City.

As recently as 1970, about 96 percent of Mexicans pledged allegiance to the pope in Rome. However, over the past four decades, millions have turned to evangelical Protestantism and other churches - or abandoned religion completely.

Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of Catholics in Mexico fell from 88 percent to less than 83 percent. That was sharpest drop since records began. The decline in Brazil, which is home to the world's biggest Catholic population, has been even more precipitous.

A 2010 census showed that just over 120 million Brazilians call themselves Catholics - about 65 percent of the population, compared with over 90 percent of Brazilians in 1970.

Some top Latin American clerics mused openly about change.

"It could be time for a black pope, or a yellow one, or a red one, or a Latin American. Or it could be time for an Asian pope, or one from another continent," Guatemala's Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales said after Benedict's announcement.

Benedict never captured the imagination of Latin American churchgoers in the same way as Polish-born John Paul, who visited the region several times and whose portrait still adorns the walls of homes and stores nearly eight years after his death.

HOPES FOR PEACE

Sitting in the shade of an enormous statue of John Paul outside the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City, 57-year-old housewife Carmen Angel said she hoped the next pope would watch closely over Latin America.

"I think it would be very positive if the next pope were to be from Mexico," said Angel, on a pilgrimage from the city of Puebla with her husband and two granddaughters.

Aside from the German-born Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, Italy has dominated the Vatican for centuries.

There are 19 cardinals in Latin America who could now be in the running, including five from Brazil and three from Mexico.

Jesus Muro, a Mexico City chauffeur, said a Latin American pope would be a pacifying influence on the region, which includes some of the world's most violent countries.

"There would be less violence and less discontent among those with less," said Muro, 42, who attends mass every Sunday.

In Honduras, which has the world's highest murder rate, some believers said they hoped divine intervention could help the chances of a local cardinal, Oscar Andres Rodriguez.

"I'm sad about Pope Ratzinger, but will start to pray that Monsenor Rodriguez be elected as the new pope," said Suyapa Lopez, 58, a secretary in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, using Benedict's family name.

Rodriguez was seen as a candidate to succeed John Paul last time around, though his reputation suffered after he openly supported the ouster of former leftist President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.

In Chile, where John Paul branded General Augusto Pinochet a dictator during a visit in the late 1980s, some say they yearn for a pope who understands them.

"I feel very distant from the pope, from the Vatican. So much pomp and wealth," said teacher Grecia Opazo, 50. "It would be good for the pope to know about the problems we have here."

Latin America has been getting closer to the top job.

POPULAR ARGENTINE

In 2005, following the election of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Benedict XVI, it was widely reported that on each of the previous four ballots, Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio received the second-highest number of votes.

Odilo Scherer, 63, archbishop of the huge diocese of Sao Paolo, and the 69-year-old Italian-Argentine Leonardo Sandri, head of the Vatican department for Eastern Churches, have been tipped as Latin America's leading candidates this time.

"It would be a revolution if a Latin American took over as the pope," said Alberto Levinson, a 56-year-old psychologist and devout Catholic in Buenos Aires. "Jesus Christ lived for the poor, not for the rich."

The pope's health has looked increasingly delicate in recent months, but many wondered what prompted his decision to become the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to resign.

"Why did he do it? Most of them when they reach that point, they don't want to leave and they stay until they die. So this one is wise," said retired economist Dorotea Ruiz, 66, in Cuba.

During his papacy, Benedict faced a series of crises in the Church, ranging from child sex abuse scandals to the leaking of his private papers by his butler.

Church elders in Brazil said the pope's departure could pave the way for a modernization of the Church, with the archbishop of Salvador, Murilo Krieger, calling it "an honest gesture".

Today many Brazilians increasingly look toward evangelical denominations or eschew religion altogether as the country grows more urban and prosperous.

In Rio de Janeiro, Deisy Alves, a 23-year-old student dressed in a devil costume and red horns on Monday for the country's Carnival celebrations, did not care who replaces Benedict.

"This last pope, he didn't mean that much to people my age, at least not the ones that I know," she said.

Senior Vatican officials have dropped hints that the next pope could be from Latin America or Africa.

"They're looking for a man with fairly worldwide experience, from Japan to Alaska and from Chile up as far as Canada," William Slattery, Archbishop of Pretoria, told Reuters.

"Today, the Catholic Church is tremendously strong in South America. They have been expecting a pope for a long time," he said. "Africa is the place where the church has become very strong over recent years, so Africa will have its own claims."

Peter Turkson from Ghana, now head of the Vatican's justice and peace department, is often tipped as Africa's front runner.

(With reporting by Gustavo Palencia, Mike McDonald, Paulo Prada, Liz Diaz, Hilary Burke, Walter Bianchi, David Alire Garcia, Alexandra Ulmer, Rosa Tania, Jeff Franks, Ed Cropley, Diadie Ba and Joe Brock; Writing by Simon Gardner; Editing by Kieran Murray and Philip Barbara)

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Pope's bombshell sends troubled church scrambling

VATICAN CITY (AP) — With a few words in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation Monday and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its 1 billion followers by Easter.

Not even his closest associates had advance word of the news, a bombshell that he dropped during a routine meeting of Vatican cardinals. And with no clear favorites to succeed him, another surprise likely awaits when the cardinals elect Benedict's successor next month.

"Without doubt this is a historic moment," said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a protege and former theology student of Benedict's who is considered a papal contender. "Right now, 1.2 billion Catholics the world over are holding their breath."

The Feb. 28 resignation allows for a fast-track conclave to elect a new pope, since the traditional nine days of mourning that would follow a pope's death doesn't have to be observed. It also gives the 85-year-old Benedict great sway over the choice of his successor. Though he will not himself vote, he has hand-picked the bulk of the College of Cardinals — the princes of the church who will elect his successor — to guarantee his conservative legacy and ensure an orthodox future for the church.

The resignation may mean that age will become less of a factor when electing a new pope, since candidates may no longer feel compelled to stay for life.

"For the century to come, I think that none of Benedict's successors will feel morally obliged to remain until their death," said Paris Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois.

Benedict said as recently as 2010 that a pontiff should resign if he got too old or infirm to do the job, but it was a tremendous surprise when he said in Latin that his "strength of mind and body" had diminished and that he couldn't carry on. He said he would resign effective 8 p.m. local time on Feb. 28.

"All the cardinals remained shocked and were looking at each other," said Monsignor Oscar Sanchez of Mexico, who was in the room at the time of the announcement.

As a top aide, Benedict watched from up close as Pope John Paul II suffered publicly from the Parkinson's disease that enfeebled him in the final years of his papacy. Clearly Benedict wanted to avoid the same fate as his advancing age took its toll, though the Vatican insisted the announcement was not prompted by any specific malady.

The Vatican said Benedict would live in a congregation for cloistered nuns inside the Vatican, although he will be free to go in and out. Much of this is unchartered territory. The Vatican's chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he isn't even sure of Benedict's title — perhaps "pope emeritus."

Since becoming pope in 2005, Benedict has charted a very conservative course for the church, trying to reawaken Christianity in Europe where it had fallen by the wayside and return the church to its traditional roots, which he felt had been betrayed by a botched interpretation of the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

His efforts though, were overshadowed by a worldwide clerical sex abuse scandal, communication gaffes that outraged Jews and Muslims alike and, more recently, a scandal over leaked documents by his own butler. Many of his stated priorities as pope also fell short: He failed to establish relations with China, heal the schism and reunite with the Orthodox Church, or reconcile with a group of breakaway, traditionalist Catholics.

There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner — the same situation as when Benedict was elected after the death of John Paul. As in recent elections, some push is expected for the election of a Third World pope, with several names emerging from Asia, Africa and Latin America, home to about 40 percent of the world's Catholics.

The Vatican stressed that no specific medical condition prompted Benedict's decision, saying he remains fully lucid and took his decision independently.

"Any interference or intervention is alien to his style," Lombardi said.

The pope has clearly slowed down significantly in recent years, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences. He now goes to and from the altar in St. Peter's Basilica on a moving platform to spare him the long walk down the aisle. Occasionally he uses a cane.

As early as 2010, Benedict began to look worn out: He had lost weight and didn't seem fully engaged when visiting bishops briefed him on their dioceses. But as tired as he often seemed, he would also bounce back, enduring searing heat in Benin to bless a child and gamely hanging on when a freak storm forced him to cut short a speech during a youth festival in Madrid in 2011.

His 89-year-old brother, Georg Ratzinger, said doctors recently advised the pope not to take any more trans-Atlantic trips.

"His age is weighing on him," Ratzinger told the dpa news agency in Germany. "At this age, my brother wants more rest."

"He has looked very, very run down," agreed U.S. Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, who was present for Monday's announcement, speaking to Sirius XM's "The Catholic Channel.

Benedict emphasized that to carry out the duties of being pope, "both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths which in the last few months, have deteriorated in me."

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited" to the demands of being the pope, he told the cardinals.

In a way, it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Benedict himself raised the possibility of resigning if he were too old or sick to continue.

"If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said in the 2010 book "Light of the World."

But he stressed that resignation was not an option to escape a particular burden, such as the sex abuse scandal.

"When the danger is great, one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign. Precisely at a time like this one must stand fast and endure the situation," he said.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said Benedict decided to resign after his March 2012 trip to Mexico and Cuba, an exhausting but exhilarating visit where he met with fellow-octogenarian Fidel Castro and was treated to a raucous and warm welcome.

Although popes are allowed to resign, only a handful has done it — and none for a very long time.

The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism, a dispute among competing papal claimants. The most famous resignation was Pope Celestine V in 1294; Dante placed him in hell for it.

There are good reasons why others haven't followed suit, primarily because of the fear of a schism with two living popes. Lombardi sought to rule out such a scenario, saying church law makes clear that a resigning pope no longer has the right to govern the church.

When Benedict was elected in 2005 at age 78, he was the oldest pope chosen in nearly 300 years. At the time, he had already been planning to retire as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the "peace and quiet" of his native Bavaria.

On Monday, Benedict said he plans to serve the church for the remainder of his days "through a life dedicated to prayer." The Vatican said after he resigns he will travel to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat south of Rome, and then live in the monastery.

All cardinals under age 80 are allowed to vote in the conclave, the secret meeting held in the Sistine Chapel where cardinals cast ballots to elect a new pope. As per tradition, the ballots are burned after each voting round; black smoke that snakes out of the chimney means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke means a pope has been elected.

There are currently 118 cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to vote, 67 of them appointed by Benedict. However, four will turn 80 before the end of March. Depending on the date of the conclave, they may or may not be allowed to vote.

Benedict in 2007 passed a decree requiring a two-thirds majority to elect a pope, changing the rules established by John Paul in which the voting could shift to a simple majority after about 12 days of inconclusive balloting. Benedict did so to prevent cardinals from merely holding out until the 12 days had passed to push through a candidate who had only a slim majority.

Contenders to be Benedict's successor include Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan; Schoenborn, the archbishop of Vienna, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican's office for bishops.

Longshots include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Although Dolan is popular and backs the pope's conservative line, being from a world superpower would probably hurt his chances. That might also rule out Cardinal Raymond Burke, an archconservative and the Vatican's top judge, even though he is known and respected by most Vatican cardinals.

Cardinal Antonio Tagle, the archbishop of Manila, has impressed many Vatican watchers, but at 56 he is considered too young.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana is one of the highest-ranking African cardinals at the Vatican, currently heading the Vatican's office for justice and peace, but he's something of a wild card.

There are several "papabiles" in Latin America, though the most well-known — Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras — is considered far too liberal to be elected by such a conservative College of Cardinals.

Whoever it is, he will face a church in turmoil: The sex abuse scandal has driven thousands of people away from the church, particularly in Europe. Rival churches, particularly evangelical Pentecostal groups in the developing world, pose new competition. And as the pope himself has long lamented, many people in an increasingly secular world simply believe they don't need God.

The timing of Benedict's announcement was significant: Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday, the most solemn period on the church's calendar that culminates with Holy Week and Easter on March 31. It is also the period in which the world witnessed the final days of John Paul's papacy in 2005.

The timing means that there will be a spotlight cast on Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Italian head of the Vatican's culture office who has long been on the list of "papabile." Benedict selected him to preside over the Vatican's spiritual exercises during Lent.

And by Easter Sunday, the Catholic Church will almost certainly have a new leader, Lombardi said — a potent symbol of rebirth in the church on a day that celebrates the resurrection of Christ.

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Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

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Daniela Petroff contributed from Vatican City, Thomas Adamson from Paris and Philipp-Moritz Jenne in Vienna.

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