Timothy Dolan

Eyes were riveted once again Wednesday on a simple chimney pipe rising above a sublime Renaissance chapel after Catholic cardinals failed to elect a new leader for their 1.2 billion-strong Church in three ballots.

A new plume of black smoke over the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday indicated that Catholic cardinals had failed, after three rounds of voting, to elect a new leader for their 1.2 billion-strong Church.

Black smoke again billowed out of a chimney over the Vatican on Wednesday, indicating that cardinals meeting in a conclave have failed to choose a pope after three votes.

Catholic cardinals had a final day of talks on Monday before going into lockdown in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian among the top contenders.

Catholic cardinals had a final day of jockeying for position on Monday before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian who both head powerful archdioceses among the top contenders.

Clergy sex abuse victims listed a "dirty dozen" potential papal candidates Wednesday and urged the Roman Catholic Church to "get serious" about protecting children, helping victims and exposing corruption.

US cardinals in Rome abruptly cancelled media briefings on Wednesday in a victory for pre-conclave secrecy as workers readied the Sistine Chapel for a historic ceremony to elect the next pope after Benedict XVI's resignation.

The Vatican on Wednesday urged "greater reserve" ahead of the conclave to elect a new pope, as US cardinals scrapped their daily press briefings saying that "concern was expressed about leaks".

It's an election but there are no campaign posters, no official candidates and even the people who might get voted in to the Vatican's top job protest they absolutely do not want it.

Catholic cardinals on Monday pressed for more information about the "Vatileaks" scandal at the start of a series of Vatican meetings to prepare for a conclave to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's sudden resignation.

Catholic cardinals began talks on Monday ahead of a conclave to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's resignation, as an absent British cardinal admitted to sexual misconduct with priests.

Catholic cardinals begin talks on Monday ahead of a conclave to elect the next pope, following Benedict XVI's historic resignation, as a British cardinal not in attendance admitted to sexual misconduct with priests.

The pope's official Twitter account, which has more than two million followers in nine languages, will close next week when Benedict XVI leaves office, Vatican Radio said Friday.

After a one-night truce that saw President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney trade jokes at a charity dinner, the two dashed back onto the trail Friday before prepping for their third and final debate.

Barack Obama mocked his damaging "nap" in the first debate and Mitt Romney lampooned the president's jobs record Thursday, as the White House foes cloaked hostility with humor at a fabled charity dinner.

Timothy Dolan took a swipe at Democrats' support for gay marriage in his closing benediction at the DNC. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan took a swipe at Democrats' support for gay marriage in his closing benediction at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday. The convention, which closed Thursday with President Barack Obama accepting the party's nomination, has been described as the most gay inclusive yet. In addition to including a gay marriage plank in the party's platform, many Democrats addressing delegates embraced gay rights and in particular giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Dolan, who is opposed to New York's gay marriage law, made a veiled reference to such unions in his closing prayer. ?Show us anew that happiness is found only in respecting the laws of nature and of nature's God. Empower us with your grace so that we might resist the temptation to replace the moral law with idols of our own making, or to remake those institutions you have given

Salvatore Cordileone, the Roman Catholic archbishop-elect of San Francisco, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. ?Salvatore Cordileone, the Roman Catholic archbishop-elect of San Francisco, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to the AP, Cordileone was taken into custody after being stopped early Saturday, August 27 in San Diego. The 56-year-old Cordileone apologized for his ?error in judgment? in a statement released Monday. Pope Benedict XVI named Cordileone, who has served as Bishop of Oakland since 2009, for the job as archbishop last month, and he is set to assume the position in October. Cordileone played an instrumental role in passage of Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban. In 2008, Cordileone, then bishop of San Diego, reached out to help raise $1.5 million to get the measure on the ballot. He organized leading evangelical Christian leaders, such as the Rev. Jim Garlow of Skyline Church, to back the amendment. And he

The Vatican on Friday named Salvatore Cordileone as Archbishop of San Francisco. The Vatican on Friday named Salvatore Cordileone as Archbishop of San Francisco. Pope Benedict XVI's appointment of Cordileone, who has served as Bishop of Oakland since 2009, was announced in a statement released Friday morning. ?I'm humbled by the confidence that Pope Benedict XVI has placed in me by entrusting to me the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of San Francisco,? said Cordileone during a press conference. ?I am pleased to welcome Archbishop-elect Cordileone,? said outgoing Archbishop George Niederauer, who has served in the post since December 2005. ?And to assure him of our prayers, loyalty, support and cooperation, as well as our friendship and affection.? Cordileone played an instrumental role in passage of Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban. In 2008, Cordileone, then bishop of San Diego, reached out to help raise $1.5 million to get the measure on the ballot. He also organized lead

Intrigue at the Vatican could weaken the chances of the next pope being an Italian, observers said, as memos leaked from the Holy See's corridors of power lift the lid on tensions between cardinals.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan has dismissed reports that he paid off priests accused of sexually abusing minors. Cardinal Timothy Dolan has dismissed reports that he paid off priests accused of sexually abusing minors. The charges were made in a New York Times article last week. ?Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York authorized payments of as much as $20,000 to sexually abusive priests as an incentive for them to agree to dismissal from the priesthood when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee,? the paper wrote. Documents unearthed by the Times reveal that the ?archdiocese did make such payments to multiple accused priests to encourage them to seek dismissal, thereby allowing the church to remove them from the payroll.? Dolan's New York Archdiocese spokesman, Joseph Zwilling, told the New York Post that there was no ?payoff? to pedophile priests ? only ?charity.? ?The New York Times does not have a reputation for fair and accurate reporting when it comes to this issue,? Dolan said after Mass on