The world seems surprised that an 85-year-old globe-trotting pope who just started tweeting wants to resign, but should it be? Maybe what should be surprising is that more leaders his age do not,...

    Latin America is home to the world's largest Roman Catholic population, but hopes that the next pope will come from the region appear faint, experts said...

    Shock, sadness and declarations of faith met Pope Benedict XVI's announcement Monday that he would retire Feb. 28. Here's a look at reaction from around the...

    In Africa, where the Catholic church continues to grow, worshippers and clergy there greeted Pope Benedict XVI's announcement Monday that he planned resign with hopes...

When he became pope at age 78, Benedict XVI was already the oldest pontiff elected in nearly 300 years. He's now 85, and in recent years he has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign...

A blast at a coal mine in northern Russia on Monday killed 18 people, officials said Monday.   Rescuers have recovered 10 bodies at the Vorkutinskaya mine in Russia's Komi region, Vadim...

This is the full text of the Pope's resignation letter   Dear Brothers,  I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you...

Anxious relatives were searching for missing family members Monday in a northern India city that is home to one of the world's largest religious gatherings, unsure if their loved ones were caught...

    The world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity died Sunday, sending villagers to tears in a backwater southern Philippine town that shot to international prominence and...

    It's a life of stark contrast: By day, Diana Prado is a supervisor at an insurance company's drably lit call center cramped with blue cubicles. But when night falls, she...