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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Iyyar 20, 5773
4:18 pm IDT
Site updated 1 minute ago

The Times of Israel

The one-stop news site
covering Israel, the region and
the Jewish people worldwide

Founding editor:
David Horovitz

Fair, fresh and fast

The Jewish world's
fastest-growing
news site

Writer: Nicole Winfield

March 31, 2013
2:22 pm

Faithful pass by the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30. (photo credit: AP/Alessandro Di Marcol)

Shroud of Turin on display amid new claim of authenticity

In book, researchers date cloth to the 1st century; Pope Francis hails the ‘icon,’ but tellingly doesn’t describe it as a relic

By Nicole Winfield

March 30, 2013
5:45 pm

Pope Francis conducts a foot-washing ceremony in a juvenile offenders facility on Thursday (photo credit: YouTube screenshot)

Washing feet of Serbian Muslim girl, pope angers traditionalists

Almost everything Francis has done since being elected has rankled, but latest ceremony at a juvenile prison is last straw for some

By Nicole Winfield

March 23, 2013
5:20 pm

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, right, and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI pray together in Castel Gandolfo Saturday. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, HO)

‘We are brothers,’ Francis tells Benedict

In gardens south of Rome, the two popes embrace warmly, pray side-by-side as new pope refuses to pray alone at front of chapel

By Nicole Winfield and Paolo Santalucia

March 22, 2013
2:20 pm

Pope Francis I waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (photo credit:AP/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope calls for dialogue with Islam, outreach to China

Francis I aims to to enhance rapport among different religions, deepen the church’s outreach to atheists

By Nicole Winfield

March 19, 2013
10:59 am

Pope Francis waves to crowds as he arrives at his inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. (photo credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis urges protection of nature, weak

St. Peter’s square in Vatican City fills for new pontiff installation Mass

By Nicole Winfield

March 16, 2013
4:17 pm

Pope Francis at the Vatican last month (photo credit: AP/Alessandra Tarantino)

New pope turns on charm in first meeting with press

Francis shares his ‘simple and direct’ vision of ‘a poor church and a church for the poor’ with thousands of journalists

By Nicole Winfield

March 13, 2013
8:22 pm

Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio who chose the name of Francis is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church (photo credit: AP/Gregorio Borgia)

Catholic church chooses new pope

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, first non-European pontiff, elected leader of world’s 1.2 billion Catholics

By Nicole Winfield

March 12, 2013
10:00 pm

Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. (photo credit: AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Black smoke at night, still no pope in sight

Chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel signals to the world that cardinals haven’t agreed on who will be the next pontiff

By Nicole Winfield

March 12, 2013
1:26 pm

From left, US Cardinals Justin Francis Rigali, Donald Wuerl, Timothy Dolan, Francis George and Roger Mahony leave the North American College to go to the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Martae, the Vatican hotel where the cardinals stay during the conclave, in Rome, on Tuesday March 12, 2013. (photo credit: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Vatican cardinals begin conclave to select new pope

Successor to Benedict XVI could be selected by 8 p.m.

By Nicole Winfield

February 28, 2013
10:14 pm

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican, Thursday, February 28, 2013 (photo credit: AP Photo/Vatican TV)

Benedict XVI resigns papacy with emotional Vatican send-off

In a final farewell to cardinals, the Catholic leader pledges his ‘unconditional reverence and obedience’ to his successor

By Frances D'Emilio and Nicole Winfield

February 28, 2013
9:53 am

Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (photo credit: AP/Luca Bruno)

Pope recalls joy and troubles in final audience

Over 150,000 people gather in St. Peter’s Square to hear Benedict XVI bid farewell to his flock

By Nicole Winfield

February 11, 2013
6:18 pm

Pope Benedict XVI, third from left, delivers his message at the end of a meeting of Vatican cardinals, at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. From left are Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, Mons. Franco Camaldo, and Mons. Guido Marini, pope aides. (photo credti: AP/L'Osservatore Romano)

Benedict tried to revive Europe’s Church, faced scandal

Sexual abuse, Nazi and German military participation, and differences with Jewish, Muslim communities marred pope’s reign

By Nicole Winfield

December 22, 2012
5:17 pm

Former pope's butler Paolo Gabriele is received in a private audience by Pope Benedict XVI, at the Vatican, in December 2012 (photo credit: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

Christmas pardon for pope paper purloiner

Benedict forgives his jailed aide for leaking private documents to expose Catholic church corruption

By Nicole Winfield

November 22, 2012
10:58 pm

Often referred to as the 'Yid Army,' fans of the Tottenham soccer club were targeted in what appeared to be an organized attack in November in Rome. (Photo credit: CC BY/Wonker via Flickr.com)

Italian soccer rampage takes on anti-Semitic overtones

Unleashing metal rods and other weapons, Lazio fans yell ‘Jews’ at visiting Tottenham supporters during pregame attack

By Nicole Winfield