Wagering on a new pope? You bet!

(RNS) Betting on the new pope takes off internationally, including “Sweet Sistine” brackets.

What Pope Benedict XVI shares with his notorious namesake

(RNS) The last Pope Benedict to resign, Benedict IX, was an infamous rake who sold the papacy. But like his 21st-century namesake, Benedict IX forces Catholics to mind the gap between the mortal man and the sacred papal office.

Video: RNS Editor-in-Chief Kevin Eckstrom talks to CTV News

Video courtesy CTV News – Click the photograph or link below to watch video. Click the link below to view video. http://bit.ly/ZxEAZH

Pope allows cardinals to move up start of papal election

VATICAN CITY (RNS) With three days left before his resignation on Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday (Feb. 25) allowed cardinals to move up the start of the conclave that will elect his successor.

Video: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly – Pope’s resignation

As the news of Benedict’s impending departure took hold, people inside–and outside–of the church began offering assessments of his legacy. Video courtesy Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Watch Pope’s Resignation on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Photo by Rene Shaw.

Who runs the Vatican after the pope steps down?

VATICAN CITY (RNS) As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the Vatican will go into “sede vacante” mode — a Latin expression that means that the seat of St. Peter is vacant. Here’s what will happen and who rules the church during the “interregnum” between two popes.

The Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson retired after serving 17 years as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America. RNS file photo by Katy Batdorff/The Grand Rapids Press.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Why the next pope should come from the Global South

(RNS) A non-European pope, drawn from the Global South that’s shaping the future face of the church, would be a prophetic spiritual gift to the whole Christian community, and beyond.