RELIGION

"What are you giving up for Lent?" -- it's a common question, but not everyone knows the reason behind it.

Pope Benedict XVI announced his retirement on Monday, a surprise move that hints at trouble in the Vatican.

Celebrities like Piers Morgan, Kristen Bell and Mario Lopez took to Twitter to talk about Pope Benedict XVI's incredulous resignation.

With the surprising resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, a new pope will soon be picked. According to the “Petrus Romanus” prophecy, this pope will be the last and will bring the destruction of Rome as well as the apocalypse.

Less than eight years ago, the last time the seat of the Roman Pontiff was vacant, I happened to be living in Rome.

When is Easter Sunday 2013? The arguably most important holiday in the Catholic religion falls on March 31.

Susan Silverman and the 10 other women were part of “Women of the Wall,” a liberal group that prays at the Western Wall every month in defiance of regulations governing the holy site.

The 85-year-old pope cited his age and declining strength as reasons behind his resignation but considering his predecessor Pope John Paul II held onto the title as Parkinson’s disease slowly eroded his health, many are wondering about Benedict’s true motivation.

There has never been a Pope from Ireland, one of the most Catholic nations on earth.

The Catholic Church's future growth has become increasingly dependent on the developing world, including Africa.

With attendance in Catholic Churches across Europe and the U.S. having fallen for decades, how will Catholics respond to Benedict's resignation?

China’s Internet population did not miss the news of the Pope's resignation, and is offering some theories on why he did it.

The Roman Catholic Church, stunned by news that Pope Benedict XVI will resign at the end of the month, is expected to have a new leader by Easter.

The event, while not unprecedented, is extremely rare: the resignation of a pope has not happened in nearly 600 years.

Ratzinger has been a respected defender of Church doctrine, but his reputation was hurt by his response to sex abuse scandal involving priests.

Benedict's resignation later this month has set off speculation about who will be the next pope.

Pope Benedict will resign on Feb. 28, the first time a sitting pope has stepped down since the Middle Ages.

It was too late to save her, but the U.N. Human Rights Commission condemned the burning of a young woman as a witch.

Two granddaughters of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps have left the hate-mongering cult congregation, leaving behind their family members whose likeness has become synonymous with bigotry and homophobia.

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson collapsed onstage during a concert in Canada, but his reps say the tour will resume this week.

A Tennessee maintenance worker reportedly quit his job after he received a W-2 tax form stamped with the number 666, aka the "number of the beast," saying that he had to make the move in order to avoid eternal damnation.