My acquaintance with J.R. dates back to when I was a fourth-grade student in Bogenhausen, a suburb of Munich, in the early 1950s.

Mgr. Dario Vigano offered his resignation on March 19, saying he did not want the flap over the Benedict letter to hinder reforms in the communications office.

The Vatican has released the complete letter by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI about Pope Francis after facing criticism for manipulating a photograph of it.

Benedict affirmed that “there is an internal continuity between the two pontificates.”

The six-part part series, which will play Sunday nights starting March 11, is subdivided into some novel plots of papal territory.

The pope's brother reportedly told a German magazine that Pope Benedict was sick.