Long ago, a childhood friend and I were walking across an old wooden bridge in the small town where we lived when a car stopped to offer us a ride. The local priest was at the wheel.

Sixty years ago — on Oct. 28, 1958 — Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected pope, taking the name Pope John XXIII.  His coronation Nov. 4 lasted five hours, filled with all the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the position at that time. HereöÏÓãÊÓƵapp The RegisteröÏÓãÊÓƵapp account of that historic day:

I was surprised at how well Wim Wenders summarized the first five years of Pope Francis’  pontificate in his latest documentary, Pope Francis: A Man of His Word. In the end, it truly deepened my admiration for Pope Francis. 

OTTAWA – Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the highest-ranking Canadian in the Roman Curia, marked his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood May 25 at a Mass of celebration in Rome.

VATICAN CITY – Leading Catholic and Orthodox bishops were meeting in Italy to continue discussions on the key issue keeping their Churches apart: the role of the bishop of Rome, the pope.

VATICAN CITY – While retired Pope Benedict XVI said organization and governance are not his strong suits, he also said, "I am unable to see myself as a failure."

VATICAN CITY – The life of Pope John Paul I is not a closed chapter in the history of the popes but a reminder of the church's mission to serve with simplicity, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

VATICAN CITY – Retired Pope Benedict XVI said in an interview that he felt a "duty" to resign from the papacy because of his declining health and the rigorous demands of papal travel.

VATICAN CITY – In his first public address in almost a year, retired Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sincere gratefulness to Pope Francis, saying that his goodness "from the first moment of your election, in every moment of my life here, touches me deeply."