Part Two: Pope Francis's remarks have often sounded compatible with Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's concept of 'conscious evolution.' So why are American nuns in trouble for supporting it? Read more»

Part One: Religious sisters still under pressure despite soothing language from the pope. Read more»

Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the original Olympic sports, contested in Athens in 1896 and in every Olympics since. But don't put your money on Greeks and Romans. In this sport, it's better to be from a former Soviet bloc country. Read more»

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, will be the headliners of a $5,000 Mediterranean cruise this summer. Read more» 1

Italian lawmakers appear determined to tap into the country's gambling sector to shore up gaping fiscal deficits. Read more»

The Vatican on Friday slammed a giant new sculpture outside Rome's main train station that portrays John Paul II but has been compared to the late Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Read more» 1

Italian film studio Cinecitta is offering tours of the site where the classics 'La Dolce Vita' and 'Roman Holiday' were produced and is hoping to create a permanent museum. Read more»

Parcel bombs exploded at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome on Thursday, wounding two people. Read more»

Rome, once a symbol of “traditional” home-made culture made of pizzerias and a moderated nightlife, has turned into a destination for alcohol tourism. Read more»

Up until the 1960s, middle and high school students in Italy studied both Latin and Greek syntax and literature. Today they can hardly write (and many cases even speak) Italian properly. Read more»

Gloom and doom sell books. Bad news sells newspapers and grabs television viewers. Especially bad news about America and dire predictions about where the country is heading. Read more» 1

On a day like today - Mother's Day - it's important to remember all the moms everywhere. And not just human mothers, mind you. What about all those animal mothers who sacrifice their youths, dreams, and appearances to birth their young? Let's take a minute to reflect on some of those sacrifices. Read more» 1

"When we think of American girls, we think of pillow fights and girls running around half-naked," laughed Nir Meir, a 28-year-old Israeli from Tel Aviv. Young Israelis see American women just like the women seen in movies about "typical" college life, he said. Read more»