VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI has stipulated that a two-thirds majority always is required to elect a new pope, undoing a more flexible procedure introduced by Pope John Paul II. In a one-page document released June 26, the pope said the two-thirds-majority rule cannot be set aside even when cardinal-electors are at an impasse.

Under Pope Benedict's new rule, if a conclave has not elected a pope after 13 days, the cardinals will pause for a day of prayer, reflection and dialogue, then move to a runoff election between the two cardinals who had obtained the most votes on the previous ballot. The two leading cardinals would not vote in the runoff ballots, though they would remain in the Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held.

In 1996, Pope John Paul introduced a change in the conclave procedure that allowed cardinal-electors to move to a simple majority after 13 days, when 33 or 34 ballots had been held.

Pope Benedict said there had been significant requests for a return to the old rules, under which a two-thirds majority was always required. The pope effected the change by replacing two paragraphs of his predecessor's apostolic constitution, "Universi Dominici Gregis" ("The Lord's Whole Flock"), a document that defined conclave procedures.

Diocese continues push for amendment to abuse-related legislation
WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) --- A bill that eliminates Delaware's statute of limitations for civil suits in child sexual abuse cases and opens a two-year window for courts to hear old claims previously barred by the time limit is headed to the governor's desk after unanimous approval in the state House and Senate.

The Senate bill, SB 29, passed largely as written June 19 and 20 despite attempts by the Diocese of Wilmington to have it amended. The diocese supported the bill's intent to change the state's current two-year statute of limitations but argued that the bill should be amended to make it clear "that equal protection is given to all children, not just children in private institutions or private settings," according to a statement June 7 in The Dialog, the diocesan newspaper.

Institutions that allowed abuse to occur through "gross negligence" can be sued under the legislation. But the diocese in its June 7 statement noted that SB 29 "neither waives the sovereign immunity that shields state agencies from lawsuits, nor does it alter the statutory immunity that bars most claims against public school districts." The diocese also objected to the bill's two-year period for looking back at old claims because it places no time limit on the age of the claims that can be revisited.

Pope urges professors to find solutions to 'crisis of modernity'
VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI urged university professors to create solutions for "the crisis of modernity" as well as investigate Christianity's contribution to the study of human nature. "Europe is presently experiencing a certain social instability and diffidence in the face of traditional values," but its history and universities "have much to contribute to shaping a future of hope," he told participants in the first European meeting of university professors.

Representatives from around the world came to Rome for the June 21-24 meeting, "A New Humanism for Europe: the Role of Universities," sponsored by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences. The current cultural shift "is often seen as a challenge to the culture of the university and Christianity itself rather than as a horizon against which creative solutions can and must be found," Pope Benedict said.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha's celebration set for July 14
ROSEMEAD --- The City of the Angels Kateri Circle will celebrate Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha's Feast Day July 14 at 1 p.m. at the St. Joseph Salesian Youth Renewal Center and Shrine, 8301 Arroyo Dr., Rosemead. Participants are encouraged to come in regalia and to bring beverages, salad or desert for a potluck lunch following Mass. In the evening, Salesian Father Paul Maria Caporali will serve as main celebrant of the evening Mass, rosary and eucharistic adoration beginning at 7 p.m.

Separated and Divorce Ministry workshop set for July 28
LOS ANGELES --- A workshop on grieving and healing from a divorce and the role of faith, nature and nurture in building a new relationship will be presented by Father Patrick J. Hill July 28. The 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. workshop takes place at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, and is sponsored by the Office of Family Life's Separated and Divorce Ministry. The fee, which includes materials and lunch, is $25 by July 17 and $30 at the door. To register, call Julie Monell-Auzenne at (213) 637-7249 or e-mail jmonell1@altrionet.com.