Living up to his unofficial reign name, Cool Pope Francis announced 15 new cardinals from all over the world today, including many developing countries like Vietnam, Panama and Cape Verde.

Wednesday was the Cool Pope's 78th birthday. What do you think he did to celebrate? Get a few strippers? Eat a pile of molly? Cry to himself silently over a bottle of Grappa about a life lived unfulfilled? No. He bought homeless Romans 400 sleeping bags.

The Borghese Gallery in Rome has resorted to the unthinkable in the art world by opening its windows to let in air as a way to prevent humidity from touching the works during the city's unusually balmy spring. The museum is home to precious art by Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, and Raphael, among others.

A vial of holy blood belonging to the dead pope John Paul II was stolen from a tiny church in the mountains east of Rome, and an Italian anti-occult organization says the blood was likely taken for Satanic rituals.

Earlier today, Business Insider's Henry Blodget asked readers a "serious question": Why do people hate Jews? While it may not be the catchall Blodget was looking for, it seems a habit of not tipping is the reason Italy hates at least one Jew: Mark Zuckerberg.

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world marched on dozens of cities on Saturday, joining the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations against greed, inequality and everything else that's screwed up right now.

This bus driver in Rome was suspended after he was videotaped using two cell phones while steering his bus with his elbow. Italians! Always talking with their hands.

Two earthquakes hit southern Spain in quick succession today, resulting in several deaths and widespread damage. This comes on the day some predicted an earthquake would destroy Rome, which resulted in thousands fleeing the city. Looks like the prophesy was only off by a few countries. Let's hope those exiled…

Is Rome going to be destroyed in a massive earthquake tomorrow, May 11? According to a rumored prophesy, yes! And so, "thousands of people are reported to be staying out of Rome for the next few days."

What terrible things should you fear today, you ask? Terrorists plotting to poison food at hotels and restaurants; crude bombs on Rome's subway; and the "suspicious odor" that caused the UN to evacuate this morning. And it's only 1pm.

Finally, a Vatican scandal that doesn't involve molesting children! Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, and a former Italian Infrastructure and Transport Minister are being investigated for aggravated corruption in connection with shady real estate deals and multi-million euro kickbacks. Breathe easy, Pope.

ABC News has come up with video purporting to prove that Barack Obama did not lasciviously check out a woman's ass in Rome yesterday. We undertook a Zapruder treatment and determined that he probably did, but had no choice.

[Michelle Obama walks by a HILARIOUS statue in Rome today; image via Getty]

Click to viewBoomp3.com Pausing slightly during a whirlwind shopping expedition, Mickey Rourke and beloved dog Loki decided to experience Rome in all of its glory and splendor. "It’s a beautiful city," Rourke said. "Just ripe with culture and history; I mean it’s just a real work of art. Something to savoir and…

A former neo-Facist, Gianni Alemanno, is the new mayor of Rome. He got the job promising to bulldoze homeless encampments, deport foreign criminals and install surveillance cameras, all in an effort to be tough of crime. So it isn't surprising to read reports that when Google's black Street View car, with its…

Ever since Rome elected a straight-up neo-fascist mayor, they've been a little on edge about things. So when Google sent their magic creepy photo-van around town to capture every block for their wonderful Street View feature, Italians naturally fled "into shops and bars, hoping to be out of view of the camera's lens."…