Mere hours after Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff in nearly six centuries to resign his post, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica — the earthly resting place of the Church's first Pope — was lit up by a dramatic lightning strike.

Last week, voters in Maryland, Maine and Washington state voted for marriage equality and the gays rejoiced! After all, this was the first time that gay marriage had been approved by popular vote. But just like at the end of The Avengers, there's another villan hiding in a distant galaxy, in this case, it's Europe.

Most people who wait out the long, slow-moving line into the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican leave with an overwhelming feeling of inferiority, slumped over at the feet of the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Not this guy! Nope, a U.K. man named Robert Burns has this to say: "One day I saw some photos of the…

Pope Benedict is a proud organ donor and considers it "an act of love." After some publicity, the Vatican says the Pope's donor card is now "de facto invalid" so his organs don't become relics in lowly human bodies. Nice.

The Vatican is teaming up with the Discovery Channel to create a show called The Exorcist Files based on historical Catholic exorcisms. That's just great. The church won't talk about priests abusing kids, but they'll talk about freeing demons.

There was quite a show at the Vatican today, as a troupe of male acrobats ripped off their shirts and performed for the Pope. The nuns, meanwhile, "cheered enthusiastically and even snapped photos of the bare-chested men." Hilarious footage below.

An Italian art historian claims some of the images depicted in Michelangelo's "Last Judgment"—the fresco on the wall of the Sistine Chapel—were inspired by acts the artist witnessed in homosexual bathhouses. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

The Guardian is running a map during Pope Benedict's visit to the UK where people can report seeing the Popemobile, masses, protests and miracles. One user in north London reported seeing a "Cloud that looked like the Pope. I wept."

[Pope Benedict XVI prepares to deplane without incident on his first trip to Third World Britain today. Image via AP]

Just in time for Pope Benedict's taxpayer-funded trip to Britain, a Channel 4 investigation shows that at least 14 priests who have served time for molesting children remain in the clergy, and some even made it into the Church's yearbook.

A new poll suggests that 77% of Britons don't think taxpayers should have to pay for Pope Benedict XVI's £12 million visit later this month. No wonder, considering the Vatican has already banned all fun at the Pope's events.

[Pope Benedict XVI walks at his summer residence outside Rome today. He is due to visit England and Scotland in two weeks, and the Vatican quashed any possible fun by banning everything ahead of time. Image via AP]

Mel isn't the only ranting Gibson. His Holocaust-denying father Hutton—who belongs to a fringe Catholic group—recently went on a radio rant, calling Pope Benedict "homosexual" and half the Vatican "queer." Hutton's so far right, he's almost a leftist.

An Austrian Catholic priest got into trouble with the Vienna archdiocese this week after he listed his church's confessional on eBay. The listing said it could be used as a "one-person sauna, a small bar or a children's playhouse."

Pope Benedict, speaking to a crowd in Sulmona, Italy praised the 13th Century pontiff Celestine V, and was greeted by the faithful during "this time of harsh attacks and media provocation." The poor Pope just can't escape this unjustified persecution.

Shocker: An Australian Catholic priest today was sentenced to 20 years in jail for molesting 25 children between 1968 and 1986. In court he called himself a "mere scumbag paedophile." The same could be said for much of the Vatican.

The US Supreme Court yesterday refused to hear an appeal from the Vatican regarding a child sex abuse case the Holy See claims is a publicity stunt. The Vatican's defense is that touchy feely priests are not its employees. [AP]

On Thursday, Belgian police raided Catholic church offices and the tombs of two cardinals searching for evidence in child sex abuse cases against priests in the country. The Vatican is very upset that some priests were treated like average people.

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.