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If you mean, St. Peter's Basilica, it is not a Cathedral, then the pope in summer 2012 is Pope Benedict XVI. His Cathedral is St. John Lateran.
St. Peter's Basilica used for Mass like any Catholic church. Of course it is most well-known for for the papal liturgies which take place there. It should be noted however, that St. Peters is NOT a cathedral.
No pope ever urged anyone to sell indulgences. Selling indulgences is a grievous sin and always has been.
The church of the Pope as bishop of Rome is the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome. The church of the Pope as Pope is Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
No, it is not a requirement.
In 2014 the current pope is Pope Francis.
The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the popes. There are six extant papal tombs inside the Archbasilica: Alexander III, Pope Sergius IV, Pope Clement XII, Pope Martin V, Pope Innocent III and Pope Leo XIII. A number of other popes were also buried there but these tombs were lost in two terrible fires in the 14th century.
st peters basilica obelisk st peters square vatican hill the popes chair preserved pope john paul on display in casket these are just a few but it is not hard to research if you are interested in finding out even more -lauren
.Catholic AnswerAttached below is the Vatican's website for St. Peter's including the full history. Pope Nicholas V decided to rebuild the ancient Basilica originally build on St. Peter's tomb by the emperor Constantine. From the time that Pope Nicholas started rebuilding, it took 150 years (until 1612) to finish the Basilica, it was the work of many people and many Popes.
Pope Nicholas III started the Vatican Palace near St Peters Basilica. for the history of the palace go to: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15276b.htm ., the online Catholic Encyclopedia.
The Easter blessing is given during the mass in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome that is celebrated by the Pope. He begins the mass by venerating the symbol of the Risen Christ.
Benedict is now retired and has nothing to do with the Basilica.