Choosing Pope Francis' successor is a mix of tradition and necessity. There have been 266 popes in the Catholic Church's roughly 2,000-year history, which spans three millennia. With the death of Pope ...

Tens of thousands of people flocked to the Vatican on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis. The beloved pontiff, the first Latin American pope in history, died earlier this week at the age of 88.

Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news. Robert Prevost was elected as the new pope Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV—suggesting he intends to work on behalf of the ...

Like the other ceremonies and traditions that accompany the advent of a new pope, his newly chosen name will be imbued with centuries of Catholic history and dissected for its many layers of meaning.

This is part of a series on the papal transition. For further information, please click here to return to the papal transition homepage, or here to read about the interregnum period between the ...

Editor's note: Follow USA TODAY's live coverage as Pope Leo XIV is named the first pope from the United States on Thursday, May 8. A legend involving an ancient doomsday prophesy could be interpreted ...

Cardinals attend a consistory led by Pope Francis to create new cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on June 28, 2018, (CNS photo/Paul Haring) To view the answers to each question, either ...

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on Thursday became the first ever pope from the United States, a surprise selection by 133 cardinals from across the globe on the second day of the papal conclave in ...