Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, more than 1 billion Catholics around the world wait with baited breath for the white smoke to emit from the Sistine Chapel, ...

For the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and for millions of other people as well, the Catholic Church's 2025 was primarily ...

A popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.” It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.” It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or ...

On May 7, 2025, 133 Catholic cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to choose the next pope. It’s a vote that could influence not just the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, but global politics as ...

Ed. Note 5/6/25 2:00 p.m. ET: The new pope is Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American whose choice is seen as a major surprise. He has chosen the name Leo XIV. Read about him here. As the latest conclave ...

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV (C), the American Robert Prevost, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican after the Papal Conclave. Oliver Weiken/dpa A top candidate seen by many ...

Traveling through the Mideast, Leo XIV channeled many of his predecessor’s messages. Leo’s deliberate manner differed from ...