Pope Benedict XVI's resignation sets in motion a complex sequence of events to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The laws governing the selection after a pope's ...

VATICAN CITY -- The temporary chimney atop the Sistine Chapel released a plume of white smoke on Thursday evening local time, signaling that the 133 cardinals working inside had reached a two-thirds ...

The process by which a new pope is elected has undergone numerous changes in the nearly two millennia that the Catholic Church has existed, with the current procedure a combination of ancient ...

A seagull has gained viral fame for perching on the Sistine Chapel chimney during papal conclaves. The bird’s presence has inspired memes and social media fascination dating back to 2013. Though the ...

There is no rule that cardinals electing a new pope vote a certain way according to their nationality or region. But understanding their makeup in geographic terms can help explain some of their ...

Catholic cardinal electors from six continents gathered Wednesday inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to select a new pope. After the first round of voting, black smoke was ...

The Vatican announced that Pope Francis died Monday at 88 at his papal residence. The pope's last public appearance was at St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, less than 24 hours before his death. Now ...

The United States counts 10 cardinals among the 133 eligible to vote for the successor to Pope Francis, including two from the tri-state area. Only four of the American electors actively serve as ...