Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, ...

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with ballots continuing in succession until ...

Per Catholic doctrine, only baptized, Catholic males are allowed to be priests, who can then go on to be cardinals. Only male cardinals under the age of 80 can vote in a conclave, and only men are ...

Multiple rounds of voting likely will be required before a candidate emerges with the two-thirds majority required to become ...

As with any new papacy, a quick look at their first appointments and audiences inside the system offers at least a small ...

For the first time, the majority of cardinals to choose a pope are not from Europe, as Catholic demographics shift. But Europe remains the largest source of cardinals.

Brazilian Cardinal Leonardo Steiner told America that Pope Leo would carry forward Pope Francis' legacy of synodality in the ...

Pope Leo XIV has reinstated the “conclave bonus” given to Vatican employees for their service during the sede vacante period.

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican began the conclave process to elect the new pope. Some students studying at ...

Three conclaves set the stage for the moment when Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, stunning ...

Ever since Pope John XXIII was elected in 1958, the successors of St. Peter have established a pattern: pope as disruptor, ...