A new papal election — known as the conclave — is set to begin following Pope Francis' death. The method the Catholic Church uses to elect its leader has stayed almost the same for 800 years.

Following the recent death of Pope Francis, the world caught a rare glimpse into one of the most secretive rituals on the planet: the election of a new pope. The centuries-old process, known as the ...

Speculation surrounding a conclave to elect a new pope is a time-honored tradition. But for the impending contenders following the death of Pope Francis, the ranks of armchair Vatican experts have ...

For centuries, the leader of the Catholic Church has been chosen in a highly secretive gathering known as “conclave,” meaning “with key” in Latin – a nod to how cardinals used to be locked in until a ...

As the Vatican prepares for the election of a new pope, many around the world are doing their own preparations — by watching a movie about it. After news of Pope Francis’ death broke Monday, the film ...

The papal conclave is among the most significant and closely guarded events in the Catholic Church, where cardinals serve not ...

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 ...

Following Pope Francis’s passing on April 21 and the election of Pope Leo on May 8, many people have wondered where the highest authority in the Catholic Church lives. Since 1870, more than a dozen ...

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 ...