With the death of Pope Francis, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be ...

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, has died at age 88. The Vatican will observe a nine-day mourning period, and the College of Cardinals will convene to elect a new pope.

Jim Yardley, a former Rome bureau chief for The New York Times, witnessed Pope Francis’ transformation from an unlikely papal contender to a beloved figure. By Jim Yardley I remember the people.

The passing of Pope Francis means the end of a 12-year tenure as head of the Catholic Church and a new search for the next head of the papacy by the conclave. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the ...

After Pope Francis’ funeral, 135 cardinals will gather for a conclave to elect a new pope. The traditions include oaths of secrecy, paper ballots and white smoke from a chimney of the Sistine ...

Pope Francis' death on Monday, the day after Easter Sunday, started off a series of traditions that in a few weeks will culminate in a vote for the next pope. After Pope Francis is laid to rest ...

Pope Francis, who changed the face of the papacy, was broadly popular with the more than 60 million U.S. Catholics, according to recent public opinion polling. Seventy-eight percent of American ...

The Vatican watcher Andrea Gagliarducci, who writes the must-read blog MondayVatican.com, said that the reckoning that remains is whether “Pope Francis’ revolution has given direction to the Church or ...

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away today, the Vatican announced. He was 88 years old. “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce ...

Many of the rituals and procedures of selecting a new pope — designed to ensure secrecy and an orderly transition — have remained unchanged for centuries. By Elisabetta Povoledo Reporting from ...

Pope Francis, worldwide head of the Catholic Church and 266th pope, has died at age 88. The Pontiff was known for his advocacy and outspokenness about world issues, addressing climate change ...

In life, Pope Francis strayed from the more conservative path forged by his predecessors Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. But in death, Francis will be following in many of John Paul’s ...