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Pope Leo XIV explained his choice of name and the Church’s social teaching in the face of artificial intelligence and more.
As the conclave gets underway, all eyes turn to the small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. From this simple metal tube will emerge the long-awaited white smoke that will announce the election of the new pope.
The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.
The proceedings will take place in absolute secrecy, with the prelates largely sequestered from the outside world for as long as the conclave lasts until a new Supreme Pontiff is chosen.
Of the 133 cardinals with the right to vote in this conclave, 108 were created by Pope Francis and therefore will be participating in the election of a pontiff for the first time.
In an interview with EWTN earlier this year, 92-year-old Cardinal Francis Arinze reflected on the qualities needed in the next pope, offering wisdom to younger cardinals.
The unprecedented number of 133 cardinal electors surpasses all previous papal conclaves, breaking the previous record of 115 electors in the 2005 and 2013 elections.
The appeal came as the cardinals concluded their seventh general congregation — the daily meetings leading up to the start of the conclave on May 7.
The conclave to elect a new pope will begin on May 7. Here’s what you need to know about what will happen.
From a son of a rubber tapper in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to a Bishop-elect who was rejected by the Diocese to which he had been appointed in Nigeria, and to a young Priest who spent a year in an Ethiopian jail, the stories of the Cardinals Pope Francis created in Africa are awe-inspiring.
Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Among the new crop of cardinals created by Pope Francis on Dec. 7, Cardinal Mykola Bychok stands out. At 44, he is the youngest cardinal in the world.
While he has appointed 78% of electors, factors including limited gatherings and logistical challenges suggest the next conclave’s outcome remains unpredictable.
Pope Francis celebrated the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception with the news cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica, calling Christians to imitate Mary.
Battaglia’s reputation as a “street priest” close to drug addicts and the poor has also led some to view him as Pope Francis’ Italian counterpart.
The pontiff introduced Father George Jacob Koovakad to the world in 2021 as someone who is “always smiling.”
Pope Francis has decided to cut the salaries of the cardinals working at the Vatican again, a measure that will take effect Nov. 1.
Pope Francis will add 21 members to the College of Cardinals at a consistory at the Vatican in December.
On Dec. 8, Pope Francis will preside at a Mass with the College of Cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Were a conclave to begin today, there would be 94 cardinal-electors created by Pope Francis, 27 created by Benedict XVI, and eight made by John Paul II.