Francis-era reforms that saw a diverse group of cardinals join the mix make his successor nearly impossible to call.

CITÉ DU VATICAN, Holy See (AFP) — Besides its masterpieces by Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel is undergoing a makeover, ...

Cardinals enter the Vatican’s sealed conclave to elect the next pope in a centuries-old ritual shrouded in secrecy.

On May 7, the world will look on as the conclave to elect a new pope begins. This highly complex and secretive process will ...

Of the 133 cardinals with the right to vote in this conclave, 108 were created by Pope Francis and therefore will be ...

Four frontrunners have emerged as the most likely contenders known as papabile to succeed Pope Francis but at least a dozen ...

A conclave is the centuries-old election of a pope that derives its name from the Italian “con clave” (with a key) to ...

The College of Cardinals celebrated the ninth and final Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on Sunday, May 4, the third Sunday of Easter.

The universal church is on full display during the waiting-for-white-smoke period. Watchers who gather at St. Peter's Square ...

The chimney on the Sistine Chapel is up, and voting to elect the next pope will begin on Wednesday afternoon, May 7. Here is ...

Experts say the process requires "two custom fireworks", smoke test rehearsals and Vatican firefighters on standby.

Robert Harris praises the secret process of electing Pope Francis's success, saying political parties could learn from it.