Following the death or abdication of a pope, the Catholic Church's College of Cardinals meets at the Vatican to choose a new leader at a papal conclave. However, a papal conclave does not necessarily ...

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.

Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday and again Thursday morning indicated that a new pope had not yet been chosen to replace Pope Francis. Using smoke to communicate to the ...

Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church's leader for the last 12 years, died at age 88 on Monday. In the days following a pope's death or resignation, the Vatican is tasked with both honoring the ...

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, more than 1 billion Catholics around the world wait with baited breath for the white smoke to emit from the Sistine Chapel, ...

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 ...