The Vatican & The Pope

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?️ Francis reshaped papacy

Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square in 2014, the first full year of his papacy. Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at age 88, less than 24 hours after greeting Easter faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, pushed the Catholic Church to the left — satisfying Catholics seeking modernization but dismaying traditionalists, Axios' Sareen Habeshian and Avery Lotz write. The Vatican said in a statement that Francis died on Monday morning at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. "At 7:35 this morning [1:35 a.m. ET], the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," said Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, in the announcement. The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics was released from the hospital on March 23 after being treated for double pneumonia. He had been admitted with bronchitis symptoms five weeks earlier. The pope met briefly with Vice President Vance at the Vatican on Easter Sunday. Vance tweeted at 4:45 a.m. ET: "My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I'll always remember him for the ... homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul." Pope Francis rides on the Popemobile at the Vatican yesterday. Photo: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters Francis was elected in March 2013 and was tasked with cleaning up a scandal-ridden Vatican. In recent years, he expressed support for the LGBTQ community and for same-sex civil unions, which the church has traditionally marginalized. Francis pushed for years to improve the gender balance in the Roman Catholic Church, increasing the number of women working at the Vatican, including those in leadership positions. The pope urged nations to welcome and safeguard immigrants, and called for action to combat climate change. He recently spoke against the Trump administration's mass deportations, urging followers of his faith "not to give in to narratives that discriminate" against migrants and refugees. In an interview last year, he characterized climate change as "a road to death" denied by "foolish people." Pope Francis delivers his Urbi Et Orbi ("to the city [of Rome] and to the world") message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square in Vatican City yesterday. Photo: Vatican Media via Getty Images Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he took the name Francis when he became pope. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making him the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe since the 8th century. Francis was also the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit order. What's next: The College of Cardinals, composed of senior Vatican administrators and worldwide diocese leaders, will elect a new pope. They typically meet within 15 to 20 days after the pope's death to choose his successor by secret ballot. ?? Obituary ... Championed progressive causes ... World leaders' tributes ... Key moments ... Life in photos. Rites and rituals: Francis' funeral and burial.

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Pope Francis

Pope Francis, the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years and one of the oldest popes in the church’s history, has died, the Vatican announced. He was 88. Born in Buenos Aires, Francis was 16 when he decided to become a priest. He entered the seminary and after three years began training to become a Jesuit, a religious order known for its missionary work. At 36, he was appointed head of the Jesuit order in Argentina. Francis became the first Latin-American pontiff in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI resigned. Benedict remained as pope emeritus until his death at 95 in 2022. Unlike his predecessor, who was admired by conservatives for railing against secular trends, Francis sought to modernize the church. A believer in humility, he eschewed the opulence of the office and turned down the opportunity to move into the luxurious papal apartments. Francis also championed the poor, migrants and the environment and he took a more compassionate approach to divorced and gay Catholics. His efforts, particularly concerning same-sex relationships and how to tackle the scourge of sexual abuse scandals, faced unprecedented resistance from ultra-conservatives.

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Pope Francis’ Last Act Was to Give JD Vance a Lesson About Migrants

The pontiff, who died Monday, spoke up in opposition to MAGA policies and suggested in a final statement that they stirred up “contempt.”

Pope Francis, who died at 88 on Monday, used his last days on the planet to order up a stern dressing down to JD Vance on the White House’s attitude to migrants.

It was an entirely fitting final set piece from one of the few world leaders who had the courage—and political immunity—to stand up to and criticize, often in blistering terms, both presidencies of Donald Trump, explicitly calling his migration policies a “disgrace” and “not Christian.”

Vance met with Francis in the Vatican on Sunday. He was given Easter eggs for his children.

While that brief meeting appears to have been largely conciliatory in tone, with Vance telling Francis, “It’s good to see you in better health,” Francis’ official Easter speech later in the day seemed to rebuke the MAGA/Vance stance on immigrants and foreign aid: “How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants,” Francis wrote in the address.

Sunday’s events were preceded by a less diplomatic meeting on Saturday between Vance and Francis’ number 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in the Apostolic Palace.

The Holy See spoke in frank terms after that meeting, saying there had been “an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”

It called for “serene collaboration” between the White House and the Catholic Church in the United States.

A statement from Vance’s office notably did not include migration among the topics of conversation, saying the two discussed Trump’s “commitment to restoring world peace,” Bloomberg reported.

In a post reacting to Francis’ death, Vance shared his condolences with “the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” but stopped short of expressing a personal sense of loss. Vance added that he’d been “happy” to see Francis on Sunday and said he’d “always remember” him for a homily given at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

That Francis dared to stand up to Donald Trump and his minions to the very end will surely cement his legacy as the anti-MAGA pope.

In February 2025, Francis responded to Trump’s plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants on Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa, saying: “If true, this will be a disgrace… This is not the way to solve things.”

It was also not his first run-in with Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the U.S. government, who converted to the faith in 2019.

In a February letter, Francis critiqued Vance saying, “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups.”

Vance acknowledged the Pope’s criticism, calling himself a “baby Catholic” and admitting that there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

Undoubtedly some of the papal animus towards Trump’s immigration policies sprang from his status as the first Latin American pope, and Trump’s relentless denigration of the continent; Francis was born Jose Mario Bergoglio, in 1936, in Argentina.

Trump and Francis clashed during Trump’s first presidency, when Francis described the proposal to build a southern border wall as “not Christian.” Trump retaliated, calling Francis “disgraceful” and a “very political person.” It didn’t stop Trump making a 2017 visit to the Vatican and calling it the “honor of a lifetime.”

Few would have predicted that Francis would have ended up preaching fire and brimstone against the president of the United States when he was elected in a fractious 2013 conclave. Francis was essentially a compromise candidate whose main asset was his low profile, his love of consensus and his reputation for humility.

He took on the leadership of the Catholic Church from Benedict XVI, whose inept handling of the Catholic child-abuse scandals led him to become the first pope to resign in more than 600 years.

Pope Francis inherited a holy mess: Benedict’s disastrous papacy had left the Catholic church at war with itself, bitterly divided between traditionalists who had applauded Benedict’s scholarly, rigid interpretation of Catholic doctrine, and liberals and progressives within the Church who felt at best marginalized and at worst utterly abandoned by it—as did millions of traumatized Catholics and their families worldwide who had been affected, either directly or indirectly, by clerical abuse.

Not being Pope Benedict was, therefore, an excellent start, and Pope Francis rarely missed an opportunity to define himself in opposition to his dogmatic predecessor. He modeled himself, quite openly, on Jesus. Eschewing papal ermines for a plain white cassock, he lived in a monastery guest house at the Vatican instead of the lavish papal apartments, and he used simple language as opposed to the complex and weighty philosophical formulations favored by Benedict.

He carried his own satchel and shunned the bulletproof “Popemobile” so he could be closer to his flock.

Where Benedict had only washed the feet of men in the traditional ceremonies of Holy Week, and later switched to washing only the feet of priests, Francis washed the feet of humble parishioners, always including women. In 2024 he washed the feet of 12 female convicts, who wept as he performed the ceremony, at a prison in Rome.

His critics, however, accused him of uttering fine words while continuing to preside over a hopelessly anachronistic institution, particularly when it came to the rights of non-heterosexuals.

Despite piously responding, “Who am I to judge?” when asked by a reporter on one of his legendary in-flight press conferences about whether gay men should be allowed to be priests, he ultimately sided with the forces of orthodoxy, and refused to allow Catholic clergy to bless same-sex unions.

In June 2024, Francis was quoted as saying there was “too much faggotry” among men training to be priests in seminaries, using the Italian word frociaggine. He subsequently apologized—before using the offensive word again just weeks later.

Conservative Catholics bristled at his mixed messaging, as did women who felt he undervalued them. In one gaffe, he called a group of female theologians the “cherries on the cake” at a conference of scholars, and he frequently likened the archaic attitudes of some conservatives to “old grandmothers.”

In 2016, a group led by the conservative American cardinal Raymond Burke sent an official complaint, known as a dubium, to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, using a formal method established centuries ago whereby prelates can ask a pontiff for clarification on certain matters. In this case, the cardinals had five dubia about the pope’s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) in which he appeared to ease up on the church’s traditional teachings about marriage, leading to what the conservative Catholics say caused “grave disorientation and great confusion.”

Francis’s mishandling of the systematic clerical sex abuse scandal will also tarnish his legacy. In 2017, he sided with Juan Barros Madrid, a bishop he wished to promote who was accused of knowing about systematic cover-ups of decades of clerical sex abuse in the Chilean church. Francis even went so far as to call the accusations against the bishop “calumnious.” Weeks later, though, he had to backtrack on his words and eventually accepted the resignation of several Chilean bishops linked to the abuse scandal.

“Francis’ dogged determination to support Barros against this tide from both Church and society must be counted as one of the boldest—or, perhaps, most foolhardy—decisions of his pontificate,” wrote papal biographer Austen Ivereigh at the time. In the summer of 2018, Francis failed again after a Pennsylvania grand jury report claimed that more than 1,000 children were abused by more than 300 priests amidst decades of cover-ups in that state. He waited days before responding.

One of his last public encounters, aside from Vance, was with King Charles and Queen Camilla just days before he died.

The king issued a statement saying: “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.

“His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world.”

Ultimately Francis did much of what the conclave of 2013 had hoped he would do, rehabilitating and humanizing the Catholic church.

He also lured many lapsed Catholics back to the pews: Although congregations in Europe have declined, in every other region they have increased. But it is his overt and deliberate humility that he will likely be best remembered for—as well as telling Donald Trump and JD Vance where to get off.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-francis-last-act-was-to-give-jd-vance-a-lesson-about-migrants/?

ps:And he probably didn't learn a thing from the Pope!!

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Pope Francis' memorable quotes

Pope Francis releases a dove at the Catholic Church of St. Simon Bar Sabbae in Tbilisi in 2016. Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, people are trading words from his sermons and interviews that have stuck with them. Francis had an informal, lighthearted speaking style that made for many memorable quotes during his 12-year pontificate. Here's a selection: ?️ Pope Francis called for more interreligious dialogue throughout his tenure. In a March 2013 address to ambassadors from 180 countries that are accredited to the Holy See, he said: "My wish is that the dialogue between us should help to build bridges connecting all people, in such a way that everyone can see in the other not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother or sister to be welcomed and embraced." ?️‍? When asked about a purportedly gay priest, the pope's pithy response set the tone for a papacy more welcoming to LGBTQ+ Catholics, AP reports: "Who am I to judge?" ? Francis said to reporters in November 2022: "The struggle for women's rights is a continuing struggle. We have to continue struggling for this because women are a gift. God did not create man and then give him a lapdog to play with. He created both equal, man and woman." Pope Francis listens to applause before addressing a joint meeting of Congress. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/AP ? Francis was vocal in his compassion for migrants and refugees. On Sept. 24, 2015 — when he made history as the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress — he said: "We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories." ? While praying in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 27, 2020, the early days of the pandemic, Francis said: "We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time, important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other." ? Francis' last major U.S. television interview was with CBS News' "60 Minutes" last April. Norah O'Donnell asked him what gives him hope: "Everything. You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things. You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally GOOD. We are all fundamentally good. Sometimes we are a little mischievous, sinners, but the heart is good."

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?️ Historic papal pick

Data: Vatican Press Office. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals ?? Bulletin: Pope Francis' funeral will be Saturday at 10 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) in St. Peter's Square, with President Trump attending. Francis' casket will be brought into St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow, allowing ordinary faithful to pay respects. The next pope will take over a Roman Catholic Church with dwindling membership in Europe, North America and Latin America — but surging numbers across Asia and Africa, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Why it matters: That's a big reason why two of the cardinals widely seen as top contenders to lead the church are from Asia and Africa — regions where the 1.4-billion-member church is focused on increasing its influence. Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines and Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson are top contenders to be the next pope, said Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chairman in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. The conclave's election of either would be a dramatic, history-making moment for the Catholic Church. There hasn't been a pope of Asian descent for more than 12 centuries. It's been even longer since there was a pope believed to have been from Africa. Twelve years ago, Francis became the first pope from Latin America. TIME commemorative issue on newsstands beginning May 2. Photo: Stefano Dal Pozzolo — Contrasto/Redux for TIME Tagle, the son of wealthy Filipino and Chinese families, is from a region seen as a gateway to China, where the church is eager to expand, Chesnut said. Turkson, who comes from a family of 10 children in Western Ghana, is from a region that already has an exploding rate of church membership. ? Zoom out: Francis, a progressive, spoke out against economic inequality, warned about climate change, and sympathized with migrants, the poor and the marginalized. He also affirmed that transgender people could be baptized and supported same-sex unions. Either Tagle or Turkson would be seen as representing a moderate-leaning "correction" in the Roman Catholic Church. Photo: CNN Other possible candidates include Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican Pietro Parolin of Italy, a moderate, and Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary, a leading candidate of the church's conservative wing. Keep reading.

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Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning Cardinals met Tuesday for the first time since Pope Francis’ death to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose his successor. Read more.

What to know: The cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Francis, setting the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Ordinary faithful will be able to pay their final respects starting when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the “novendiali.”   Francis died Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and making what would be his final greeting to followers.   When a pope dies, a period known as the “sede vacante,” or the “vacant See,” is declared, giving everyone time to assemble. The conclave must begin 15-20 days after the “vacant See” declaration, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree. Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel to choose the next head of the Catholic Church.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Cardinals meet in wake of Pope’s death   The cardinals seen as contenders to be next pope   From ‘conclave’ to ‘white smoke,’ a glossary of terms used in a papal transition

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Pope Francis

As people around the world grieve for Pope Francis, who died on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican is preparing for the upcoming conclave that will choose his successor. The pontiff’s funeral has been scheduled for Saturday. After nine days of mourning events, cardinals from around the world will meet in the Sistine Chapel to conduct a secretive vote to elect the new pope. The process generally takes two to three weeks and all ballots are burned afterward. Once the new pope is chosen, white smoke will rise from the chapel's chimney, signaling a new era of leadership for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. A mass to celebrate the 267th pope is expected to take place a few days later. In the meantime, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who was born in Ireland and became a naturalized American citizen, will serve as the “camerlengo” (or chamberlain). It will fall to him to prepare for the conclave and handle the day-to-day administration of the Vatican.

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Catholic faithful pay their final respects to Pope Francis as public viewing begins

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Thousands of people began filing through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday at the start of three days of public viewing ahead of his funeral.

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-public-viewing-st-peters-732d413b0eba7695d8a931af393097f4?

? 1,000 words

Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP Pope Francis' body is carried through St. Peter's Square to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican today. He will lie in state for three days. Below, cardinals walk through St. Peter's Square ahead of the coffin. Photo: Andreea Alexandru/AP

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? Everyone's watching "Conclave"

Scene from "Conclave"/Focus Features Viewership for "Conclave" — last year's Oscar-winning film about the selection of a new pope — has skyrocketed since Pope Francis' death. "Conclave" streaming jumped 3,200% early this week, after news of Francis' death broke, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. From "Conclave." Screenshot: Focus Features "Conclave," Focus Features says, "follows one of the world's most secretive and ancient events — selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church's most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope's wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church." The dramatized papal election in "Conclave" is "quite accurate," the N.Y. Times found (gift link). Former President Obama picked "Conclave" as one of his 10 favorite movies of 2024. ?️ It's not just "Conclave." Netflix's "The Two Popes," starring Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, saw a 417% spike in viewership in the days after Francis' death. "Conclave" trailer ...

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What the movie 'Conclave' gets right — and wrong — about electing a pope

“Conclave," a moody 2024 political thriller, introduced many laypeople to the ancient process to elect a pope. But Vatican experts warn the movie doesn’t get everything right. Read More.

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✝️ Second day of mourning

Cardinals and bishops attend a mass in St. Peter's Square today. Photo: Andreea Alexandru/AP People began visiting Pope Francis' tomb in St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome today, a day after he was bade farewell by the powerful of the world and a crowd of hundreds of thousands. The tomb was opened on the second of nine days of official mourning for Francis, after which a conclave will be held to elect the next pope, AP reports. Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP Above: President Trump (center-right) attends the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican yesterday. Below: A photograph taken from St. Peter's Basilica shows the scale of the funeral mass (Francis' coffin at bottom of frame). Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images More photos.

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Conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor set to start on May 7

Cardinals have chosen May 7 as the date to start conclave and elect a new leader for 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, the Vatican announced.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/28/europe/conclave-start-date-intl?

As the Vatican prepares a conclave, the status of a once-powerful Italian cardinal looms

VATICAN CITY (AP) — As the Vatican switches gears from saying goodbye to Pope Francis to electing his successor, the status of a once-powerful Italian cardinal and whether he can vote in the May 7 conclave have been a constant question and source of gossip.

https://apnews.com/article/cardinal-becciu-vatican-francis-conclave-successor-01b6466d96d7c0e236c83c3bd213fa9e?

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✝️ Next pope's first task

Cardinals attend a mass held for the late Pope Francis in St. Peters Basilica yesterday. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Whoever succeeds Pope Francis to become the Catholic Church's 267th pope, his first major decision will be to choose his papal name. That name, rooted in centuries of church history, dogma and devotion, will signal the new pope's agenda within the church and beyond, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. ? Tradition dating back about 1,000 years indicates that a new pope will choose a name in honor of a Catholic saint. He also can select a name in honor of a recent pope, combine names of a recent pope or saint, or pick a new regnal name — something that's been done just twice in the last 1,100 years. "It's the most important decision he'll make, and signal to the world his tone," Allen Sánchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, tells Axios.

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What is a conclave? What to know about the secretive process to elect the next pope

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A conclave is the centuries-old election of a pope that derives its name from the Italian “con clave” (with a key) to underscore that cardinals are sequestered until they find a winner.

https://apnews.com/article/conclave-definition-what-happens-92a4da4116a62ccc165a63d1ae3c30dc?

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Contenders for the next pope include a theologian, a diplomat and a ‘street priest’ There are no official candidates for the papacy, but some cardinals are considered “papabile,” or possessing the characteristics necessary to become pope. After St. John Paul II broke the centuries-long Italian hold on the papacy in 1978, the field of contenders has broadened considerably. Read more.

What to know: The 70-year-old veteran diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was Pope Francis’ secretary of state, essentially the Holy See’s prime minister. Parolin oversaw the Holy See’s controversial deal with China over bishop nominations and was involved — but not charged — in the Vatican’s botched investment in a London real estate venture. He is widely respected for his diplomatic finesse on some of the thorniest dossiers facing the Catholic Church. If elected, he would return an Italian to the papacy after three successive outsiders.   The 72-year-old Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, known by his peers as a serious theologian, scholar and educator, is a leading contender among conservatives. Holding doctorates in theology and canon law, Erdő is a proponent of doctrinal orthodoxy. Erdő opposes same-sex unions and has also resisted suggestions that Catholics who remarry after divorce be able to receive communion. An advocate for traditional family structures, he helped organize Francis’ 2014 and 2015 Vatican meetings on the family.   Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, came up in the image of Francis, who promoted him quickly. After making him a cardinal, Francis made clear he wanted him in charge of Italy’s bishops, a sign of his admiration for the prelate who, like Francis, is known as a “street priest” — someone who prioritizes ministering to poor and homeless people and refugees. He was also Francis’ peace envoy for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Why disgraced Cardinal Becciu isn't participating in the conclave   Watch: Front-runners going into conclave to choose the next pope   Vatican issues 'sede vacante' postage stamps valid until a new pope is elected

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?️ Pope's influence transcends Catholicism

A mural of Pope Francis in Villavicencio, Colombia. Photo: Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images The successor to Pope Francis will take over a Catholic Church with more than 1.4 billion members around the world. But his influence will likely reach far beyond the church, Axios' Russ Contreras writes. Why it matters: Popes today don't just oversee church doctrine and administration. They're global diplomats who can foster peace agreements, accelerate fights against diseases and impact population growth. ? The big picture: In his dozen years as pope, Francis' decisions affected millions of non-Catholics worldwide. He called for countries to treat refugees with dignity, pushed policies to counter climate change, demanded better treatment for marginalized groups such as LGBTQ people, and urged nations to end hostilities. Pope John Paul II, an anticommunist, helped to end the Cold War and prevent a nuclear war by urging countries to abolish nuclear weapons, some historians argue. Read on.

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New papal clothes

Pontiff's skull caps at Raniero Mancinelli's shop in Rome. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP With a new pope comes new ecclesiastical threads. Italian tailors who haven't yet received orders are preparing for the transition, AP reports. They're making garments like cassocks (clerical cloaks) ahead of the Conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor that starts Wednesday. Photo: Bernat Armangue/AP Raniero Mancinelli, 87, is preparing the white fabric for suits in three sizes, hoping they'll be selected to be worn by the new pope. Photo: Francisco Seco/AP Portraits of late popes hang at the sixth-generation Gammarelli ecclesiastical tailor shop in Rome.

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Vatican firefighters install a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel for the papal election

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Preparations for the conclave to find a new pope accelerated Friday with the installation of the chimney out of the Sistine Chapel that will signal the election of a successor to Pope Francis.

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-chimney-97dd5a6cb24294c85e48a933bf4e67b4?

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How long was the longest conclave? Facts about the secret voting to elect a pope

“Conclave,” the film may have introduced movie-goers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia. Read More.

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What name the new pope chooses can signal what’s ahead

ROME (AP) — The first clue of the next pope’s direction will be the name the winner chooses.

https://apnews.com/article/pope-name-francis-conclave-be3bdd5b945f7f7166d0b0f3c5601008?

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The conclave to elect the next pope is set to begin 133 cardinals begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. Read more.

What to know: The cardinals, from 70 countries, will be sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.   Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries that had never had a cardinal before. His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south” has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.   While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For the past century, it has taken between three and eight ballots to find a pope.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Cardinal urges voters to elect pope who prizes unity in diversity and avoids personal interest   What to know about the conclave to elect the next pope   These are the US cardinals who will vote for the next pope

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Live updates: The conclave to elect a new pope has officially begun

The doors of the Sistine Chapel shut Wednesday after the cry of “extra omnes” — Latin for “all out” — and 133 cardinals began the ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church. Read More.

 

Cardinals fail to pick new pope on day one of the conclave

Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that cardinals did not elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/europe/conclave-vatican-day-one-no-pope-elected-intl?

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⏳ Chart to go: Longest conclaves

Data: Catholic Hierarchy. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals The 133 cardinals participating in the conclave returned to the Sistine Chapel this morning to try to find a successor to Pope Francis. Up to four votes are expected to be held today. Between the lines: No conclave since 1831 has lasted longer than four days. Go deeper.

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Pope Leo XIV

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV stands on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica for the first time after his election. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church — the first-ever American pope. "Peace be with you all," Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — said as he addressed the crowd gathered outside St. Peter's Basilica today. ? Prevost was born in Chicago but has spent much of his life abroad. He studied in Rome, worked for 20 years in Peru and has served in a senior role in Vatican City since Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023. He's known for his quiet demeanor and alignment with Francis' focus on social justice, Reuters reports. White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel today. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images ? World leaders congratulated the new pope. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope," President Trump wrote on Truth Social. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" Go deeper. Robert Prevost, first pope from US in history of the Catholic Church, takes the name Leo XIV Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. Read More. Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a US pontiff Robert Prevost was brought to the Vatican in 2023 by Pope Francis as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. On Thursday, he ascended to become Pope Leo XIV. Read More.

[phkrause]

Pope Leo XIV

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago has been elected the 267th pope and stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. In his first words as pontiff, a visibly emotional Leo told the crowd: “Peace be with you all.” He’s the first pope from the United States.