May 07 Before secret voting begins, senior cardinal urges conclave to pick a pope who prizes unity By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday began centuries-old rituals to elect a successor to Pope Francis. Continue reading
May 06 Watch 7:24 Understanding the conclave, the secretive process to choose a new pope By John Yang, Maea Lenei Buhre Wednesday, Catholic cardinals from across the globe will gather for the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor. John Yang takes a deeper look at the high-stakes undertaking to select the next pontiff. Continue watching
May 06 How does the movie 'Conclave' compare to the real thing? Here's what experts say By Dan Cooney The conclave to select the next pope kicks off with the Latin phrase for “outside, all.” What happens next will be a mystery to everyone beyond the Sistine Chapel. Continue reading
May 06 What we can learn from the new pope's choice of name By Colleen Barry, Associated Press The first clue of the next pope's direction will be the name the winner chooses. Continue reading
May 06 'We need a superman!' Cardinals wrap up pre-conclave meetings By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Although they come from 70 different countries, the 133 cardinal electors seem fundamentally united in insisting that they need to find a pope who can be both a pastor and a teacher, a bridge who can unite the church and… Continue reading
May 05 Ahead of the conclave, Vatican staff take a vow of secrecy under threat of excommunication By Vanessa Gera, Associated Press The oath, which explicitly forbids recording or disclosing anything from within the conclave, underscores the Church's insistence on confidentiality. Continue reading
May 03 Workers install stove at Sistine Chapel where ballots are burned during conclave to elect pope By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Vatican workers installed the simple stove in the Sistine Chapel where ballots will be burned during the conclave to elect a new pope and began taking measures to block any electronic interference with their deliberations, as jockeying continued Saturday outside over who… Continue reading
May 02 Vatican firefighters install chimney on Sistine Chapel roof for papal election By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press After every two rounds of voting in the Sistine Chapel, the ballots of the cardinals are burned in a special furnace to indicate the outcome to the outside world. Continue reading
May 02 Who will be pope? Meet some possible contenders By Associated Press Wanted: A holy man. Continue reading
May 01 Watch 6:24 'Conclave' author Robert Harris on the secretive tradition of selecting a new pope By Geoff Bennett, Jackson Hudgins Streaming viewership of "Conclave" surged 3,200 percent in the week after Pope Francis’ death. Viewers turned to that movie, which won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, to help them understand one of the most secretive elections on the planet. The… Continue watching