The Latest Breaking News from Benedict XVI

Even though cardinals don’t campaign for the job, there are always front-runners going into a conclave to choose the next pope

Leader of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice, and an urgent response to the climate crisis

With the death of Pope Francis, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be locked up,” or, more simply, “a closed room.”

The 88-year-old pontiff had been well aware of his fragile state and advanced age. As early as 2015, Pope Francis had expressed the desire to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a fifth-century church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was so devoted to…

Funeral rites will be different this time around.

Unlike pontiffs before him, Pope Francis wished to be buried in a single coffin in Santa Maria Maggiore.

The death of a pope triggers a centuries-old ritual to elect a new one

Francis said ‘who am I to judge?’ when asked about gay priests in 2013

Pope Francis, who died on Monday, had streamlined the funeral rituals

Pope Francis had an informal, lighthearted speaking style

Francis said ‘who am I to judge?’ when asked about gay priests in 2013.