The Latest Breaking News from Vatican

Pope called for ‘authentic and lasting peace’ in Ukraine and ceasefire in Gaza

Pietro Parolin has emerged on nearly every shortlist as an obvious papal contender

In the Sistine Chapel, cardinals from around the world will convene on Wednesday to elect the 267th pontiff.

Among the roughly 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, many are keenly anticipating the upcoming conclave at the Vatican at which members of the College of Cardinals will elect a successor to Pope Francis

The 133 cardinals seem fundamentally united in finding a pope who will be able to make the church credible and relevant today

Hype has been building on social media around the Catholic Church's secretive, centuries-old tradition of conclaves to elect a new pope, animating users from the White House on down.

Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo is facing exclusion from the conclave vote, as a lack of record-keeping has resulted in the Cardinal not knowing whether he is 79 or 80, the cap for all candidates.

It remains unclear whether the conclave will result in a leader aligned with Pope Francis' more progressive stance or a conservative who will take the church in a new direction.

Most stories about Pope Francis mention that he made history as the first pontiff from Latin America. In fact, Francis was the first pope in centuries to be born outside Europe. But what impact did that actually have on the Catholic Church? The Conversation U.S. asked Neomi De Anda, a…