Pontiffs have been players in global affairs for hundreds of years. Pope Francis carved out his own form of global influence.

The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of ...

Here are some of the key words and phrases that will be used throughout the interregnum, especially the conclave to elect the ...

The death of Pope Francis has triggered a period of mourning in the Vatican and signals the start of a millennia-old process of picking a new pontiff.

An old saying about papal elections goes as follows: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal.” In other words, any candidate seen as the frontrunner before the voting begins ...

As tradition dictates, the late pontiff’s signet ring will be destroyed — or defaced, at least — within the walls of the ...

In the weeks that follow the passing of a pontiff, the city of Rome, and the Vatican in particular, comes alive with ...

The Vatican published Tuesday a photo and video of Pope Francis in his open coffin, dressed in a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary in his hand. The images were taken in the chapel ...

As the Catholic world mourns the death of Pope Francis, Catholic leaders look ahead to the conclave, the process by which ...

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, never set foot in his homeland after becoming Pope Francis in 2013. That left ...

The pope’s death ushers in a series of centuries-old rites, including a period of mourning, an elaborate burial and the ...

Following the death of Pope Francis, a cardinal from the United States has become acting head of the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected.