Pope Francis

Pietro Parolin, Career Diplomat Leading Race to be Pope

A seasoned diplomat who worked with Pope Francis for 12 years, Cardinal Pietro Parolin is well-known in Rome and abroad, and a serious contender to be the next pontiff. The 70-year-old Italian was Secretary of State -- the Vatican's effective number two -- for almost the entire Francis pontificate, and its most visible exponent on the world ...

Filipino Cardinal, the ‘Asian Francis’, Is Papal Contender

Asia's front-runner for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is a charismatic moderate often dubbed the "Asian Francis". Tagle, 67, who shares with Pope Francis a history of advocating for the poor, migrants and other marginalized people, is known for his missionary spirit and pastoral focus. Wearing glasses ...

Everything You Need to Know Before the May 7 Conclave

Where and when will the conclave be held? Who will vote? How will voting take place in strict secrecy in the Sistine Chapel? On May 7, 135 cardinals will gather to elect Pope Francis' successor, in an age-old process marked by tradition and mystery.

Conclave to Elect New Pope Starts May 7

Catholic cardinals will meet on May 7 to start voting for a new pope, the Vatican announced on Monday, a week after the death of Pope Francis. So-called "Princes of the Church" under the age of 80 will meet in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new religious leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. The date was decided at meeting ...

Hilarius or Simplicius, the Papal Name Dilemma

From Pius to Clement, Hilarius to Simplicius, papal names through the centuries are inextricably linked to the brilliant or wretched legacies of the men who have ruled the Vatican. Cardinals who will elect a new pontiff following the death of Pope Francis will already be mulling over the name they would choose if they were picked. Very little ...

Electing a New Pope: Glossary of Key Terms

Cardinals will take part in a conclave in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. Here is a brief glossary of the event's key terms: - Camerlengo: Between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of his successor, the cardinal camerlengo takes over the day to day running of the Vatican. Dublin-born Kevin Farrell, appointed by ...

Cardinals Set to Pick Conclave Date to Elect New Pope

Red-hatted cardinals were expected to pick a date Monday for the conclave to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis. Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21. But so far there ...

Can Trump-Zelensky Vatican Talks Bring Ukraine Peace?

Donald Trump's meeting in the Vatican with Volodymyr Zelensky was hailed by both sides as historic. Whether it will help seal a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will become clearer in the coming days. Brought together by the funeral of Pope Francis, the US and Ukrainian presidents sat knee-to-knee on red and gold chairs in the giant nave of ...

Geopolitical Variations and Political Challenges

The past week was replete with events that cannot be overlooked if we are to address critical conflicts around the world: the death of Pope Francis and its reverberations ; the evolutions of the Ukraine war ; the ultimate scope of the US-Iranian negotiations; the shifting facades of Turkey’s Islamic authoritarianism; and the normalization ...

All Eyes Turn to Conclave After Pope Francis's Funeral

With Pope Francis laid to rest, all eyes turn now to the conclave, the secretive meeting of cardinals set to convene within days to elect a new head of the Catholic Church. Alongside world leaders and reigning monarchs, an estimated 400,000 people turned out on Saturday for the Argentine pontiff's funeral at the Vatican and burial in Rome. The ...

Carlo Acutis: Sainthood Deferred, Hope Intact

The canonization of young Carlo Acutis, initially scheduled for today in Rome, has been suspended following the death of Pope Francis. While the process itself remains unchanged, the event has been postponed sine die. This decision has saddened thousands of faithful, especially young people, for whom “God’s geek” represents a modern figure ...

Pope Francis and the Grace of God

Despite appearances that may lead some to think the world is merely an endless repetition, History has meaning: the world is moving toward something. A deadly struggle between truth and falsehood marks this History. One need look no further than the fabrications currently infesting the internet—fabrications involving dates, predictions, and ...