When Jorge Bergoglio chose the name Francis upon becoming pope, it was a tribute to his favorite saint. Others took ...

Like the other ceremonies and traditions that accompany the advent of a new pope, his newly chosen name will be imbued with ...

The United States is the home country of 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope of the Catholic Church.

Tradition, reform, or something entirely new? The new pope’s choice of name will speak volumes before he says a word.

A bell is also rung, part of the ritual introduced when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, which confirms the smoke is white and ...

The announcement “Habemus Papam” — “We have a pope” — from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica is followed first by the ...

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after the conclave of March 2013, few ...

The conclave is a time-honored process conducted in secrecy behind the locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.