and eight Bonifaces but no Pope Boniface VII. In the early days of Catholicism, popes simply used their baptismal name, and some pontiffs had names that sound somewhat irreverent today ...

It was not until 1298—24 years after Gregory X promulgated the Ubi periculum—that Pope Boniface VIII incorporated it into canon law, establishing it as the standard process for papal elections. Thus, ...

Mr. Gibson is the director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University. With the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the College of Cardinals sent a clear message ...

and eight Bonifaces but no Pope Boniface VII. John and Gregory are the most common names among the popes. In its more than 2,000 years of existence, the Catholic Church has had 265 pontiffs across ...

Pope Leo VIII was born in Italy. He was pope from 963 to 965 A.D., though the legitimacy of his election is still debated. He was the 131st pope. Otto I the Holy Roman Emperor pushed for Leo VIII ...

CERTAINLY A BIG DAY FOR THE UNIVERSITY HERE AS ONE OF THEIR OWN IS SELECTED AS THE NEW POPE. YOU SEE BEHIND ME HERE, THAT IS THE CHURCH. SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA CHURCH. AND WE’VE BEEN HEARING ...

A successor to Pope Francis had been elected. But there will be a short wait before his identity becomes clear. By Elisabetta Povoledo Now that white smoke has finally billowed out of the chimney ...

Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday and again Thursday morning indicated that a new pope had not yet been chosen to replace Pope Francis. Using smoke to communicate to ...

Crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square — and around the world — to see who had been elected as Pope Francis’ successor. In Photos Crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square — and around the ...