A new papal election — known as the conclave — is set to begin following Pope Francis' death. The method the Catholic Church uses to elect its leader has stayed almost the same for 800 years.

A seagull has gained viral fame for perching on the Sistine Chapel chimney during papal conclaves. The bird’s presence has inspired memes and social media fascination dating back to 2013. Though the ...

Many people tried to predict who the new pope would be, even putting money on it. Few expected him to be an American from Chicago. Bettors poured more than $40 million into the most recent papal ...

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, more than 1 billion Catholics around the world wait with baited breath for the white smoke to emit from the Sistine Chapel, ...

The secret conclave that elected Pope Leo head of the Catholic Church last May was interrupted when one of the 133 cardinals involved was found carrying a cellphone, a massive security breach, a book ...

The story that dominated the Catholic news headlines in 2025 was, of course, the death of Pope Francis and the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. These were NCR's most read — not necessarily the most ...