Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, ...

Over 130 voting cardinals must decide whether to continue in the direction of Francis or elect a pope likely to choose a more traditional path.

Eighteen days after Pope Francis last appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, his successor -- the 267th pope -- emerged.

Pope Francis' death set off a series of traditions that culminates in a vote for his successor. Here are some of the possible ...

Brazilian Cardinal Leonardo Steiner told America that Pope Leo would carry forward Pope Francis' legacy of synodality in the ...

For the first time, the majority of cardinals to choose a pope are not from Europe, as Catholic demographics shift. But Europe remains the largest source of cardinals.

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with ballots continuing in succession until ...

Two cardinals, Michael Czerny and Chibly Langlois, sat down with ABC News to discuss the challenges facing the church that the new pope will have to face.

There is no way to predict how long a conclave will take, but guidance can perhaps be taken from recent history. The last three popes have been elected in two or three days. In 2013, Pope Francis ...

Modern conclaves typically last two to three days, with Pope Francis also elected in two days. The shortest conclave was 10 hours and ended with the election of Pope Julius II in 1503. Over the last ...

US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope, prompting accusations of poor taste in the Roman ...