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.

Catholic cardinal electors from six continents gathered Wednesday inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to select a new pope. After the first round of voting, black smoke was ...

As the Vatican prepares for the election of a new pope, many around the world are doing their own preparations — by watching a movie about it. After news of Pope Francis’ death broke Monday, the film ...

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, ...

This was the ultra-secret process revealed in the book 'The Last Conclave' by Vatican experts Gerard O'Connell and Elisabetta Piqué. "It was Pope Francis' last surprise" May 7, 2025. Black smoke.

Edward Berger’s “Conclave” had a 283% spike in streaming viewership in the 24 hours after Pope Francis died, according to data from Luminate. NBC Universal, Inc. As the Vatican prepares for the ...