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The biggest election of 2025? How the Catholic Church chooses a new Pope.
Chambon estimates that there are about 200 cardinals in the world at present, but only those aged 80 or younger will be ...
How a New Pope Is Chosen—and Who It Could Be
The election of a new Pope begins between 15 to 20 days after the death. The camerlengo, a cardinal in the Catholic Church, ...
Conclave, but for real. These cardinals are the leading contenders to be the next pope
The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to participate.
Who will be the next pope? Here’s how leaders of the Catholic church will pick the new pontiff.
Members of the church’s College of Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Current regulations limit the number ...
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What are the church’s rites for the death of a pope and the election of a new one?
St. John Paul II rewrote the regulations on papal elections in a 1996 document that remains largely in force, though Pope Benedict XVI amended it twice before he resigned. Here is what ...
What Happens After the Pope Dies? A Visual Timeline of Rituals and Traditions
After Pope Francis’ funeral, 135 cardinals will gather for a conclave to elect a new pope. The traditions include oaths of secrecy, paper ballots and white smoke from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
The High Stakes in Choosing the Next Pope
Mystery and drama always surround a conclave, but the deeper issue is the mission of the Catholic Church in the modern world.
When did Francis become pope? See photos from his election in 2013.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, was first elected as the 266th pope on March 13, 2013, becoming the first Latin American pope.
A series of ancient traditions rule the pope's funeral and conclave
The death of Pope Francis sets into motion a series of rituals, some of which go back more than 2,000 years, including how to choose the new pope. Here's what happens next.