11 h. ago Conclave author says papal election process is akin to The Traitors

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor will begin on 7 May

Politics

13 h. ago I worked in the Vatican for 18 years – this will be the most unpredictable conclave yet | Ariel Beramendi

Will the cardinals follow Francis’s path or return to a more conservative doctrine? The white smoke will tell us which faction has won Ariel Beramendi worked at the Vatican for 18 years as an official in the Dicastery for CommunicationAs the cardinals ready themselves to select the next pope, one thing is certain: this will be the most unpredictable conclave in the recent history of the Catholic church. I worked in the Vatican for 18 years, and on my return to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis last month, the tension and drama were already palpable.Some observers and former colleagues I spoke to believe this will be a particularly difficult conclave, given its size – 133 electors, as opposed to 117 last time – and the fact that many of the cardinals don’t know one another. This is down to Francis diversifying the college, appointing cardinals from all over the world: a full 108 of the current crop were his selections. Others suggest the electors will try to reach a decision in le...

Economics

59 h. ago How is a new Pope chosen? Papal conclave rules, traditions, who votes, smoke, and how long will it take?

Here’s how the next Pope will be selected.

Politics

3 d. ago These papal tailors aren't expecting a traditional order for new cassocks to outfit the next pope

Two papal tailors and no conclave orders

Politics

4 d. ago 'I'd like to be Pope': Donald Trump reveals desire to lead Catholic Church ahead of Vatican papal conclave

The spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will be elected from the College of Cardinals next week

Politics

5 d. ago Who Will Be The Next Pope? Here are the 13 leading contenders to be selected by the papal conclave

Cardinals will meet in the Vatican next week to start the process of electing a new Pope.

Politics

5 d. ago Who is Angelo Becciu? Disgraced cardinal withdraws from papal conclave

Once-powerful Vatican official Cardinal Angelo Becciu has formally withdrawn from participating in the conclave to elect a new pope

Politics

6 d. ago ‘Maga Catholics’ are gaining ground in the US. Now their sight is set on the Vatican

Conservative US Catholics like Steve Bannon look to win ‘war that lasts decades’ with pope antithetical to FrancisOnce the papal conclave starts, the cardinals choosing Pope Francis’s successor will be strictly shut off from the world until a new pope is named. But the coming days before the conclave begins on May 7 will see competing factions of Catholics, including many laypeople, campaigning in the Vatican and the US to influence the church’s future – none with more urgency than those discontented with Francis’s liberal reign.American Catholics will fight to play a central role. Soon after the news of Francis’s death reached faithful the world over, the American counter-revolution mobilized, Vatican watchers say. Red-eyes to Rome were booked. Long-distance phone calls were made. Various cardinals likely received sudden dinner invitations. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago The Vatican closes the Sistine Chapel to the public and prepares for a papal conclave

The Vatican is closing the Sistine Chapel to the public as part of its preparations for the the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis

Politics

7 d. ago Lobbying for next pope heats up with outcome less predictable than ever

Francis sought to lower age profile and broaden spread of college of cardinals and for most it is their first conclaveConservative and progressives will intensify efforts to shape the future of the Roman Catholic church in the coming days as 135 cardinals prepare to be sequestered in the Sistine Chapel in order to choose a successor to Pope Francis.The group of cardinals who will vote for the next leader of about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide are less predictable than ever before, with the vast majority having no experience of a papal conclave. A much wider geographic spread of cardinals adds to the uncertainty. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Kielce Gussie: American journalist who read at Pope's funeral and why was she chosen

Kielce Gussie gave the first reading at the funeral mass held for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Rome on Saturday, April 26 - here's what you need to know about her

Politics

1 week ago The Guardian view on the coming papal conclave: Catholics at a crossroads | Editorial

Pope Francis’s progressive legacy rests in the hands of cardinal electors who will be juggling competing agendasIn keeping with the humble style of his papacy, Pope Francis did his best to dial down the pomp and ceremony that would mark his passing. In St Peter’s Basilica, where he now lies in state, Francis’s body rests in an unelaborate coffin and has not been placed on the traditional elevated bier. The tomb in which he will be buried is to be underground and unadorned, carrying only the plain inscription “Franciscus”, again on his instructions.The final grace notes of a remarkable papacy will add to the pathos of Saturday’s funeral, which hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to attend. The Argentinian pope’s plain, direct style endeared him to millions of non-Catholics as well as to the faithful. But the ecclesiastical politics of what happens next, in a divided church, will be anything but straightforward. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Inside 'secretive ritual' which is triggered after a pope dies and how new leader is chosen

Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, aged 88, leaving people wondering what will happen in the Vatican now and how a new leader will be selected

Events

1 week ago Pope Francis' death sparks massive spike in Conclave streaming numbers as viewers seek answers over selection of next pope

While the Catholic church prepares for its first papal conclave in 12 years, following the death of Pope Francis , many have been flocking to the hit movie Conclave.

Politics

1 week ago Experts talk realism of Conclave movie: ‘Gets a lot of the details right’

After the death of Pope Francis, experts weigh in on how much the real-life papal election will mirror the hit Oscar-winning movieI confess: my first thought this morning, when I heard the news that Pope Francis died at the age of 88, was of Conclave. As in both the lowercase, technical meaning – the sequestration of cardinals to elect a new pope with a two-thirds majority – and the capital-C film of the same name from last year, which allowed viewers to vicariously participate in a process long shrouded in secrecy and reverence. (And premiering during the US vote, to experience election thrills without grim disappointment.)The film, directed by Edward Berger, luxuriated in process both sacred and profane – the orderly processions and cafeteria run-ins, the ceremonial burning of paper votes and security screenings, the white smoke and the complimentary toiletries bags. The hallowed halls of the Vatican and the gossip that flits among them, especially as different factions compete to...

Politics

1 week ago From 'conclave' to 'white smoke,' a glossary of terms used in a papal transition

A change in popes is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church and the Vatican’s head of state

Events

1 week ago Next Pope could be Liverpool fan who 'God sent message to when stood on the Kop'

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who could be chosen as the next Pope, was born in Liverpool and is a massive Reds fan after finding his priesthood calling on the Kop

Politics

1 week ago Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis

A ‘continuity’ pick, the possible first Asian pope or first black pontiff in centuries are among likely contendersPope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, diesLatest updates: tributes paid after Pope Francis diesPredicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is near impossible as cardinals’ positions shift over successive votes and some try to game the system to influence the chances of their favoured – or least-favoured – candidates. In the last conclave in 2013, few predicted that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected as Pope Francis. At the moment, speculation is focusing on these men to succeed him: Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The North West man with an outside chance of becoming the next Pope

A papal conclave is set to be called

Politics

1 week ago Conclave explained: Who will be the next Pope and how are they chosen?

A papal conclave will be formed with members locked inside the Sistine Chapel to take part in a very secretive voting process

Politics