8 h. ago Fact check: Reform UK’s council election claim, Pope Francis and St George’s Day

Round-up of fact checks from the last week compiled by Full Fact.

Politics

9 h. ago So you saw 'Conclave' the movie. Here's what it got right – and wrong – about real

Speculation surrounding a conclave to elect a pope is a time-honored tradition

Politics

10 h. ago Digested week: Magic Circle and life in the Vatican return to our psyche

Disappearances of a school and handbag of head of Homeland Security past the Secret Service remain unexplainedI did what a lot of people did on hearing news of the death of Pope Francis on Monday: I watched Conclave. The Oscar nominated movie, adapted from the Robert Harris novel, unpacks the process of electing a new pope and between Sunday and Monday, it enjoyed a 283% surge in streaming figures. I’d like to say it deepened my understanding of life in the Vatican, but the truth is it just made me wish we could have Ralph Fiennes for pope, while reminding me – I’m not alone in this – that we’ve seen quite enough of Stanley Tucci for the time being. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago How to watch Conclave, the film streaming now about the secret and mysterious ritual to elect a new Pope

Oscar-winning film documents the sequestering of the Vatican’s religious leaders as they select the new Pope

Culture

12 h. ago How accurate is Conclave? What the film gets right (and wrong) about selecting a new Pope

The film, which stars Ralph Fiennes, has enjoyed a surge in popularity since the death of Pope Francis

Culture

28 h. 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

32 h. ago Conclave: Inside the secret election to choose the next Pope

The method the Catholic Church uses to select their leader has remained virtually unchanged for the last 800 years

Politics

48 h. ago Vatican whistleblower blasts American cardinal who 'turned a blind eye' to sex abuse and now plays a key role in selecting the next pope

As the red ribbons were tied around the papal bedroom door, actor John Lithgow's character in the Oscar-nominated movie Conclave looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Events

50 h. ago Vatican sex abuse whistleblower blasts American cardinal who will lead next pope's election: 'Everyone knows, but no one does anything'

As the red ribbons were tied around the papal bedroom door, actor John Lithgow's character in the Oscar-nominated movie Conclave looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Politics

3 d. ago Who could be the next Pope after Francis? All the cardinals in the running for the Papacy

The Catholic College of Cardinals convening to elect a new pope is one of the oldest methods of electing a head of state - the Standard looks at who is in contention for the role

Politics

3 d. ago Who is Cardinal Kevin Farrell? The acting head of the Vatican who will orchestrate Pope Francis’s successor

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will orchestrate the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor

Politics

3 d. ago What tourists can expect from visiting Rome and the Vatican after the death of Pope Francis

Tourist attractions including the Sistine Chapel may be closed during key dates, but there is still some availability for flights and hotels

Events

3 d. ago Conclave: How to watch the film about the secret and mysterious ritual to elect a new Pope

Oscar-winning film documents the sequestering of the Vatican’s religious leaders as they select the new Pope

Culture

3 d. ago The American cardinal who runs the Vatican while there’s no Pope

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will orchestrate the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor

Politics

3 d. ago Pope Francis’ apartment sealed with red ribbon and wax after his death in Vatican ritual

Pope Francis’ formal apartment in the Vatican has been sealed, as part of the ritual declaring a “sede vacante” or vacant see - the period between the death of one pope and the election of another.

Events

3 d. 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

3 d. ago Who will be the next pope? Mourning period, voting process and age limit

The process to elect the next pope will now begin

Politics

3 d. ago Cardinals to meet in Rome in preparation for funeral of Pope Francis

Funeral should be held between the fourth and sixth days after the pope’s death, with heads of state and royalty expected to attendCardinals will meet on Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader.The pope, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke. He had been recovering from double pneumonia that saw him hospitalised for five weeks. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Australians start voting in general elections as pope's death overshadows campaigning

Australians have begun voting at general elections as campaigning is overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis

Politics

3 d. ago Recap: The senior Catholic candidates who 'could undo Pope Francis's progressive legacy' if elected

MAILONLINE BLOG: Follow live updates and reaction as the Vatican announces the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

Politics