John, Pius, Leo, and Alexander. These are just a few of the names popes have taken over the centuries. When the white smoke appears and a new pope is chosen, he is asked: “By what name shall you be called?”

Some of the people who are most desperate for hope — including suffering Christians in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and Africa — will be represented in Rome this week in a pilgrimage for the 2025 Jubilee Year.

When Pope Leo XIII was elected in 1878, the story goes that he wept. At age 67, he thought he was too old for the job. (He lived to be the second-oldest pope and died at the age of 93).

The newly elected pope will leave the Sistine Chapel at the conclusion of the conclave and walk into a small antechamber, known as the “Room of Tears,” to be vested into his papal attire for the first time.

Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday evening to the watchful eyes of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the first day of conclave voting concluded without a new pontiff.

As the conclave gets underway, all eyes turn to the small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. From this simple metal tube will emerge the long-awaited white smoke that will announce the election of the new pope.

With the start of the conclave May 7, there are five cardinal electors who bring a significant amount of experience to the process.

Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday evening to the watchful eyes of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the first day of conclave voting concluded without a new pontiff.

Discover the secretive yet highly structured process of a papal conclave, from ancient rituals to modern rules, as the cardinals gather to elect the next pope under centuries-old traditions.

Amid the pre-conclave anticipation, the Catholic Church found renewed hope as 23 new Legionaries of Christ were ordained priests on May 3 at Rome’s St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica.

At the Mass for the election of a new pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals made “a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church” ahead of the conclave on Wednesday.

Colombian Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio pointed out that the atmosphere among the cardinals is “quite different” from what people who associate a papal conclave “with a democratic election of a president” may imagine.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered this homily at the Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7, 2025, just hours before the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor.

As the cardinals gather in conclave beginning today, May 7, the Church and all people of goodwill are invited to pray this prayer given by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word.

All eyes have turned to Vatican City as the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor is set to begin May 7.

The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave.

The Vatican on Tuesday released photos of the Sistine Chapel prepared for the arrival of the cardinal electors who will select the next pope in the conclave set to begin on Wednesday.

On Sunday, the Cardinals ended nine requiem Masses for Pope Francis, linking the apostles’ sorrow after Christ’s death to the Church’s mourning and hope in the Resurrection.

Before the conclave, the cardinals held 12 general congregations at the Vatican to reflect on the Church’s state and its challenges in today’s world.

When a new pope is elected, two signs mark the moment: white smoke (“fumata bianca”) from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the “habemus papam” announcement by the cardinal protodeacon from St. Peter’s Basilica’s balcony.

The roughly 18 countries that currently make up the Eastern European bloc are represented by nine electors and eight non-electors — 17 cardinals in total: who are they?

As the conclave set to begin on May 7 approaches, the single largest group of cardinal electors comes from Italy: who are the Italian Cardinals?

With over 100 cardinal electors present in the Vatican ahead of the Conclave, the Western European block stands out as the only group larger than the Italian contingent.