The special Vatican chimney started pouring white smoke just after 2 p.m. ET, signaling to the world that the 115 cardinals locked inside the Sistine Chapel have selected a new leader for the Catholic ...

“Habemus Papam.” We Have a Pope. After days of feverish speculation American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The crowd reacts as ...

When the Sistine Chapel's white smoke rose on May 8, it crowned not a campaigner, but a conciliator. What cardinals inside the conclave say they sought — and what they found in Robert Francis Prevost, ...

Every now and then you encounter a movie or TV premise that manages to bypass the frontal cortex entirely, instead taking root in some deep and ancestral part of the human brain. You hear it, and all ...

This week, 133 cardinals have gathered in the Vatican to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. During their deliberations, the only indications of their progress are the regular plumes of smoke ...

Cardinals from across the world have one task starting this week. Electing a new pope. Pope Francis died at age 88 and served as pope for 12 years before his unexpected death on Easter Monday in 2025.

Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news for the first day of the conclave on Wednesday, May 7. For the latest news and updates from the papal conclave, read USA TODAY's live updates for Thursday ...

A Malaysian will be involved in the voting to appoint the next Pope, following the demise of Pope Francis recently.