The pope also has at least 17 black relatives, including his grandfather, Joseph Nerval Martínez, who was born in Haiti. Leo ...

But in modern times, papal conclaves have skewed much shorter: The longest conclave in the 20th century lasted five days. And in 2013, Pope Francis was elected in a little over 24 hours.

The previous pope, Pius X, had mandated in 1904 that all papers related to the election, not just the ballots, be burned, "thus producing a great deal more white smoke for the final ballot and ...

Pope Leo XIV meets with Italian Sister Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, at the Vatican May 14, 2025. (Credit: Vatican ...

The word itself predates Christianity, but the conclave with its secretive deliberations and ancient trappings still captures the public's curiosity.

A new pope has been elected — but there's a lot that happens before we see him for the time Becca Longmire is a digital news writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024 ...

Behind the name Pope Leo and its ties to social justice 01:59. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been announced as the new pontiff and has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV.. There are no written rules or ...

The office of pope, successor of St. Peter, has always been steeped in symbolism. But as popes came and went, one symbol has kept returning to prominence: the seal of the Holy See during a papal ...

The papal conclave – which has remained virtually unchanged after more than 800 years – takes as long as needed. Over the centuries, it has taken hours, days, months and even years for a ...

Robert Francis Prevost, Now Leo XIV, Is First American Pope. Cardinal Prevost was elected pontiff on the second day of the conclave, becoming the leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

He jumped into battle wearing a bowler hat and carried an umbrella instead of a rifle. This is the unforgettable story of one of WWII’s most eccentric and fearless soldiers. Pope Francis has ...

An old saying about papal elections goes as follows: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal.” In other words, any candidate seen as the frontrunner before the voting ...