VATICAN CITY — Three rounds of ballots had been cast with no winner, but it was becoming clear which way this conclave was headed. When the cardinals broke for lunch, Sean O'Malley of Boston sat down ...

This was the ultra-secret process revealed in the book 'The Last Conclave' by Vatican experts Gerard O'Connell and Elisabetta Piqué. "It was Pope Francis' last surprise" May 7, 2025. Black smoke.

UPDATE: (3:25 p.m.): Here he is. His first words to the faithful were: "It seems to me that my brothers and cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am." UPDATE (3:21 p.m.): ...

At a conclave with many new members, a swift, stunning consensus built around an unknown to many outside of the church. At a conclave with many new members, a swift, stunning consensus built around an ...

Voting for a new pope is no joke. Before Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Francis Prevost) was named the successor of the late Pope Francis at the latest conclave, he—along with more than one hundred ...

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, center, leaves after concelebrating Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican the day after his election as 267th pontiff of the Roman ...

Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict — who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years. The speed with which he was elected pope this time ...