Cardinals enter seclusion ahead of secret conclave to elect new pope

May 6, 2025 4:21 PM

Cardinals enter seclusion ahead of secret conclave to elect new pope

Cardinals who will take part in the secret conclave to elect a new Catholic pope began checking into two Vatican hotels on Tuesday, where they will be barred from contact with the outside world as they decide who should succeed Pope Francis. The conclave will start behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, with all cardinals under the age of 80 able to vote on who should be the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church. The race to succeed Francis, who died last ...

Pope Francis’ body lies in state at St Peter’s ahead of funeral

April 23, 2025 3:50 PM

Pope Francis’ body lies in state at St Peter’s ahead of funeral

Maria Pia Caruso travelled to Rome from her hometown in northern Italy after she learned Pope Francis had died at age 88, to say a final goodbye to a pontiff she believes brought important changes to the global Catholic Church. Caruso entered St. Peter's Square with her husband at 7 a.m., to make sure they had a seat to watch the solemn procession bringing the pope's body to St. Peter's Basilica, where it will lie in state for three days. "This pope has been really important," said Caruso, spe...