The longest conclave lasted almost three years. Thankfully, the timeframe has changed drastically in recent years.

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, ...

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with ballots continuing in succession until ...

The process to choose a new pope will begin Wednesday in the Vatican. The papal conclave is the gathering of voting-eligible cardinals who meet and vote until a new pontiff is chosen with a two-thirds ...

Per Catholic doctrine, only baptized, Catholic males are allowed to be priests, who can then go on to be cardinals. Only male cardinals under the age of 80 can vote in a conclave, and only men are ...

There is no limit as to how long a conclave can last when electing a new Pope. One vote will be held on the first day of ...

Papal conclaves have featured calls of election fraud and bribery so gauche that riches were wheeled in on donkey carts.

As with any new papacy, a quick look at their first appointments and audiences inside the system offers at least a small ...

Over 130 voting cardinals must decide whether to continue in the direction of Francis or elect a pope likely to choose a more traditional path.

Italy’s Pietro Parolin leads odds on the Polymarket and Kalshi betting platforms, while Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines ...

Inside the secretive meeting, cardinals will use an array of objects, many steeped in tradition, as they elect the next pope.