By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite the rain, thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square after dark March 12, the first evening of the conclave, to witness the black smoke that signaled the Catholic Church’s 115 cardinal electors had failed, as expected, to elect a …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Invoking the aid of the Holy Spirit and the holy men and women from all over the world recognized as saints, 115 cardinals processed slowly into the Sistine Chapel to begin the process to elect a pope. Once in the …

Staff Report The Catholic Telegraph  By nature, all conclaves are historic. They tie the Church in a clear and visible way to the apostolic succession of the previous popes. In a spiritual way, they are events in which the guidance of the Holy Spirit is assured. Most conclaves have taken …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A respected Italian journal said Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, a 76-year-old Jesuit, was the cardinal with the second-highest number of votes on each of the four ballots in the 2005 conclave. The journal, Limes, said its report …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Hours before the start of the conclave that will choose the next pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals celebrated the papacy as a source of unity among Catholics and of evangelization and charitable service to the world. …

This period of sede vacante will end sooner rather than later as 115 cardinal electors in Rome are now in a conclave where in a spirit of prayer and discernment they will select the next pope. Refresh this page often for continuing updates of news related to the conclave and …

By Greg Hartman & John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  The conclave starts Tuesday, and a more detailed schedule of the events has become available. Here is a guide to what happens now, before, during and after the conclave. All times listed are Rome local time with Eastern Daylight Time listed …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Like the rest of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, including the 5,100 bishops and 412,000 priests, the pope exercises what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls his “baptismal priesthood” by participating in “Christ’s mission as priest, prophet and …

UPDATE FROM CNS: Voting for new pope to begin March 12 By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cardinal electors assembled in Rome will begin voting for the next pope March 12. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, announced the date for the start of …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Everyone is curious about the cardinals. As they arrive for their daily meetings or general congregations at the Vatican before the conclave, reporters and photographers are on the scene, often behind a barricade but sometimes literally chasing the cardinals with …