The name Pius, once a staple among papal ... "perhaps because of a centuries-old prophecy that Peter II will be the last pope to serve," said Temple. Pope Francis chose his name out of reverence ...

Since the Middle Ages, the Holy See has positioned itself as the preeminent mediator for international conflicts regardless ...

Following Pope Francis’s passing on April 21 and the election of Pope Leo on May 8, many people have wondered where the ...

Francis himself quipped that his successor would be John XXIV, after the progressive Vatican II-era pope. The most popular papal name of the 20th century, Pius, would be a clear signal that a ...

Francis himself quipped that his successor would be John XXIV, after the progressive Vatican II-era pope. The most popular papal name of the 20th century, Pius, would be a clear signal that a ...

Ever since Pope John XXIII was elected in 1958, the successors of St. Peter have established a pattern: pope as disruptor, ...

It is unfortunate that in his twilight years, the more disputable aspects of his views and conduct came increasingly to the ...

The papacy, an institution stretching back nearly two millennia, represents one of history's longest unbroken lines of ...

Pope Francis has been laid to rest, the conclave has been assembled and, after due deliberation by the participating cardinals, the world at last has seen white smoke wafting from the Sistine Chapel ...

Pope Leo made history by becoming the first American pope and his papacy has been marked by another break from tradition.

Progressive contenders such as Tagle or Cardinal Matteo Zuppi might select Francis II, directly aligning themselves ... and a more hierarchical Church. Pope Pius XII is a particularly contentious ...