The pope also has a more direct role on everyday Americans, in the sense that he is the head of a church followed by 20 percent of the country. Some 53 million U.S. adults are Catholic, according ...

Pope Leo XIV's first appearance on St. Peter's balcony reflects his leadership style and contrasts with Pope Francis' inaugural moment.

Cardinals have elected a new pope who will appear on the Vatican balcony soon and be named—watch our live stream. U.S. ... reflecting the broader geopolitical tensions of medieval Christendom.

The ritual for electing a new pope took social media by storm this week as content creators reacted to the ancient tradition with memes, skits and parodies.

Francis asked in his will, opened after his death Monday, that he be entombed close to the basilica’s chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, honoring the medieval mystic whose name the pope took on ...

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass with the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, May 9. The pontiff, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected on May 8 following a two-day conclave.

Polymarket data show three leading contenders to be the next pope, with the odds narrowing slightly on the eve of the start of the conclave. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70 ...

Pope Francis stands at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on March 13, 2013, just after being announced as pontiff. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) ...

He is sitting on a golden throne and is pointing up with his right hand. The image, posted without comment, had garnered more than 36,000 likes as of this writing.

Benedict IX, a pope in the 11th century, holds the rare distinction of becoming a pope three times, selling the papacy, being deposed, reinstated, and eventually excommunicated.

At a sidewalk café and wine bar on Via dei Penitenzieri near St. Peter’s Square last month—the day before the funeral for Pope Francis drew a quarter of a million people to the square—a ...

PAPAL PULSE: Everyday Catholics reveal their hopes for the next pontiff. People at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. share their thoughts on Pope Francis' passing, his legacy ...