See most recent stories on the pope and the Catholic Church here By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph Memes, almost by their very nature, are modern. The world means “a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes” but as we’ve reported …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Two U.S. cardinals described Pope Francis as an ideal choice to lead the church in the modern world. “He is the perfect choice for this moment in the church,” said Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl March 14. Cardinal Timothy M. …

By Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic leaders worldwide expressed words of hope and joy in calling upon Catholics to come together as one body behind the papacy of Pope Francis. International political leaders also offered words of congratulations and pledged to work with the new pontiff on common …

By Francis X. Rocca & Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, the leader of a large urban archdiocese in Latin America, was elected the 266th pope and took the name Francis. He is the first pope in history to come from …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While the 115 cardinal electors have been locked in the Sistine Chapel voting for a new pope, the elder members of the College of Cardinals have been sitting out the election. Ninety of the world’s cardinals are 80 years old …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — More black smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 11:40 a.m. March 13, which seemed to indicate the 115 cardinal electors failed to elect a pope on their second and third ballots. The cardinals …

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 …

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. …