Staff Report The Catholic Telegraph The new pope is His Holiness Pope Francis. He is the first to take that name. Read more about Pope Francis: Following Benedict’s footsteps, Pope Francis joins Twitter The top 5 Pope Francis memes Getting to know Pope Francis World offers words of hope, joy …

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 John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph ROME — The first black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 7:41 Rome time (2:41 EDT). Less than 20 minutes later Father Ryan Ruiz, a Cincinnati priest studying in Rome, took the time to speak with The Catholic Telegraph about …

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 …