Vatican News

Conclave to Elect Next Pope will Begin May 7

The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced.

At Jubilee of Teenagers, Grief is Mingled with Joyful Hope for Church’s Future

For thousands of young teens who traveled to Rome for the Jubilee of Teenagers, the announcement of Pope Francis' death came as a shock.

Church Must Carry on Pope’s Legacy of Mercy, Cardinal Says

Mercy -- the cornerstone of Pope Francis' teaching and ministry -- must guide the Catholic Church through its period of mourning and the uncertainty that lies ahead, the Vatican's second-ranking official said.

Thousands Line Streets of Rome to Bid Final Farewell to Pope Francis

ROME (CNS) — The casket bearing the body of Pope Francis made its final journey through the streets of Rome accompanied by applause and shouts of gratitude from thousands of mourners. After the funeral Mass April 26, pallbearers carried Pope Francis’ coffin through St. Peter’s Basilica, stopping briefly at the steps leading to St. Peter’s […]

Pope Spent Pontificate Going to Peripheries; at Funeral, They Came to Him

When Pope Francis was elected as the first Latin American pontiff, he said his brother cardinals went out of their way to pick someone from the "ends of the earth."

Poor and Powerful Pray for Eternal Repose of a Pope ‘With an Open Heart’

Pope Francis was "a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone," said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, as he presided over the funeral of the pope, who died April 21 at the age of 88.

Pope Francis said Mary Picked his Burial Place, Cardinal Says

"The Virgin Mary told me, 'Prepare the tomb.'" That is what Pope Francis said Mary told him when he was discerning whether to be buried in the historic Marian church where his body will be laid to rest April 26.

Poor to Welcome Pope’s Casket to St. Mary Major Where Simple Tomb is Ready

Given the late Pope Francis' care and concern for the poor, a representative group of them has been formally invited to welcome his casket to Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial.

Cardinals Choose Prelates to Offer Reflections on Church, Future Pope

A Benedictine abbot and a Capuchin cardinal will offer spiritual meditations on the needs of the Catholic Church to the cardinals preparing to elect a new pope, according to the Vatican press office.

Prayer, Pilgrims Accompany Pope’s Body to Basilica

To the chanting of Christ's promise, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live," the mortal remains of Pope Francis were carried into St. Peter's Basilica by 14 pallbearers.