Once upon a time, we used to force cardinals into a crumbling old building, without toilets, walls or even much food — all the better to speed things along.

As the Catholic Church prepares to elect its next spiritual leader, here’s a detailed look at the centuries-old ritual of the papal conclave, an event marked by history, secrecy, and sacred tradition.

Various security measures are in place to prevent the transmitting of information, and cardinals will be in a protective ...

As more than a billion Catholics around the world await the election of a new pope, all eyes will be on the Sistine Chapel, ...

Catholics around the world are getting ready to celebrate the election of a new pope as the conclave begins on Wednesday. All eyes will be on the Sistine Chapel to see white ...

The secretive process will get underway at the Vatican to find a new leader of the Catholic Church.

One of the UK’s most senior Catholic leaders has called on people to pray for himself and other cardinals as they embark on the secret voting process to elect a new pope.

Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world ...

There has been a growing coalescence around the idea Pope Francis's work to shake up the workings of the Church should be ...

A chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican will signal the election of a new pope and leader of the Catholic Church.

In total, 133 cardinals will be voting during this conclave, the most electors ever, with 108 of them being appointed by Pope ...

The Sistine Chapel is ready for the papal conclave. Front-runners such as Parolin and Tagle are losing momentum amid a divided College of Cardinals.