Catholic Church

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Top Concern on Pope Leo's Mind: Artificial Intelligence

New pontiff laid out his vision for the Catholic Church on Saturday, citing the late Francis

(Newser) - Pope Leo XIV laid out the vision of his papacy on Saturday, identifying artificial intelligence as one of the most critical matters facing humanity and vowing to continue some of the core priorities of the late Pope Francis. In his first formal audience, Leo repeatedly cited the Argentine pope's...

The Catholic Church Has a New Pope
The Catholic Church
Has a New Pope
May 8, 2025 11:18 AM CDT

The Catholic Church Has a New Pope

No name announced yet, but white smoke signals a successor to Francis

(Newser) - White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church, per the AP . That means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The...

More Black Smoke: No Pope After 2 Votes

Cardinals will try again in a few hours

(Newser) - Black smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, meaning cardinals failed to pick a pope in their second round of voting, reports NBC News . They will try again at 11:30am Eastern.
  • No surprise: Modern popes are rarely selected in the first or second round, notes
...

One Cardinal's Essential Conclave Item: a Book

Cardinal Timothy Dolan explains there is a lot of quiet downtime

(Newser) - It could be hours—or days—before a group of 133 cardinals manages to select a pope, reports Fox News . Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be one of them, and has some straightforward advice for cardinals who haven't experienced a papal conclave before: pack a book. Dolan, speaking Tuesday,...

After the Conclave, Watch for the New Pope's Name

It could send a signal about his intentions toward the papacy

(Newser) - Some 135 cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to presumably elevate one of their own to the papacy. When the white smoke blows, signaling the election of a new pope, the world will watch not only the man who emerges in his new white cassock, but also the...

In Rome, Nuns Are Gathering, Too
In Rome, Nuns
Are Gathering, Too
May 5, 2025 8:04 AM CDT

In Rome, Nuns Are Gathering, Too

Meeting of 'superiors' coincides with death of Francis

(Newser) - As cardinals prepare to gather in the Sistine Chapel to select the next pope, another assembly is underway just miles away: Nearly 900 leaders of female Catholic religious orders are meeting in Rome. These superiors—representing over 450,000 nuns globally—opened their plenary assembly Monday with a call...

The Conclave Is Set
The Conclave Is Set
Apr 28, 2025 8:09 AM CDT

The Conclave Is Set

Cardinals will sequester themselves on May 7 to pick a successor to Pope Francis

(Newser) - The start date is set to pick a new pope. How long it will take remains anyone's guess. Catholic cardinals said Monday that their conclave to select Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, reports the AP . The cardinals delayed the secret voting for two days to...

The Acting Pope Is an Irish-Born US Citizen

Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the acting head of the Vatican until a new pope is elected

(Newser) - Following Pope Francis' death Monday at age 88, the Vatican will have an acting head until a new pontiff is chosen during the conclave process. That acting head, or camerlengo, is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and ultimately became a naturalized US citizen, NPR reports. Francis...

The Beloved Pope Francis Did Have 'Many Critics'

The progressive pontiff sometimes butted heads with conservative clergy

(Newser) - Pope Francis was being remembered as a beloved leader of the Catholic Church following his death Monday at age 88, but the pontiff was not without his critics over the years since he was elected pope in 2013. A look at some of them:
  • Conservative US Catholics: As the New
...

Every Night, Pope Called a Small Church in Gaza

Francis asked Palestinian Catholics 'to be strong'

(Newser) - Hours after the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, the only Catholic church in Gaza received a call from Rome. It was the first of what became nightly discussions between the parishioners of Holy Family Church and Pope Francis, Reuters reports. The pope "always healed our wounds and asked...

An American Pope? One Name Is in Contention
An American Pope? One
Name Is in Contention
the rundown
Apr 21, 2025 8:23 AM CDT

An American Pope? One Name Is in Contention

Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, is among those seen as a possible successor

(Newser) - So who will be the next pope? Even as the tributes pour in for Pope Francis after his death on Monday morning , the question is at the forefront for the Catholic Church. The Washington Post sees no clear favorite at the moment, but the newspaper and other outlets are...

5 Things to Know About Francis' Life, Papacy
5 Things to Know About
Francis' Life, Papacy
the rundown
Apr 21, 2025 6:39 AM CDT

5 Things to Know About Francis' Life, Papacy

The Argentina-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio has died at 88

(Newser) - The death of Pope Francis at age 88 has led to an outpouring of tributes and coverage about his life and papacy. Some highlights:
  • His calling: Francis was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was the eldest of five siblings born to
...

Pope Francis Dies Hours After Final Public Appearance

Pontiff, 88, had been recovering from pneumonia

(Newser) - Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday at age 88, per the AP . Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement,...

Pope Puts 'God's Architect' on Track for Sainthood

Francis starts process for Antoni Gaudi, designer of Barcelona's famous Sagrada Familia basilica

(Newser) - Antoni Gaudi just took his first official step toward becoming a saint. The Catalan architect who designed the still-in-progress Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, has been placed on the path to sainthood by Pope Francis, who in a Monday decree declared Gaudi "venerable" and full of "heroic...

Millions Flock to Honor 'God's Influencer' Ahead of Sainthood

Carlo Acutis to be canonized next month

(Newser) - Carlo Acutis will be canonized as the first millennial saint on April 27 in Assisi, Italy, and pilgrims are flocking to this hilltop town to honor him alongside St. Francis and St. Clare. Acutis, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, was known for his devotion and modern...

She Said Her Virgin Mary Wept Blood. Not So Fast

DNA tests suggest blood was actually from Italy's Gisella Cardia, not some sort of supernatural event

(Newser) - About a decade ago, Gisella Cardia purchased a statue of the Virgin Mary at Bosnia and Herzegovina's Medjugorje, where thousands of religious pilgrims flock annually. The Sicilian native created her own pilgrimage site in the town of Trevignano Romano, on the outskirts of Rome, using the statue as the...

Vatican Sanctioned Opus Dei Cardinal

Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne says he handled sexual abuse accusations properly

(Newser) - The once-powerful archbishop of Lima, Peru, and the first-ever cardinal of Opus Dei acknowledged Saturday that the Vatican had imposed sanctions on him in 2019 following an allegation of sexual abuse, but he denied wrongdoing. Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, 81, wrote a response after Spain's El País...

Pope Dissolves Conservative Catholic Movement

Probe uncovered sexual, financial, spiritual abuses by Peru-based Sodalitium Christianae Vitae

(Newser) - Pope Francis has taken the remarkable step of dissolving a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, after years of attempts at reform and a Vatican investigation. The probe uncovered sexual abuses by its founder, financial mismanagement by its leaders, and spiritual abuses by its top members, the AP reports....

Woman to Finally Head a Vatican Office—a Vital One

Sister Simona Brambilla named prefect of department responsible for religious orders

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis' aim to give women more leadership...

Pope Opens 'Holy Door' at Prison in Italy

Symbolic move is part of the Catholic Church's Jubilee celebration

(Newser) - Pope Francis made a symbolic gesture at one of Italy's largest prisons on Thursday that is a first for any pontiff, reports the Guardian . Francis visited Rebibbia prison outside Rome, where he opened what the church calls a "holy door." During the year, Francis will open five...

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