Preparations for the conclave to find a new pope accelerated Friday with the installation of the chimney out of the Sistine Chapel that will signal the election of a successor to Pope Francis.

The conclave that begins next Wednesday to elect a successor for Pope Francis is the first in 46 ½ years for which the Vatican hasn’t ordered a set of cassocks from the two best-known papal tailors.

Papabile: How do conclave watchers come up with their lists of the next pope—and should we trust them?

The people of God see the bishop of Rome as a teacher, but they also unquestionably see him as a father.

Since the death of Pope Francis, lists of his possible successors have proliferated on social media and in newspapers. Should you trust them?

A Reflection for Thursday of the Second Week of Easter, by Valerie Schultz

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, by J.D. Long García

A Reflection for the Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, by Kevin Clarke

A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, by Terrance Klein

In a pre-conclave meeting, an Italian cardinal, and backer of Cardinal Parolin as next pope, attacked Pope Francis for opening positions of responsibility in the church to men and women not in holy orders.

As the film’s title promises, there is plenty of sin on display, even before the vampires arrive.

As we prepare for a new papacy, an important question faces the church: What foundations do we inherit from Pope Francis’ bold reimagining of Catholic moral theology? How will the church carry forward the vision he nurtured—a vision both thoroughly traditional and courageously new?

Somehow, incredibly, this celibate, elderly man often doled out some of the best and most valuable parenting advice I’ve received along the way.

America’s editors on the ground in Rome discuss the latest conclave news and the work that remain for whoever is elected as Pope Francis’ successor.

Much of what you hear about who the next pope will be, spoken with enormous confidence by people in the know, is often completely contradictory.

Cardinals Rosa and Sako said they expect the conclave to be brief and last two to three days. While not revealing a name, Cardinal Sako said he already had a “very clear” idea of who he intended to vote for.

All 135 cardinals who are under the age of 80 and have not renounced the right to enter the conclave will have full voting rights.

Mario Vargas Llosa's long literary life established him as a monumental figure in Spanish-language literature and Latin American history.

A Reflection for Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter, by Heather Trotta