Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, ...

In the 13th century, it took almost three years — 1,006 days to be exact — to choose Pope Clement IV's successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Church’s history. It's also ...

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Two cardinals, Michael Czerny and Chibly Langlois, sat down with ABC News to discuss the challenges facing the church that the new pope will have to face.

The question facing the conclave is whether the cardinals want to continue in the direction set by Pope Francis.

However, for centuries, popes have only been chosen from among the Catholic cardinals, the church's most senior officials. The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel, behind sealed doors.

The papal conclave is one of the oldest and most important traditions in the Catholic church. Most popes don’t resign, leaving the papacy vacant only when they die. Do you know how many papal ...

The Roman Catholic cardinals from around ... the good that Pope Francis had on people in the church." A closer look: What to expect from the conclave that will choose Pope Francis' successor ...

For the first time, the majority of cardinals to choose a pope are not from Europe, as Catholic demographics shift. But Europe remains the largest source of cardinals.

And yet, the conclave that concluded today in Rome has chosen the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church: ...

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions ...

This image released by Focus Features shows Ralph Fiennes, left, and Stanley Tucci in a scene from "Conclave." (AP) The secretive process to elect a new Roman Catholic pope begins May 7, two weeks ...