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

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church will now elect its new leader, in a process virtually unchanged in 800 years. The system is known as the ‘Papal Conclave,’ and is a ...

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.

Only cardinals younger than 80 years old are allowed to participate in the conclave, a limit that ... a new pope will soon lead the Roman Catholic Church.

With all eyes now on the Vatican after Pope Francis' death, here's a look at the conclave and its role in electing the next head of the Catholic Church. Francis died at age 88 and was remembered ...

In the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, most popes have come from ... the election will unfold in a secret gathering called a conclave, which is convened after a pope dies or ...

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 ...

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 ...

Now that the start date of the papal conclave has been set for May 7, NPR walks through who'll be there and how they'll be electing the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The conclave to ...

Using smoke to communicate to the public whether a new pope has been elected is somewhat a recent tradition for the Catholic Church. Cardinal electors in the conclave, which originates from a ...

When Pope Francis died, questions about his successor were all over the news. Every Catholic waited with bated breath on who the new head of the Catholic Church will be. The names of Asians and ...