Concerns over Pope Francis' health have mounted in recent years as have questions about his succession. Here's what we know.

The pope looms so large in everyday Italian life that there are lots of expressions that make light of even a dark event like ...

Cardinals, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), are bishops and Vatican officials from all ...

While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not ...

As Pope Francis undergoes treatment for double pneumonia, many are looking ahead to the process of selecting his successor ...

Though some blood tests showed "initial, mild, kidney failure," doctors said it was under control. "The complexity of the ...

the Catholic Church elects a new pope through an election by cardinals who meet in a conclave Pope Francis remained hospitalized Wednesday, five days after he was admitted to Rome's Gemelli ...

The system is known as the ‘Papal Conclave,’ and will be used once again to select the next Pope when the time comes. The system is democratic with a strong emphasis on working through multiple rounds ...

His condition has sparked interest in how a new pope is elected, something heightened by the success of the Oscar-nominated film Conclave, which starred British actor Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal ...

The system is known as the ‘Papal Conclave,’ and will be used once again to select the next Pope when the time comes. The system is democratic with a strong emphasis on working through ...

The papal "conclave" is intentionally shrouded in mystery — the term itself is Latin for "locked room" — but here are some of its rules and wrinkles: Candidates must be male and a baptized ...