LIVE UPDATES: First key dates of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate announced

Americans gathered in St. Peter’s Square on May 8 to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago’s South Side, the 69-year-old Augustinian friar was chosen by the College of Cardinals after just two days of conclave. 

While American flags were scarce among the sea of international banners, those present from the U.S. lingered in the square long after the Holy Father appeared out on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time. They shared prayers, chants, and reflections on the unprecedented moment. 

Catch more of their reflections here.

Before he was pope, he was a math major at a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th head of the Catholic Church. He’s also a class of ‘77 alumnus of Villanova University, which is run by the Order of St. Augustine.

Here are some reactions from the new pope’s alma mater to his election as pontiff.

Nine months ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost sat down for an interview at a parish in the Chicago area before celebrating Mass. Now that he is Pope Leo XIV, his words on the National Eucharistic Congress, Pope Francis, synodality, and more have taken on extra significance.

Here are some highlights from the videotaped interview at St. Jude Church in New Lenox, Illinois.

Pope Leo XIV had the opportunity to meet three of his predecessors at the helm of the Barque of Peter. Here are some photos of these encounters between former Cardinal Robert Prevost as a young Augustinian religious, prior of the order, and cardinal.

In some of his first words to the world on May 8, newly-elected Pope Leo XIV recalled the land where he worked as a missionary from 1985 to 1998.

“And if you will allow me a word, a greeting to all those… in a particular way to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru,” he said.

Known as the “city of friendship,” Chiclayo is located in northern Peru, about 500 miles from the capital, Lima. Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator and then bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2014 and 2015 respectively. As bishop of Chiclayo and later as apostolic administrator of Callao, he also served as vice president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference (CEP by its Spanish acronym). 

Read more about Pope Leo XIV’s time in Peru.

The United States cardinals who were part of the conclave that on Thursday elected Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, called him “a citizen of the world,” in continuity with Pope Francis but with his own manner of doing things.

At a May 9 press conference at the Pontifical North American College in Rome following Leo’s election, seven cardinals fielded questions about participating in the conclave, the qualities of Pope Leo, and the impact of having an American pope.

Read more here.

From Europe to the Asia Pacific, millions of Catholics are celebrating the election of U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church.

Read their reactions here.

In his first Mass as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to “bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior” in a world where “a lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life.” 

Preaching in the Sistine Chapel on May 9 to the cardinals who elected him, the first pope born in the United States opened his homily in English. 

“My brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out on all of us through the ministry of Peter,” the new pope said, speaking off the cuff.

Read more from Rome correspondent Courtney Mares.

The American arm of the worldwide Pontifical Mission Societies is celebrating yesterday’s election of Pope Leo XIV. 

Here’s what it had to say.

The Vatican Press Office releases the official schedule of initial engagements over the coming weeks for Pope Leo XIV. Here are the key dates:

Immediate appointments

• Saturday, May 10: Meeting with cardinals

• Sunday, May 11: Regina Caeli prayer from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica

• Monday, May 12: Meeting with worldwide press

First formal engagements

• Friday, May 16: Reception of diplomatic corps (heads of mission)

• Sunday, May 18: Inaugural Mass for the Beginning of Pontificate, 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square

• Tuesday, May 20: Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

• Wednesday, May 21: First general audience of his pontificate

• Saturday, May 24: Meeting with the Roman Curia and Vatican City State employees

Special celebrations

• Sunday, May 25: Regina Caeli prayer followed by taking possession of the two other papal basilicas:

  • Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran (the pope’s cathedral as bishop of Rome)

  • Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major

The inauguration Mass on May 18 will be the formal installation ceremony where Pope Leo XIV will receive the fisherman’s ring and the pallium as symbols of his papal office. The “taking possession” ceremonies of the four papal basilicas are traditional acts that underscore the pope’s role as bishop of Rome and head of the universal Church.

We’ll continue to provide updates throughout the day as further details emerge about his initial days as pontiff.

Pope Leo XIV is celebrating his first Mass as Roman pontiff in the Sistine Chapel with the College of Cardinals.

The 69-year-old American pope will later lead the Regina Caeli prayer from St. Peter’s central balcony at noon Sunday.

Leo will also be greeting journalists who covered the papal transition on Monday morning.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, along with former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and scores of other elected officials throughout the country expressed joy and excitement over the selection of the first North American pope, who is from Chicago.

Find out what they had to say.

EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw reacted with joy to the election of the first American pontiff.

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,” Warsaw said in a statement. “The election of a new pope is always a historic moment in the life of the Church, but the election of the first American-born pope is particularly momentous.”

Read more of Warsaw's statement here.

U.S. bishops on Thursday hailed the election of former Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and the first pope born in the United States of America.

Cardinals elected the newly-titled Leo to the supreme pontificate on Thursday afternoon, with white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel signaling the closing of the conclave with the selection of the new pope.

Leo appeared before hundreds of thousands of faithful and spectators in St. Peter’s Square shortly thereafter, addressing the universal Church and the world for the first time as pope.

Read more of bishops’ reactions.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, May 8 — the first pope from the United States. 

Smiling and waving while wearing more traditional papal garb than his predecessor — and appearing to hold back tears at certain points — Leo blessed the cheering masses assembled in St. Peter’s Square, proclaiming in confident Italian: “Peace be with you all!”

An Augustinian and a canon lawyer, Prevost spent over a decade ministering in South America before being called back to the U.S. to head the Augustinian Province of Chicago and was later elected prior general of the Augustinian order, serving in that role for a dozen years. He later returned to South America after Pope Francis in 2014 appointed him bishop in Chiclayo, Peru. Francis later called him to Rome in 2023 to head the highly influential Dicastery for Bishops. 

Read more about the Catholic Church’s 267th pope.

Pope Leo XIV greeted the world for the first time on Thursday with the words “Peace be with you all.”

The 69-year-old new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected the first pope from the United States on Thursday. A native of Chicago, Leo spoke in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, addressing the hundreds of thousands of people waiting in the square and streets below.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 6:09 p.m. Rome time on Thursday, signaling that the College of Cardinals had chosen a successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers as the bells of the basilica began to toll, confirming the election of a new pontiff. The crowds gathered as word spread throughout Rome that a new pope had been chosen.

Read more.

Cardinal Dominique Mamberti appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and proclaims: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Robertum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Prevost, qui sibi nomen imposuit Leonem Decimum Quartum.”

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, the 69-year-old American prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, has been elected as the 267th successor of St. Peter, taking the name Leo XIV. The crowd erupts in jubilation as the announcement echoes across St. Peter’s Square. The conclave has concluded after requiring six ballots to reach the necessary two-thirds majority.

The atmosphere in St. Peter's Square is electric as pilgrims from across the globe stand shoulder to shoulder, their cameras and phones raised to capture the historic moment when the new pope will emerge.

Vatican security, Swiss Guards and Italian police maintain order as the crowd continues to swell. The conclave that began on May 7 has concluded after approximately 24 hours. Soon the identity of the new successor to Pope Francis will be revealed to the waiting world.

White smoke is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel just after 6 pm local time, signaling that the College of Cardinals has elected a successor to Pope Francis. The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are tolling, confirming this is not a false alarm.

Thousands in St. Peter’s Square erupt in cheers as the news spreads.

The identity of the 267th successor of St. Peter remains unknown for the moment.

What are the pressing issues for the cardinals gathered to elect a new pope?

Vaticanist Marco Mancini analyses seven priorities for the National Catholic Register, including the importance of canon law, ethnic diversity, synodality, pastoral leadership, curial governance, peace efforts, and maintaining continuity with previous pontificates.

Read the full story at the National Catholic Register.

Black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 11:51 a.m. Rome time on Thursday, signaling that the cardinals voting at the conclave have not yet elected a new pope.

Read the full story here.

With the start of the conclave May 7, there are five cardinal electors who bring a significant amount of experience to the process.

Four electors — Cardinals Peter Turkson, Philippe Barbarin, Péter Erdő, and Josip Bozanić — became members of the College of Cardinals in 2003 and have participated in two conclaves before this one.

Read more about these cardinals.

As the conclave gets underway, all eyes turn to the small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. From this simple metal tube will emerge the long-awaited white smoke that will announce the election of the new pope.

Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday evening to the watchful eyes of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the first day of conclave voting concluded without a new pontiff.

Beginning Thursday, the cardinals will hold four votes each day: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Each round of votes is followed by smoke from the chimney, which will be black if still no agreement has been reached, or white if the new pontiff has been elected.

Here is more information on that schedule.

Black smoke is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the College of Cardinals has not yet elected a successor to Pope Francis.

The gathered crowd in St. Peter’s Square let out a collective sigh as the dark plume became visible. This marks the first round of voting without the required two-thirds majority needed to elect the 267th leader of the Catholic Church.

Crowds of the faithful and other observers pack St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday evening as smoke is expected to issue from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel after the first round of voting in the conclave.

The cardinals were closed in conclave earlier in the day to begin the voting process, one which will likely see several rounds of voting and end with the election of a new supreme pontiff.

With the proclamation of “extra omnes” (“outside everyone”) on the afternoon of May 7, the thick wooden doors of the Sistine Chapel are closed and guarded at every entrance by Swiss Guards while the 133 cardinal electors began the process of choosing the new pope and leader of the universal Catholic Church.

Inside the magnificent Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo’s timeless masterpieces, 133 cardinals are currently swearing the oath by placing their hand upon the Gospels and pronouncing these binding words:

I, N.N., promise and swear that, unless I should receive a special faculty given expressly by the newly-elected pontiff or by his successors, I will observe absolute and perpetual secrecy with all who are not part of the College of Cardinal electors concerning all matters directly or indirectly related to the ballots cast and their scrutiny for the election of the supreme pontiff.

I likewise promise and swear to refrain from using any audio or video equipment capable of recording anything which takes place during the period of the election within Vatican City, and in particular anything which in any way, directly or indirectly, is related to the process of the election itself.

I declare that I take this oath fully aware that an infraction thereof will incur the penalty of automatic (‘latae sententiae’) excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.

So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand.

The solemn silence of the Sistine Chapel now surrounds 133 cardinal electors as they begin the sacred process of selecting the 267th successor to St. Peter following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who presides over the conclave due to the ineligibility of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri because of age restrictions, led the procession from the Pauline Chapel.

The carefully choreographed entrance saw cardinals proceeding in rows of two, each reverently bowing before the altar upon entering the hallowed space adorned with Michelangelo’s masterpieces.

Following the solemn “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass that concluded earlier in St. Peter’s Basilica, the cardinals are now preparing for the conclave.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, presided over the ceremony and delivered a powerful homily calling for Church unity, describing it as “a unity that does not mean uniformity but a firm and profound communion in diversity.”

Read the full story here.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, is currently celebrating the solemn “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. This traditional liturgy, attended by all cardinals who will vote in the conclave, marks the final public event before they process to the Sistine Chapel this afternoon.

In his homily, Re is reminding his fellow cardinals that they must approach their momentous task with prayer and complete self sacrifice.

The cardinal’s homily strikes powerful notes of unity and service.

Read the full homily here.

When a new pope is elected, there are two signs that mark that historic moment: the white smoke (“fumata bianca” in Italian) erupting from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the formula “habemus papam” pronounced by the cardinal protodeacon from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the square of the same name.

This is the history of both traditions.

In the days leading up to the conclave to elect the next pope, the College of Cardinals gathered for 12 general congregations at the Vatican to reflect on the state of the Church and the many challenges it faces in the modern world.

The meetings, held from April 22 to May 6, included both cardinal electors under the age of 80 and non-electors over 80, who, while not eligible to vote in the conclave, actively participated in the discussions.

Read more about what the cardinals talked about.

When the cardinals gather in the Pauline Chapel and process to the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to begin the process of choosing a new pope, they call upon the assistance of the Holy Spirit as they sing the “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest”).

Many people assume the Holy Spirit directly reveals the exact person who should be the pope. If that were the case, there would be quick elections. But several conclaves over the centuries have lasted for weeks, even months — or years — while others have produced popes of questionable character. 

On the other hand, there is the notion that a conclave is closer to the kind of backroom dealmaking associated with a bygone era of political machines.

Neither of these scenarios is correct.

Find out more from Joseph Pronechen at the National Catholic Register.

At 89 Via Borgo Pio, located a few steps from Porta Santa Anna leading to the Vatican, is Mancinelli Clergy, the iconic shop that embodies the history and tradition of ecclesiastical tailoring in Rome.

Behind a time-worn wooden counter, surrounded by tall glass cases displaying all kinds of religious articles — cassocks, scarlet caps, skullcaps, embroidered chasubles, and pectoral crosses — stands tailor Raniero Mancinelli, tasked with making the next pope’s habit.

With a measuring tape around his neck, Mancinelli welcomed ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and shared the details of a craft he has been performing for more than six decades. “I’ve dressed John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis… and this will be the fourth,” he commented proudly.

Read more.

The Vatican on Tuesday released photos of the Sistine Chapel prepared for the arrival of the cardinal electors who will select the next pope in the conclave set to begin on Wednesday.

The proceedings will take place in absolute secrecy, with the prelates largely sequestered from the outside world for as long as the conclave lasts until a new supreme pontiff is chosen.

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave.

The 133 cardinal electors, meeting behind closed doors, will have the task of electing Pope Francis’ successor starting Wednesday, surrounded by the beauty of frescoes by Michelangelo, Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Located in the heart of the Vatican and protected by the Leonine Wall, the Sistine Chapel was built on the site of the ancient Cappella Magna. From its origins, it served not only as a place of liturgy but also as a protected space for the crucial decisions that have marked the millennia-long life of the Church.

Learn more about the chapel here.

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, says the next pope should be a disciple of Christ first and foremost, one who places “the declaration of Jesus” at the center of his papacy. 

Barron spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome. The U.S. prelate noted that the Church is on “pins and needles” during the interregnum before the election of the next pope, though he admitted it’s “an exciting time.”

Read more.

The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.

The ring and seal are destroyed after a pope’s death in order prevent their future misuse to seal official documents.

Vatican Media shared photos and videos of the cancelation of the ring and seal on May 6, and the X account of the Vatican Secretary of State said it was carried out that morning in the presence of the camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, and the College of Cardinals.

The College of Cardinals gathers in General Congregation on Tuesday and issues a forceful appeal for peace, expressing “regret” that progress toward resolving conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions has stalled while attacks on civilians intensify.

In a statement published by the Holy See Press Office, the cardinals call for “a permanent ceasefire” and peace negotiations “without preconditions and further delays.” They also invite all faithful to “intensify their supplication to the Lord for a just and lasting peace.”

This powerful plea comes as the cardinals prepare for the upcoming conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.

Before his death, Pope Francis made a final gift to the people of Gaza: a mobile health clinic, converted from one of his popemobiles.

The popemobile Francis used during his historic May 2014 visit to the Holy Land is being “refurbished and upgraded” to provide medical assistance to injured and malnourished children in Gaza, according to Peter Brune, secretary-general of Caritas Sweden, who talked about the project with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Dubbed the “Vehicle of Hope,” the mobile pediatric clinic will be deployed in the Palestinian territory as soon as humanitarian access is restored.

Frank Rocca, senior Vatican analyst for EWTN News, joins “EWTN News Nightly” to discuss the College of Cardinals’ schedule leading up to the start of the conclave on Wednesday.

He shares what has been discussed during the general congregations and whether those conversations offer insight into what the cardinals are seeking in the next pope. Lastly, he reflects on what it is like to witness the moment white smoke rises — and a new pope steps onto the balcony of St. Peter’s.

As the College of Cardinals prepares to gather in the conclave, the global Church enters a moment of discernment — and of speculation. Behind closed doors, names are floated, alliances weighed, and expectations quietly shaped. Some hope for a return to an Italian pope, others call for a voice from the peripheries. Many, amid the noise, turn to prayer, trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

For Christians in the Middle East, this moment carries particular significance. These ancient communities, rooted in lands marked by instability and loss, have not seen a pope from their region since the seventh century. And yet their presence endures — reduced in number but not in faith; marginalized politically, yet vital to the universal Church.

The Vatican Governorate is informing the city state’s residents and employees that beginning on May 7 at 3 p.m. local time, “all the transmission systems of the mobile phone telecommunications signal, present in the territory of the Vatican City State … will be deactivated.”

The measure is part of the security requirements of the conclave to elect the new pope, which takes place in private in the Sistine Chapel through secret ballots.

The signal will be restored, “with the maximum speed permitted by the technology of the mobile operators,” after the announcement of the election of the new pope from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

One of the first things billions will learn about the new pope, even before he steps onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, is the name he has chosen.

After Cardinal Dominique Mamberti proclaims “Habemus papam!” he will announce the supreme pontiff’s Christian name, then his surname. Then finally, he’ll reveal his regnal name — the one that will follow the word “Pope.”

Most likely, nobody will have ever called him that before. And after it’s announced, most people will never call him anything else.

It’s the first message a new pope sends — even before he speaks.

Read more from Matt McDonald at the National Catholic Register.

The College of Cardinals held its 11th general congregation at 5 p.m. Rome time on Monday in preparation for the May 7 conclave, the Holy See Press Office announces Monday afternoon.

Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, says the next — and last — congregation will take place Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Rome time.

At the Monday afternoon congregation, 170 cardinals, including 132 cardinal electors, were present. The topics discussed were ethnicism in the Church and in society, migration, wars, synod and ecclesiology of communion, and the commitment of cardinals in supporting the new pope, according to the Vatican.

“There was talk about a pastor pontiff dialoguing with different cultures. Sects in different regions of the world were also discussed,” the press office adds.

Predicting the next pope is, as one colleague once aptly put it, like throwing darts at a dartboard with a blindfold.

Although we have some idea who the prominent candidates are, knowing with any accuracy the cardinal who the members of the Sacred College will choose as the Successor of Peter is something of a fools errand.

Read more of Edward Pentin’s commentary at the National Catholic Register.

As the world focuses on the Catholic Church and the upcoming papal conclave, Curtis Martin, founder and CEO of the evangelism group FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), urged Catholics to share the Gospel with zeal. 

In an interview with “EWTN News In Depth” from St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Martin spoke on the current state of evangelization in the Catholic Church as the world anticipates a new pope.

Read more here.

On the ninth and final day of Novendiales, the nine days of mourning for Pope Francis, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti reflected on the papal mission to love and serve Christ and his Church.

The mission of a pope “is love itself, which becomes service to the Church and to all humanity,” the cardinal said in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Mass for the ninth and last of the Novendiales was celebrated for the third Sunday of Easter.

In his homily, Mamberti, who was the prefect of the supreme tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s final court of appeal, since 2014, spoke about the day’s Gospel passage, in which Jesus asks St. Peter three times if he loves him, calling on him to “feed my lambs” and “tend my sheep.”

On May 7, an expected 133 cardinal electors will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect the new Roman pontiff, the successor to Pope Francis, who shied away from giving red hats to the traditional archdioceses but opted to give the honor to far-flung places, many of which had never had a cardinal before.

Of the 133 cardinals with the right to vote in this conclave, 108 were created by Pope Francis and therefore will be participating in the election of a pontiff for the first time.

Read more about how Francis shaped the College of Cardinals.

The latest moves from the Synodal Way and Chinese Communist Party are clearly meant to influence what goes on inside the Sistine Chapel — but could they backfire?

Read Jonathan Liedl’s analysis at the National Catholic Register.

Edward Pentin, Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Register (CNA’s sister news partner) and co-founder of CollegeOfCardinalsReport.com, reports on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” about the general congregations going on in Rome leading up to the conclave and how the cardinals coming from all over the world will get to know each other at these gatherings:

Pope Francis desired that consecrated Catholic men and women possess “a heart and a spirit pure and free enough” to love and serve the least among us, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime says at the eighth Novendiales Mass on Saturday.

The prelate, the former prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, celebrated and delivered the homily at the second-to-last Mass held in mourning for the Holy Father, who passed away on April 21.

At the eighth Novendiales Mass on Saturday, Pope Francis was hailed as a “humble and compassionate pastor,” one who maintained “unwavering confidence in the vocation of women religious.”

Sister Mary Barron, the president of the International Union of Superiors General, said at the Mass that the late pope “invited us out into the world and among all of God’s creation to heal and accompany those most in need.”

Cardinal Francis Arinze has said that the Church needs “a pope who is full of fire for the kingdom of Christ.” 

In an interview with EWTN earlier this year, the 92-year-old cardinal reflected on the qualities needed in the next pope, offered wisdom to younger cardinals who will enter their first conclave, and spoke of the challenges facing the Church today. 

“We want a pope who is full of fire for the kingdom of Christ,” the Nigerian cardinal said. “A pope who is there spreading the Gospel. … A pope through whom people will believe.” 

CNA Rome correspondent Courtney Mares has more.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and currently a cardinal elector who will vote in the upcoming conclave, spoke Thursday on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” about the papacy of Pope Francis and the qualities needed by the man who will eventually become Francis’ successor at the close of the conclave that begins May 7.

On the seventh day of the Novendiales Masses for Pope Francis, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti recalled the extreme sacrifice Catholics from the Eastern Catholic Churches have made to remain faithful to the successor of St. Peter, the pope.

“In the past, Eastern Catholics have agreed to adhere to full communion with the successor of the Apostle Peter, whose body rests in this basilica. And it was in the name of this union that they bore witness, often in blood or persecution, to their faith,” Gugerotti said at a Mass on May 2 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Eastern Catholics, “in part now reduced, in numbers and in strength but not in faith, from wars and intolerance,” he continued, “remain firmly clinging to a sense of catholicity that does not exclude but rather implies the recognition of their specificity.”

Read more.

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7. Over 130 cardinal electors will vote in the conclave, the largest group of cardinal electors ever.

It is also arguably the most diverse group of electors ever, geographically speaking.

A closer look at the numbers — taking the estimated number of Catholics in a country and dividing them by the number of cardinal electors — gives some idea of how “represented” that country’s Catholic community will be in the conclave. The smaller the resulting number, the more “representation” those Catholics get in the conclave via the cardinal or cardinals who serve them. 

Which country has the most representation, proportionally, at the conclave?

Find out more in this fascinating analysis of the numbers.

The upcoming conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis will be the largest in the history of the Catholic Church, with 133 cardinal electors expected to gather in the Sistine Chapel on May 7, Vatican officials confirmed this week.

The unprecedented number surpasses all previous papal conclaves, breaking the previous record of 115 electors in the 2005 and 2013 elections. It also marks the first time a conclave will be held with more than 120 voting cardinals — the limit set by St. John Paul II in his 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. 

Read more.

With the conclave just days away, attention turns to the strict protocols governing the secretive process of electing the next pope.

EWTN News Vice President Dr. Matthew Bunson joins “EWTN News Nightly” from Rome to explain how secrecy is maintained during the conclave, whether any of the cardinals will have downtime during this period, how the voting process unfolds, and how many votes are required for a new pontiff to be chosen.

He also reflects on the unique overlap of Italy’s Labor Day and the feast of St. Joseph the Worker:

Not only did Pope Francis value and promote the dignity of labor, he was someone who personally worked extremely hard, finding joy and rest in work itself, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández said at the sixth Novendiales Mass.

“What I want to show, however, is to what extent [Pope Francis] understood that his work was his mission, his everyday work was his response to God’s love, it was an expression of his concern for the good of others,” Fernández said in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 1.

Drawing on the best of the Francis papacy, the next pope needs to be an Evangelii Gaudium pope more than a synodality pope, writes Terence Sweeney in his commentary at the National Catholic Register.

As the Catholic Church continues through a period of interregnum between the reign of popes, Chinese authorities have made moves to assert the Church in China’s autonomy from Rome by unilaterally “electing” two bishops — including in a diocese already led by a Vatican-appointed bishop.

Read more about the controversial moves here.

Members of the College of Cardinals have gathered in Rome in anticipation of the subsequent election of Pope Francis’ successor.

There are currently 252 cardinals, 133 of whom are eligible and expected to vote in the conclave. They range in age from 45 to 99. 

But who are they? Read the whole story here.

At a time when some postulate that Europe might soon become irrelevant because of the increasing prominence of the Global South — where the Church is growing fastest — it remains, as its institutional and theological center of gravity, a key player in the conclave outcome.  

With currently 53 of the 135 voting cardinals coming from Europe — a third of whom are Italians —  their collective priorities and concerns will influence not only the choice of the next pope but also the direction of the Church in a rapidly changing world. 

It is becoming clear, however, that the European bloc is no longer unified, writes Solène Tadié in the National Catholic Register.

The qualities of a pope go far beyond merely being a kind of CEO of the Catholic Church.  

Inevitably, at a minimum, he should possess a strong faith and humility, be willing to adhere to the Church’s teachings and apostolic tradition, and personify the pope’s ancient title as “servus servorum Dei,” the servant of the servants of God.  

But he should also possess other exceptional qualities, according to Edward Pentin at the National Catholic Register.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller calls for a deeper, faith-driven approach to overcome factionalism as cardinals prepare for the upcoming papal conclave, reports CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

The cardinal warns against any “friend and foe thinking” that categorizes people as “for me” or “against me,” calling such division particularly “harmful for the Church, which by its nature is meant to be the sign, the instrument” of communion with God and among people.

Müller, who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017, offers a profound perspective on the concept of “periphery” popularized by Pope Francis.

Warning of an ideological contrast of “center versus periphery,” Müller tells EWTN Germany that the world is a sphere where every person stands equidistant from its core — and that the Eucharist, whether celebrated in the Amazon or St. Peter’s Basilica, remains the same sacred rite, uniting believers worldwide in a shared faith.

As the conclave approaches, speculation grows about who will succeed Pope Francis as the next pope.

One potential candidate is Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. A group of young Christians from Palestine, led by Father Firas Abedrabbo, former personal secretary to Pizzaballa, is in Rome originally for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis but instead found themselves present for the pope’s funeral, advocating for Pizzaballa’s election to the papacy.

EWTN Vatican journalist Valentina Di Donato reports from Rome: