• World

Black Smoke, White Smoke: How the Vatican Tells the World There’s a New Pope

admin8 May 2025

In a tradition that scholars date to the 19th century, smoke released from a chimney will be colored white if the cardinals have made a decision, or black if they remain deadlocked.

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• World

These 10 U.S. Cardinals Have a Vote in Selecting the Next Pope

admin8 May 2025

Six are joining in their first papal conclave, and four others participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

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• News

‘How Much Does the Next Pope Matter?’: Three Conservative Catholics on the Conclave and the Church’s Future

admin7 May 2025

Ross Douthat, a Times Opinion columnist, hosted an online conversation with Michael Brendan Dougherty, a senior writer at National Review, and Dan Hitchens, a senior editor at First Things, to discuss conservative Catholic hopes and fears for the ...

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• World

Wednesday Briefing

admin7 May 2025

The papal conclave begins.

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• World

Wednesday Briefing: The Conclave Begins

admin7 May 2025

Plus, the world’s must-see gardens.

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• World

‘The Only Person in the World Claiming to Be the Pope Right Now’

admin6 May 2025

It’s Danny Kind, and he’s not even Catholic. But he’s in a college class that simulated the conclave of 1492. (There were costumes, bribes and Oreos.)

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• World

Francis Opened Discussions to Those Outside the Church Hierarchy. This Cardinal Would, Too

admin4 May 2025

Cardinal Mario Grech comes from Malta, but is known to cardinals around the world for his role as the secretary general of an advisory body of bishops.

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• World

Cardinal Parolin, Leader of Papal Conclave, Is Also a Top Candidate

admin3 May 2025

Cardinals have talked about Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, as someone who could have a steady, bureaucratic hand on the church’s wheel.

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• World

A Contender for the Papacy in the Mold of Francis

admin29 April 2025

Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines is known as the “Asian Francis.” But he has been criticized for not being vocal enough about his country’s brutal drug war and clerical sex abuse.

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• World

One Key to a Successful Campaign for Pope? Act Like You’re Not Campaigning.

admin28 April 2025

Crucial meetings will be held this week in which contenders begin jockeying in earnest for the job of leading the Roman Catholic Church.

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