The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world.

With the passing of Pope Francis and the upcoming election of a new pope, Catholics are now experiencing a process that only happens a few times within a lifetime.

The six-kilometer (about 3.5-mile) journey that transported Pope Francis’ body from St. Peter’s Basilica to St. Mary Major featured profound symbolism and emotion. Here are some of the more significant moments:

The passing of Pope Francis leaves many wondering if scheduled jubilees and events at the Vatican are still scheduled to occur. Several updates on these events have been released as well as funeral information.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

Still recovering from bilateral pneumonia that hospitalized him for nearly 40 days, Pope Francis made a surprise appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Jubilee of the Sick, sharing profound reflections.

The papal preacher urged cardinals and senior officials of the Roman Curia to remain firmly anchored in Christ through lives of humility, conversion and fidelity, especially during the Holy Year, a time meant to rekindle Christian hope.

Prayers filled St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday as Archbishop Rino Fisichella delivered Pope Francis’ prepared homily to over 4,000 permanent deacons gathered for a special jubilee Mass.

As Pope Francis continues to undergo complex medical treatment for bilateral pneumonia and a respiratory infection at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican on Wednesday released the Holy Father’s prepared jubilee catechesis on “Jesus Christ our hope.”

“I urge all of you, children, young people, adults, and the elderly...

Pope Francis has formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries ministering in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia were killed for their faith.

Pope Francis on Wednesday continued his yearlong jubilee catechesis series on “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” emphasizing that those who trust in God have no reason to fear.

More than half a million people have passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, two weeks after its Christmas Eve opening.

The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated the first Mass during which the altar of the restored cathedral was consecrated following the fire that ravaged the church in April 2019.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the first S...

Pope Francis announced Wednesday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized during two major jubilee celebrations dedicated to young people.

Mary is a model of the kind of openness to the Holy Spirit that all Christians should have, an openness that allowed her to say "yes" to God's plan for the salvation of the world, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis on Sunday spoke about Jesus’ teaching that “all things must be done with love,” something, he said, that is essential for the faith of each person.

Pope Francis closed the global Synod on Synodality’s final assembly on Sunday with a call for a Church that “hears the cry of the world” without being “blind” to the urgent issues facing our time.

In a significant departure from previous synods, Pope Francis adopted the final document of the Synod on Synodality on Saturday, forgoing the traditional apostolic exhortation in favor of direct implementation of the assembly’s conclusions.

Pope Francis canonized 14 new saints on Sunday, including a father of eight and Franciscan friars killed in Syria for refusing to renounce their faith and convert to Islam.

"Happiness is not found in material things but in God himself, who shows us the joy found in making our lives a gift for others."

Jesus renews our way of living. He teaches us that true power does not lie in the dominion of the strongest but in care for the weakest.”

Pope Francis encouraged the people in attendance to fully experience the journey of life as pilgrims and not just sightseers.

On the second day of his apostolic visit to East Timor (Timor-Leste), Pope Francis first met with children and religious sisters at the Irmãs Alma School in Dili on Tuesday morning and thanked them for their testimony of love.