Pope Francis understood the power of a simple touch. Some of the most iconic moments of his papacy were those when he ...

At the end of a pope's reign, a secret vote takes place at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Rome. Here is the election ...

In a break from tradition and by his prior request, the pope will be laid to rest in Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica instead of in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, where many of pope's predecessors ...

The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his ...

While many popes are buried under St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Francis will not continue that trend. In December, Pope Francis said he wanted to be buried in the Rome basilica of St. Mary ...

Reflecting on the spiritual significance of Easter, Francis reminded the faithful that Christ’s resurrection represents “the ...

The pope’s traditional blessing, “urbi et orbi,” was read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, but Pope Francis later toured St.

Urbi et orbi” means “To the city [of Rome] and to the world.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year ...