A USA TODAY reporter recalls covering the last conclave when Pope Francis was selected. What to expect if you go to Rome for ...

Many of the rituals and procedures of selecting a new pope — designed to ensure secrecy and an orderly transition — have ...

Despite the two decades since his death, John Paul still has a great deal to teach us about human dignity, God’s boundless ...

The leader of the world’s 1 billion Roman Catholics addressed past scandals and embraced migrants, the poor and gay and lesbian faithful. Some wished he’d gone further.

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas, left an impact on the Catholic Church and on the world that will be felt for generations.

After Pope Francis’ funeral, 135 cardinals will gather for a conclave to elect a new pope. The traditions include oaths of secrecy, paper ballots and white smoke from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

Pope John Paul II, head of the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter century, died at his Vatican apartment.