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Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square shortly after his election on Thursday, May 8, 2025 / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAVatican City, May 8, 2025 / 12:11 pm (CNA).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. The new pontiff appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at approximately 7:25 p.m. local time, where Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals and prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, announced in Latin: "Annuntio vobis ga...
null / Credit: CNACNA Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 13:14 pm (CNA).Follow here for live coverage as the conclave unfolds: updates, insights, and key moments in the election of the 266th successor to St. Peter and 267th leader of the Catholic Church.
Black smoke billows from the chimney at 11:53 am local time over St. Peter's square on May 8, 2025 — the second time smoke for this conclave / Screenshot / Vatican MediaCNA Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Follow here for live coverage as the conclave unfolds: updates, insights, and key moments in the election of the 266th successor to St. Peter and 267th leader of the Catholic Church.
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on May 7, 2025, indicating no pope has been chosen yet. / Credit: EWTN News/YouTube screenshotCNA Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 03:27 am (CNA).Follow here for live coverage as the conclave unfolds: updates, insights, and key moments in the election of the 266th successor to St. Peter and 267th leader of the Catholic Church.
Cardinals celebrate the sixth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 1, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).As online gambling continues to grow in the United States, mostly on sports and casino games, bookmakers have also opened betting markets for a variety of other contests, including the current papal conclave.The College of Cardinals is now in the midst of a papal conclave to select the next earthly head of the Catholic Church in a solemn closed-door process. This conclave has attracted global interest from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, along with tens of millions of dollars' worth of bets on the outcome.Polymarket, a popular cryptocurrency-based betting platform, is overseeing more than $18 million worth of bets on the papal conclave. Another platform, Kalshi, is managing nearly $6.7 million.The oddsmakers on Polymarket list Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Paroli...
The Sistine Chapel awaits the arrival of cardinal electors for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaCNA Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:44 am (CNA).The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Washington state's governor signed a law on May 1, 2025, that threatens priests with up to one year in jail if they fail to report child abuse they learn about during the sacrament of confession. / Credit: Romana Klee via FlickrWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 6, 2025 / 16:11 pm (CNA).President Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating an "anti-Catholic law" in Washington state that threatens priests with up to one year in jail if they fail to report child abuse they learn about during the sacrament of confession.The new law, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson last week, adds members of the clergy to the list of mandatory reporters for child abuse. It specifically states that clergy must report abuse, even if it is learned of during "privileged communication." All other mandatory reporters, such as nurses and therapists, are exempt from the reporting requirements when the information is obtained during "privileged communication."A priest who refuses to report informati...
Cardinals gather for the the seventh Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 2, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAVatican City, May 6, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).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.The early sessions focused on procedural matters, including funeral arrangements and confirming that the conclave would begin on May 7. As the days progressed, the cardinals turned their attention to urgent ecclesial and global concerns.According to daily briefings from the Holy See Press Office, the cardinals addressed a wide range of topics, includ...
Thousands participate in the March for Life on May 3, 2025, in Mexico City. / Credit: Courtesy of Steps for LifePuebla, Mexico, May 6, 2025 / 17:11 pm (CNA).Thousands of people participated in the March for Life on May 3 in Mexico City to mark 18 years since abortion was decriminalized in Mexico's capital.The march, organized by the Pasos por la Vida (Steps for Life) association along with other groups, set out from the Monument to the Revolution and followed a route of more than 1.2 miles to arrive at the City Congress, the legislative branch of Mexico City, a quasi state in the Mexican federal system. Young people, senior citizens, and entire families marched amid banners and signs with pro-life messages lamenting the lack of comprehensive policies to aid pregnant women. They also decried the terrible toll of almost two decades of legalized abortion.Since April 2007, abortion has been legal in Mexico City up to the 12th week of pregnancy, making it the first federal enti...
White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13, 2013, signaling that the College of Cardinals has elected a new pope. / Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty ImagesACI Prensa Staff, May 6, 2025 / 17:41 pm (CNA).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:The white smoke The history of the white smoke, which indicates that the cardinals have elected a new successor of St. Peter, is ancient. In 1274, at the Second Council of Lyons, Pope Gregory X, in a document titled Ubi Periculum, determined the procedure for holding a conclave. There he specified that the election would be done in isolation and with strict secrecy. For this reason,...
