Since the death of Pope Francis, lists of his possible successors have proliferated on social media and in newspapers. Should you trust them?
Explainer
Posted inExplainer, Faith
What time will we see black or white smoke? Past conclaves give clues.
Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
When will ‘millennial saint’ Carlo Acutis be canonized? Without a pope, it’s TBD.
The canonization Mass for the first “millennial saint,” originally scheduled for this Sunday, has been delayed indefinitely.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
The official documents of Pope Francis’ papacy
Pope Francis published official documents on the environment, the family, young people and more. Here is a list of some of his major documents.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
What happens after a pope dies?
Who is in charge? When is the papal funeral? And when is the conclave?
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
What does the Vatican know about A.I.? A lot, actually.
A timeline of the Vatican’s decade-long history of leadership in the field of A.I. ethics—a history that has earned it significant influence among tech leaders, particularly at Microsoft and IBM
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Vatican II called for a common date for Easter in the East and West. Will it ever happen?
On Jan. 25, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church was open to accepting a common date for Easter “that everyone wants.” While the pope’s call may seem groundbreaking, it actually goes back to the Second Vatican Council.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
A woman leads a Vatican office for the first time ever. Why now?
Pope Francis broke one of the Vatican’s “stained-glass ceilings” on Monday by appointing an Italian sister as the prefect of a Vatican dicastery for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inArts & Culture, Explainer
‘Conclave’ explainer: Could that twist ending really happen?
How realistic is “Conclave”? A canon lawyer weighs in.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Transcript: The history (and potential future) of women deacons
Women deacons have become the subject of a growing debate in the Catholic Church.