As expected, the 133 cardinals who entered the Sistine Chapel May 7 failed to elect the next pope on their first ballot.

Now that the 133 cardinal electors are ensconced in the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to Pope Francis, some potential candidates have come to the fore.

As the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new leader, the editors of 'America' remember an extraordinary and beloved pontiff: Francis, a pope of monumental surprises.

And what pressing questions they believe the Catholic Church faces today

Perhaps a revealing question is whether the church will continue the radical novelty Francis brought as a pope from a religious order—and whether this is the continuity needed now.

'America' is covering its 10th papal conclave this week—and while the technology has changed, the content remains much the same.

German Catholic bishops say that even where the party has not tipped into extremism, it has failed to reform itself of such tendencies. They charge that a nationalism incompatible with Christianity has become the AfD’s animating ideology.

Cardinal Frank Leo, the 53-year-old archbishop of Toronto, told Gerard O’Connell that he does not think age or nationality is an important factor in choosing the next pope. His top priority? A leader who listens.

As the conclave draws near, I am becoming more nervous and apprehensive about what is ahead of us. But all I am asked to do is to trust in God.

The popular website, where people are randomly assigned a cardinal to pray for, has been revived for the 2025 conclave.