Electing a new pope: What happens next and what is a papal conclave?

Electing a new pope: What happens next and what is a papal conclave?

The process by which a new pope is elected has undergone numerous changes in the nearly two millennia that the Catholic Church has existed, with the current procedure a combination of ancient traditions and modern updates as recent as 2013, reflecting changes instituted by Pope Benedict XVI. Even so, the essential ritual has remained largely … Read more