Robert Harris says the dynamic of the secretive ritual "is why often it produces a surprise".

Besides its masterpieces by Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel is undergoing a makeover, involving the installation of a stove ...

Vatican workers have installed the simple stove in the Sistine Chapel where ballots will be burned during the upcoming ...

Vatican firefighters have installed the iconic chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, a key step ahead of the May 7 conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor. Black smoke = no pope yet; white smoke = a new ...

Discover how the Vatican's conclave works, where cardinals elect a new pope. Learn about the secret voting process and the cardinal electors.

The cardinals will gather at St. Peter’s Basilica May 7 to celebrate a special Mass before gathering in the Sistine Chapel to ...

The Catholic Church’s 177 cardinals on Saturday met in the Vatican City for final talks ahead of the election of a new pope ...

Stoves have been installed in the Sistine Chapel that will generate smoke, marking the progress of the conclave's mission to choose a new pope.

There is no limit as to how long a conclave can last when electing a new Pope. One vote will be held on the first day of ...

Workers have been preparing the Sistine Chapel for the upcoming conclave where a new pope will be elected, including ...

Vatican workers installed the simple stove in the Sistine Chapel where ballots will be burned during the conclave to elect a new pope and began taking measures to block any electronic interference ...

Papal electors gossip in bars and restaurants and try to avoid journalists seeking clues to Pope Francis’s successor ...