What can we expect from a new pope? That’s been the question on everyone’s mind, and has featured prominently in recent media coverage of the upcoming papal election. Kris Dmytrenko and guests Dr. Josephine Lombardi, Fr. Frank Portelli, and Matthew Sanders discuss what the real story is behind the pope, what his office entails, and ...read more

If you joined us earlier this morning, you saw a spectacular liturgy from inside St. Peter’s Basilica. During this Mass, called the Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass, the cardinals prayed for the election of a new Supreme Pontiff. Salt + Light will continue its in-depth analysis and reporting throughout the coming days. We will be ...read more

Earlier this morning at the Vatican, the College of Cardinals gathered inside St. Peter’s Basilica for a Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass. This Mass was the final step before the opening of today’s conclave. Published below is an official translation of the homily, as delivered by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, main celebrant and Dean of the ...read more

After white smoke streams out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the moment the world will wait for is when Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran announces the name of the Cardinal who has been elected pope. Below is list of the names of the Cardinal electors, in Latin. The list was painstakingly compiled by Catholic ...read more

Here are a few fun facts about Conclaves in modern history, courtesy of Vatican Radio. The information is provided by Dr. Donald Prudlo, Associate Professor of History at Jacksonville State University, Alabama. 1740 election of Benedict XIV (d. 1758) 51 electors, 4 died during conclave 18 Feb – 17 August (181 days) LONGEST IN MODERN ...read more

More than 6,000 journalists and news agencies have applied for temporary accreditation to the Holy See Press Office for the conclave.  All of them are plugged into the headquarters of the Catholic Church, trying to get a better understanding of what is going on inside the walls of Vatican city.  One of the people closest ...read more

Over the past few days in our mini-blog series, Getting to Habemus Papam we invited you to remember the conclaves which have elected the Popes of the past two centuries. In fact, we went one step further and thought you might also enjoy using this timeline to browse your way back and forth through the ...read more

Benedict XVI 2 days, 4 ballots Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger was elected at 78 years old. There were 115 cardinals in the conclave which took place from April 18- 19, 2005.  Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation on February 11, 2013. His resignation went into effect on February 28, 2013. CNS photo ...read more

During the 20th century, the length of papal Conclaves has never exceeded 5 days. On the basis of this precedent, one would imagine that a Pope will be elected by Saturday, March 16. (However, precedents are being broken regularly in Rome in these recent weeks.) 1903 — 4 days, 7 votes (Pope Pius X elected) ...read more

John Paul II 3 days, 8 ballots In the second conclave of the year, 100 electors gathered from October 14-16, 1978 to elect Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian since the Dutch pope, Pope Adrian VI, in 1522. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005. CNS photo ...read more