Who is Pope Leo XIV?
When people search for Pope Leo XIV they often expect to uncover the biography of a real pontiff, yet—as of May 11 2025—no pope has ever borne that name. The curiosity itself is fascinating: it reveals how assumptions about papal numbering circulate online and how...
Becoming Pope: Eligibility Requirements and Path to Papacy
The possibility of becoming pope fascinates Catholics and non-Catholics alike, because the office embodies global moral authority as well as an ancient, living tradition. While most recent popes have emerged from within the College of Cardinals, canon law still allows...
How a Pope Is Elected: Conclave Begins 7 May 2025
How a pope is elected is again the burning question for 1.36 billion Catholics after Pope Francis died in Vatican City on 21 April 2025, aged 88, and the College of Cardinals fixed 7 May for the start of the conclave that will choose his successor. The camerlengo,...