Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo of Ajaccio, France, is surrounded by members of the media as he approaches the Petriano entrance next to St. Peter’s Square to attend a general congregation meeting in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican April 25, 2025. (CNS/Lola Gomez)
When the world's Catholic cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff, eight out of ten will share one primary thing in common: They were all elevated to their rank by Pope Francis. As they gather for what is expected to be the largest conclave in history, the cardinals now face a stark choice: to continue along the path of reform as the trailblazing Francis — of opening the church up to the modern world and making its structures more inclusive — or to initiate a course correction.
The history of papal elections is filled with politics, strategy and intrigue. However, we would be naive to imagine that the Holy Spirit is absent from the process, too fragile to endure the rough handling of human hands.
The cardinals will want to find a new pope committed to Francis' vision of a church. The real question is whether the majority will want someone who is charismatic like Francis, or someone who is more of a manager.
Whether Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who relinquished the rights associated with being a cardinal after he was forced to resign in 2020, will be able to enter the conclave to elect a new pope is an ongoing question.
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As the world's Catholic cardinals gather for what is expected to be the largest conclave in history, they face a stark choice: to continue along Pope Francis' path of reform, or to initiate a course correction.
Since the pope left the hospital, he had seemed different, writes NCR's Vatican correspondent Christopher White. That change seems more clear after his death on April 21.
Pope Francis, a transformative figure who revitalized the hopes of millions of Catholics after decades of scandal, stagnation and increasing social irrelevancy for the global church, died April 21.
Pope Francis, history's first pontiff from the Global South, has died at age 88 following a monthslong respiratory illness, setting the stage for a high-stakes secretive election to determine his successor.
The history of papal elections is filled with politics, strategy and intrigue. However, we would be naive to imagine that the Holy Spirit is absent from the process, too fragile to endure the rough handling of human hands.
The three primary types of criticism hurled at Pope Francis each betray something unhealthy in the human heart, something that resists the call of the Gospel, something that will likely outlast this pontificate.
The cardinals were invited to visit the pope's tomb and pray vespers, which was presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, coadjutor archpriest of the basilica.
U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefly just prior to the funeral of Pope Francis, who spent a lifetime as a cleric working to build bridges.
I loved that Laudato Si' emphasized the shallow cruelty of the "throwaway culture" that dominates today's individualistic world. Nothing and no one is disposable to God, so why should we allow ourselves to adopt a lower standard?
Across nearly two hours April 25, Catholics at a digital wake expressed both sorrow and gratitude for Pope Francis and his leadership in protecting and preserving creation.
When a pope had the audacity to name himself after St. Francis — a man of peace, simplicity and creation — I began to dream then of an environmental encyclical.
The pope made ecological concern a cornerstone of his 12-year papacy and positioned care of creation as both a nonnegotiable pillar of the Christian faith and "essential to a life of virtue."
The internet is a space of human gathering, and people today often begin their search for meaning online. As Catholics, we should be there to help. So, when we look at who is gaining audience and popularity on the digital continent, we must also be looking for the voices that are missing.
This recipe from Milk Street Bakes mostly sticks to tradition but amps up the flavor with tangy buttermilk instead of regular milk, along with orange zest and a little Lyle's Golden Syrup for its bittersweet caramel notes.
This compelling narrative invites readers to reflect deeply on the authentic meaning of ecclesial community: a church not constrained by bureaucratic structures and rigid norms but one that truly incarnates God's presence in the lived experiences of its people.
"Eric LaRue" follows the emotional journeys of a school shooter's parents, who seek spiritual direction in two very different ways. Director Michael Shannon and stars Judy Greer and Paul Sparks spoke with NCR about the film.
Perhaps because Pope Francis, with his pulmonary fragility, knew what it was like to struggle for breath, in the maturity of his life he helped the church to breathe.
Mary Magdalene's sorrow turns to bewildered joy when Jesus says her name. As I sit with her sorrow-turned-joy, I think of the people I love, who could call me back to myself just by saying my name.
In spotlight of eternity, a Ukrainian tribute to Pope Francis after a complex 3 years
I'd received questions from my Ukrainian friends and relatives doubting the pope's stance toward their suffering. But on April 21, I read words of gratitude from many Ukrainians to Francis for his support and sympathy.
Maria Bambina Sr. Susana Vanni says Argentina's divisions, then Pope Francis' health, likely tilted against the longed-for papal visit to his native country.