What Happens When a Pope Dies? A Look at the Vatican’s Ancient Traditions and the Path to a New Pontiff

The death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 has triggered a solemn and time-honored sequence of events within the Roman Catholic Church, steeped in centuries of tradition. As the world mourns the passing of the 266th pontiff, attention now turns to the process of selecting his successor—a new pope who will lead the […]