WITH ruthless ambition, suspense and even spies, hit movie Conclave lays bare the fight to succeed as a new Pope. The thriller has not only won critical plaudits, yesterday it clinched a

"Each time a pope takes ill, the winds of a conclave always feel as if they are blowing," Francis writes in his new memoir, referring to centuries-old tradition of cardinals gathering in the pope's official residence, the Sistine Chapel, after a pontiff's death to elect the next.

a desire for the Catholic Church to be seen as a field hospital, not a fortress. Sponsor Message Though billed by the publisher as the first memoir by a sitting pope, it trails Pope Pius II's reflections on the Renaissance in "The Commentaries" by several ...

Constantly in the public eye, Pope Francis is instantly recognisable across the globe, and his likeness adorns t-shirts, mugs, calendars, bookmarks, medals and jewellery, among other things. Too conservative for some, not conservative enough for others, he is the face of the modern Catholic Church.

Vatican Diary. The health chronicles of popes are an old practice, revealing—at least in certain eras—the frail constitution of the high Roman clergy. Every week, La Croix’s permanent special correspondent at the Vatican unveils the behind-the-scenes of the world’s smallest state.

Among the traditional religious activities that can earn one an indulgence — such as pilgrimage to holy sites, acts of charity and saying special prayers — Pope Francis introduced a new option: a call to fast from the internet and social media.

The book, which was six years in the making, vividly recreates Francis’ childhood in Buenos Aires but offers few new insights into his papacy.

a desire for the Catholic Church to be seen as a field hospital, not a fortress. Though billed by the publisher as the first memoir by a sitting pope, it trails Pope Pius II's reflections on the ...

At a gathering of Catholic clergy in Rome, the trio of cardinals emphasized the unique and indispensable role of priests at this time in human history.

The Catholic Church has its own history of prophetic voices using the moral authority of the priesthood to remind political leaders of the Christian precept of human dignity.

Historian Yvonnick Denoël delves into recently declassified documents for his book 'Vatican Spies', revealing an intricate network of hidden connections and underground conflicts that, starting from World War II,

Pope Francis has said he wants to give women greater leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church. If he really wants to make good on that vow, writes Rich Barlow, he should reconsider Catholicism’s insistence on an all-male priesthood.