The longest conclave lasted almost three years. Thankfully, the timeframe has changed drastically in recent years.

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, ...

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with ballots continuing in succession until ...

There is no limit as to how long a conclave can last when electing a new Pope. One vote will be held on the first day of ...

Papal conclaves have featured calls of election fraud and bribery so gauche that riches were wheeled in on donkey carts.

The papal conclave, the secretive election process to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, commenced on Wednesday.

Over 130 voting cardinals must decide whether to continue in the direction of Francis or elect a pope likely to choose a more traditional path.

Author tells Hay Festival that since his novel was adapted into a successful film he is seen as an authority on the papacy ...

Two cardinals, Michael Czerny and Chibly Langlois, sat down with ABC News to discuss the challenges facing the church that the new pope will have to face.

Cardinal-electors take an oath to maintain “absolute and perpetual secrecy” concerning “all matters directly or indirectly ...