The case against Prevost first emerged during a confrontation with the powerful ultra-Catholic group Sodalitium, with complicity from elements in Rome: ‘He has suffered greatly during the last year because nobody in the Vatican came out to defend him’
Pedro Vásquez is one of the religious figures closest to Robert Prevost, and has even seen him cry. The two friends frequently text each other
People close to the pope say that he will not ‘sit back’ while the US president criminalizes, detains, and expels thousands of migrants
It is one of the oldest and most traditional communities of Catholicism, with eight centuries of history and Martin Luther among its brethren
The most plausible hypothesis suggests that Pietro Parolin failed to break through his ceiling of support, and the Chicago-born cardinal quickly gained the upper hand
In difficult times for the Church in the South American country, the election of Robert Francis Prevost has brought relief for many of the main victims of the Sodalitium abuse scandal
The Republican president calls the appointment of the first pope from the United States ‘an honor’
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith investigated the allegations before the conclave and concluded that they were without merit
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, an Augustinian and former bishop in Peru, represents the triumph of continuity — but with the added assurance of strong governance and doctrinal solidity
The new Pope’s first address had a clear flavor of Franciscan continuity
The general congregations have outlined a set of pressing issues including sexual doctrine, shared governance, and the Church’s foreign policy
The conclave has elected the pontiff after four votes
The Supreme Pontiff was born in Chicago but has spent 40 years in Peru
The names of Cristóbal López and Ángel Fernández Artime, both from Spain, and Pablo Virgilio David, from The Philippines, have emerged in recent hours as new papal candidates
Electing one of the 18 prelates from Africa would be a surprise, but would also impose an uncompromising agenda on moral issues
The voting process to elect the pope has its own dynamics, and understanding how it has worked over the past century provides clues to better comprehend what may happen now
‘He always smiled at me; he seemed more like a brother than a pope,’ he recalls of Francis while working on his successor’s white cassock in three different sizes. Near his small workshop in Rome is Antonio Arellano’s artisan shoe shop, where John Paul II and Benedict XVI were customers
The cardinals have met in 12 general congregations, but they still do not know each other well and there are no clear favorites, although up to 30 possible names have emerged
The study of medieval chronicles highlights the traumatic impact of electing the Bishop of Rome
The Santa Marta residence, which will house the cardinals during the election process for the new pontiff, is being protected against leaks
400,000 people attended the funeral in St. Peter’s Basilica and watched the procession through Rome. As he spoke before delegations from 146 countries, the dean of the cardinals recalled the Pontiff’s message: “Build bridges, not walls”
The pontiff confronted the Kirchner administration — which considered him ‘right-wing’ — and was questioned for his role during the country’s last military dictatorship (1976-1983), when he was the leader of the Jesuits in Argentina
Although there are many more women in the Vatican than in previous papacies, Bergoglio did not introduce any changes to official doctrine
The group of transgender women who met the late pontiff on a number of occasions mourn his loss and hope that the Church will continue to welcome them as he did
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are some of the heads of state expected to attend the solemn ceremony
The prelate and deputy secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the highest authority in the pursuit of pedophiles within the Church, believes that the next pope will not be able to ignore victims’ cry for justice
Meet all the cardinals: find out who appointed them, which dioceses they come from, and their chances of succeeding Pope Francis