Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, more than 1 billion Catholics around the world wait with baited breath for the white smoke to emit from the Sistine Chapel, signifying the next leader of the Catholic Church.

In fact, the Wikimedia Foundation announced Dec. 2 that "Deaths in 2025" -- an entry that includes Pope Francis -- was their second most-read entry during the year, and Pope Leo's biography was the fifth most-read article of the 7.1 million entries Wikipedia has in English.

Ed. Note 5/6/25 2:00 p.m. ET: The new pope is Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American whose choice is seen as a major surprise. He has chosen the name Leo XIV. Read about him here. As the latest conclave unfolds behind closed doors in the Vatican, speculation ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.” It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspired election of ...

A popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.” It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspired election of Christ’s Vicar on ...

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV (C), the American Robert Prevost, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican after the Papal Conclave. Oliver Weiken/dpa A top candidate seen by many Vatican observers as having been the likely next pope ...

In his papal bull proclaiming the Jubilee Year, the late Pope Francis emphasized the theme of hope, a much-needed virtue in a time of uncertainty, war, and