Posts by tag: Vatican

Rumors about a bus-side conclave and three unexpected papal frontrunners spark intrigue in Vatican circles. Cardinals reportedly debated possible successors in untraditional settings, breaking with centuries-old conventions and recentralizing global attention on the next Pope.

The 2025 papal conclave opened in the Vatican as 133 cardinals tried and failed to choose a new pope on the first vote. Black smoke drifted above the Sistine Chapel, signaling the deadlock. Cardinals now face more rounds of secret ballots to fill the seat left vacant after Pope Francis’s passing.