The conclave to elect a new pope, scheduled to begin May 7, is governed by two texts: a rule book and a prayer book.

The College of Cardinals confirmed that 135 members are eligible to participate in the conclave, the Vatican announced, and they asked the faithful to accompany them in prayer as they prepare to elect the next pope.

Katie McMahon helps other women navigate questions like these as the co-founder of Shiloh IVF Ministry, a ministry that offers hope and healing those impacted by IVF. Her story is one of many: Estimates suggest more than 1 million frozen embryos exist in the United States alone.

As President Donald Trump reached the 100th day of his second term April 29, polls showed decreases in his approval ratings on job performance and key issues, including among Catholics overall.

The following is a snapshot of the papacies of the 11 popes that preceded Pope Francis, from Pope Benedict XVI to Blessed Pope Pius IX.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, the Rome-born president of the Italian bishops’ conference, is frequently mentioned as a probable candidate for pope.

Nearing 80 years old, Italian Cardinal Mario Zenari has spent the past 16 years in the wartorn nation of Syria as papal nuncio.

While much of the world’s attention is on what will happen in the Sistine Chapel and the men who will choose the church’s next leader starting May 7, the enduring legacy of Pope Francis is seen in the women whose voices helped shape — and carry forward — his vision.

True discipleship is not measured by the creeds Christians recite or the theology they know, but by how deeply they love, a cardinal said at a memorial Mass for Pope Francis.

The Trump administration has collided with a legal roadblock in its quest to limit the collective bargaining rights of almost 160,000 federal government employees belonging to the National Treasury Employees Union, or NTEU.