Anticipation and excitement were in the air in St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding environs as thousands of faithful and curiosity seekers alike gazed for hours at a small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel.

The Justice Department said May 5 it opened a civil rights investigation into the development and passage of legislation in Washington state that requires clergy to report child abuse or neglect but provides no exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently released what it called a “comprehensive review” of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender, calling for broader use of psychotherapy for young people with gender dysphoria rather than what proponents call gender-affirming care.

The U.S. Supreme Court said May 6 the Trump administration may enforce, for now, a ban on transgender troops serving in the military that had been blocked by lower courts.

As expected, the 133 cardinals who entered the Sistine Chapel May 7 failed to elect the next pope on their first ballot.

The panel discussion, on the eve of the Vatican conclave beginning May 7, was the final “Francis Factor” discussion for the university’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.

Host of the “Bible in a Year” and “Catechism in a Year” podcasts and a frequent presenter for Ascension, Father Mike Schmitz has been leading a novena praying for the cardinals and the conclave, which over a million people have viewed.

Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit and recognizing that millions of people all over the world were praying for them, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel with a singular goal: to elect “a worthy pastor” for the universal church.

The Vatican’s approach to security protocols for the papal conclave “sets a gold standard for organizations handling sensitive decisions,” security expert and author Theresa Payton told OSV News.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of India, considered a member of the late pontiff’s inner circle, offered OSV News a candid and deeply personal reflection on the late pontiff’s legacy, the pre-election meetings, and the kind of leader the church needs next. The conclave to elect him starts May 7.