Benedict XVI 2 days, 4 ballots Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger was elected at 78 years old. There were 115 cardinals in the conclave which took place from April 18- 19, 2005.  Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation on February 11, 2013. His resignation went into effect on February 28, 2013. CNS photo ...

During the 20th century, the length of papal Conclaves has never exceeded 5 days. On the basis of this precedent, one would imagine that a Pope will be elected by Saturday, March 16. (However, precedents are being broken regularly in Rome in these recent weeks.) 1903 — 4 days, 7 votes (Pope Pius X elected) ...

John Paul II 3 days, 8 ballots In the second conclave of the year, 100 electors gathered from October 14-16, 1978 to elect Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian since the Dutch pope, Pope Adrian VI, in 1522. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005. CNS photo ...

John Paul I 2 days, 4 ballots 101 cardinals elected Cardinal Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I during a conclave which ran from August 25 – 26, 1978.  Pope John Paul I died 34 days after his election on September 28. He was 65 years old. CNS photo ...

Paul VI 3 days, 6 ballots Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, Paul VI was chosen in a conclave with 80 cardinals present.The conclave took place from June 19-21, 1963. Pope Paul VI was 65 years old when he was elected and died 15 years later on August 6, 1978. CNS photo ...

John XXIII 3 days, 11 ballots Fifty-one cardinals were in the conclave of October 25-28, 1958 when Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, John XXIII was elected. He was 76 years old at the time and he died on June 3, 1963. It was Pope John XXIII who called the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962. CNS photo ...

Pius XII 2 days, 3 ballots The conclave took place from 1 to 2 of March 1939. 62 Cardinals were present. The College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII. He was 63 years old. He died on October 9, 1958. CNS photo ...

With the recent papal transition in the media, much attention has been focused on the role of women in the Church. Questions have been raised: Should women be ordained as priests? Is there equality in the Church? Does the Church value women? Join us as host Kris Dmytrenko speaks with three diverse Catholic women to ...

Source: CCCB Website For the more than 1.2 billion Christians around the world who are members of our Church, this is an important and solemn moment. The Cardinals of the Catholic Church, in prayer and meditation, free from interference by the outside world, will begin their Conclave to elect a new Successor to the Apostle ...

The eyes of the world are on Rome and how the Vatican handles their communications during these times is crucial. This week, we speak with Fr. Thomas Rosica,CSB, English language assistant to the director of the Vatican Press Office. Danny Torchia reflects on all the secular media attention that the Church is getting, Cheridan speaks ...