Pyrotechnic chemistry drives the Vatican’s recipes for the black and white smoke used to announce papal election outcomes ...

The Vatican is governed by the Holy See, which oversees stipends and allowances given to the leader of the Catholic church ...

Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Since the last conclave in 2013, when Pope Francis was elected, technology and mobile ...

In a tradition that scholars date to the 19th century, smoke released from a chimney will be colored white if the cardinals ...

Once the conclave begins, cardinals are not allowed to leave, other than for meals and to sleep at night, until a successor ...

As the Vatican prepares for the secret meeting of cardinals who will pick a successor to Pope Francis, forget - to some extent - what you may have learned from "Conclave", last year's hit movie ...

The Vatican has revealed the date for when Roman ... lasted from around 25 hours to nearly three years. In March 2013, the Argentina native was elected as the 266th pope after previously serving ...

(AP Photo/Rudi Blaha, File) FILE- Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer, from the ...