Finding Pope Leo XIV in the Bronx—including his thirst for justice
Félix Cepeda on his connections with the new pontiff, including a family parish in New York the pope visited while still Cardinal Robert Prevost.
Vatican
A Louisiana Black Catholic considers Pope Leo XIV
Dr. Darrell St. Romain on the history that has led the Catholic Church to its first American pope, a Creole with a complex family background.
Parolin and Prevost: A tale of two papabile
Nate Tinner-Williams on the unforeseen ascension of an American pope and the swift reduction of an old Italian guard.
'Providential': Black Catholics react to Pope Leo XIV, the Creole
The former Robert Prevost is now known to be of African ancestry, part of a growing picture Americans are forming of the new supreme pontiff.
Prayer for a pope: On Leo XIV and the era of great faith
Dr. Ronald E. Smith shares how we can support the new Roman pontiff, inspired by recent Catholic exemplars of holiness and evangelization.
White smoke, Black pope? Pope Leo XIV, first American pontiff, has African roots
Previously unknown genealogy on the 69-year-old Chicago native was revealed by genealogists shortly after white smoke rose in St. Peter's Square.
Amid conclave, Black Catholic theologians remember Pope Francis, look to future
Drs. Kathleen Dorsey Bellow and Andrew Prevot give perspective as cardinals select a new pope to lead the worldwide Catholic Church.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory says Mass at Rome titular church ahead of 2025 papal conclave
The Black Catholic prelate gathered with his Italian faithful amid scheduled Masses with cardinals in town to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
A statement from Bishop John Ricard on Pope Francis and the upcoming conclave
The Black Catholic prelate with the Josephites reflects on the legacy of the late pontiff and encourages prayer for the upcoming papal conclave.
Meet the Black American who read at Pope Francis' funeral.
Kielce Gussie, a 28-year-old journalist from Florida with the Holy See, speaks on her historic appearance during the Requiem Mass in Vatican City.
I was arrested protesting Pope Francis. He was still a force for good.
Félix Cepeda on the complications (and inspiration) of a spiritual leader who called the world to more, despite his flaws.
Goodbye, Francis, pope of mercy
Tamika Royes remembers the pontiff who inspired her to embrace her Catholic spirituality as faith demanding justice and outreach.
Black cardinals—and not just Africans—among candidates for next pope
An African American and a Haitian are expected to join 15 Black African electors in the papal conclave, which could choose one from their number.
Pope Francis, Latin American pontiff of the poor, dead at 88
The globe-trotting Argentinian prelate was a force in the Catholic Church, to which he dedicated seven decades as a student, shepherd, and servant.
Synod working groups—including on women's ordination, episcopal authority—open for public submissions until April
The 10 study groups were formed in March 2024 to continue (and, in some cases, sideline) discussions swirling at the Synod on Synodality.
Cardinal Robert McElroy succeeds Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington
The 70-year-old Bishop of San Diego is, like the lone African-American cardinal, one of Pope Francis' most trusted allies among U.S. prelates.