Nearly 90 percent of the cardinals from Africa, Asia and South America in the conclave are there thanks to Francis. By ...

Five reasons why previous non-European papal candidates have fallen short - A Filipino or Congolese pope would signal that ...

“It’s the natural journey of the church,” said Cardinal Beniamino Stella, an Italian who was once a power player in the ...

Why, in a global communion of 1.4 billion faithful, has the modern conclave not looked beyond Europeans for a new pope? And ...

Cardinal Mario Grech comes from Malta, but is known to cardinals around the world for his role as the secretary general of an ...

It is shrinking in traditionally Catholic bastions of Europe, with empty churches and the faithful formally leaving the church in places like Germany, many citing the abuse scandals.

Long touted as a potential successor to Pope Francis, Hungary's conservative Cardinal Peter Erdo is a respected expert on ...

As the demographic heart of Catholicism continues shifting toward the global South, many observers are asking whether the era of European leadership in the Church is drawing to a close.

With conclave set for May 7, Church scholars say successor to Francis must balance legacy, heal rifts between reformists and ...

Different faces from diverse places are giving the LDS Church in Spain a Latin flavor — similar to some other European ...

Pope Francis, who chose his papal name after the 13th-century figure St. Francis of Assisi, known as the patron saint of ...

As tens of thousands of Catholics wait in hourslong lines to pay their respects to Pope Francis, many are debating the ...