The conclave in the Sistine Chapel has concluded: the cardinals have elected a new Pope, but his name has not yet been announced — internal ceremonies and formalities are currently underway.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu announced he will not participate in the upcoming conclave on May 7, complying with the wishes of the late Pope Francis.
The Vatican has released the first official images of Pope Francis in an open casket. His body lies in the Chapel of Santa Marta, and nine days of mourning rites have begun.
For the first time in two months, Pope Francis appeared before the faithful during a Mass in Rome, despite his weakness after illness and doctors’ recommendations to rest.
In December, an auction will be held in New York featuring a tablet with the Ten Commandments, discovered in Israel in 1913 and dated to the 3rd–8th centuries.
Pope Francis begins his two-week tour of the Asia-Pacific region with a visit to Indonesia, where he will hold interreligious meetings and celebrate Mass for 80,000 believers.
