INTERNACIONAL
What is the papal conclave: Inside the ancient process of choosing the next pope
After a pope dies, the Catholic Church chooses its next leader through an ancient electoral process called the «papal conclave.»
In practice, since at least 1276, the conclave gathers the church’s top bishops – called the College of Cardinals – from around the globe. Though there are more than 240 cardinals currently, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave and the number of cardinal electors is limited to 120.
Nearly all prefects of Vatican offices lose their jobs when a pope dies, but a few stay on, including the foreign minister and the master of liturgical ceremonies, who play a key role in assembling the conclave.
The conclave takes place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cardinals are kept in strict isolation to keep them far from any outside influence from the rest of the world. This isolation is so important in the process that even the name conclave comes from the Latin «con clavis,» which means «with key,» indicating how the cardinal electors are locked up while they deliberate over who will be the new pope.
POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS
Incense is cast over the coffin of Pope John Paul II by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger during the funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square on April 8, 2005, in Vatican City. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
There is also an emphasis on choosing a pope quickly to lessen the amount of time the church spends without a leader. The cardinals cast their first vote the day the conclave begins. They then cast votes at least twice every day after – in the morning and evening – until a pope is selected.
The common practice in the modern Catholic Church is for the cardinals to choose a pope from among their own ranks, though this was not always the case.
POPE FRANCIS REVEALED BURIAL WISHES JUST DAYS AFTER BECOMING POPE IN 2013
Pope Francis receives Vice President JD Vance, at the Vatican on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
Conclaves will typically begin with a special Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, in which the cardinals invoke the Holy Spirit for guidance.
Cardinals vote for the pope through a secret ballot. At each vote, a cardinal will write his choice on a piece of paper, process up to Michaelangelo’s giant fresco of the last judgment – which serves as a reminder of the gravity and sacredness of their responsibility – and drop his ballot in a chalice.
THEOLOGIAN ON ‘CONCLAVE’ ACCURACY, EXPECTATIONS FOR NEXT SECRETIVE EVENT AFTER POPE FRANCIS’ DEATH
Cardinals of the Catholic Church attend the election conclave in the Sistine Chapel on April 18, 2005, at the Vatican. (Arturo Mari – Vatican Pool/ Getty Images)
A two-thirds majority of votes is needed to select a new pope. More than two-thirds of the eligible cardinal electors were appointed by Pope Francis. However, these cardinals hold a diverse set of viewpoints and come from all different parts of the world.
After each vote, the ballots are burned and the ashes are used to send a signal to the rest of the world about whether a decision has been made. Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel means there has not been a consensus, while white smoke means a pope has been chosen.
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP APPOINTS OUTSPOKEN CONSERVATIVE AS VATICAN AMBASSADOR: ‘BLESSINGS AND RESPONSIBILITIES’
Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Müller, right, during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica. (Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance)
Once a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority of the votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he is willing to accept the position. If he accepts, he must then choose his papal name. Cardinal Jose Mario Bergoglio chose the name «Pope Francis,» becoming the first pope to choose this name.
CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE FOX NEWS APP
After the world is alerted through the burning of white smoke, the new pope is announced with the most senior cardinal proclaiming «Habemus papam!» – «We have a pope» – after which the newly elected pontiff processes out and imparts his first blessing to the city of Rome and the rest of the world.
INTERNACIONAL
WATCH: GOP senators divided over whether Epstein documents are a distraction or a needed reckoning
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Republican senators offered a range of responses when pressed on how the Trump administration has been handling the Epstein files controversy, with some calling it a distraction and others arguing the American people are «entitled» to answers.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the «first phase» of declassified files related to Jeffrey Epstein Feb. 27, noting the move was following through on President Donald Trump’s commitment to «lifting the veil» on Epstein and his co-conspirator’s actions. Bondi also said the same month she was in possession of an Epstein «client list.»
However, the February declassification contained mostly information and files that had already been publicly available, and the Justice Department subsequently indicated that no «client list» exists. Since then, a series of events, including a clash between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Bondi, have led to mounting pressure on the Trump administration to release more files.
‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS
Trump’s relationship with Epstein has come under more scrutiny after his DOJ under Attorney General Pam Bondi recently said there is no Epstein «client list.» (Getty Images)
«This is factual. Epstein trafficked a lot of young women, some of whom were minors. The American people are entitled to know who — if anyone — he trafficked these young women to, besides himself, and why they weren’t prosecuted,» John Kennedy, R-La., said.
«Now that’s a very simple question that’s at the bottom of all of this. The Department of Justice is going to have to answer that question to the satisfaction of the American people.»
TABLES TURN AS HOUSE GOP BLASTS DEMS FOR SUDDENLY DEMANDING EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY FROM TRUMP ADMIN
Kennedy’s call for transparency comes after the president described the Epstein situation as a «hoax» while blasting Democrats and other «weaklings» who continue to buy into it.
«Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bull—-,’ hook, line, and sinker,» Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last month amid mounting reports of internal division within the administration over its handling of the Epstein case
When asked about how the Trump administration was handling the Epstein furor, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he thought the situation was being used by Democrats to create a «distraction» from the ongoing investigations into former President Biden and others, like the probe related to Biden’s use of an autopen tool to sign important documents and the investigation into whether Obama-era officials manufactured evidence to accuse Trump of Russian collusion.
Senators Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., left, and John Kennedy, R-La., shared their takes on how the Trump administration is handling the Epstein controversy. (Getty Images)
«Look what’s being investigated right now through the Biden administration. … So, what are they going to talk about now?» Mullin asked. «This is nothing but a distraction from the actual facts that is coming out about the Biden administration. Of course, the Democrats say, ‘Well, we’re just about transparency.’ Well, where was the transparency the last four years?»
Democrats have suggested Trump could be implicated in the files, but Mullin said that if such a circumstance were true, the information would have been leaked by the Biden administration.
Mullin’s counterpart in the Senate, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford took more of a middle ground in his response about how the administration has been handling the Epstein files.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., left, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talk as they head to the U.S. Capitol for votes July 31, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«The challenge is there are people that are victims that are in it, and there are folks that are not criminals that are in it as well,» Lankford said. «And the challenge the Department of Justice has is you’ve got a girl that was 14, 16 years old and was abused. Well, now she’s, let’s say 26 or 30, married and has children.
«Maybe her family knows about this, maybe they don’t. I don’t know the situation, but we gotta figure out a way to be able to protect those folks that are genuine victims on all this as well as getting out as much information as you possibly can.»
For Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the debate about the Epstein files was not something she was interested in talking about when approached by Fox News Digital.
«I’m going,» Collins responded when pressed on the matter outside the Capitol complex.
jeffrey epstein,republicans,senate,donald trump,ghislaine maxwell,politics
INTERNACIONAL
El líder de la ONU advirtió sobre una “peligrosa escalada” tras la decisión de Israel de tomar la ciudad de Gaza
El secretario general de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU), António Guterres, expresó este viernes su preocupación tras la decisión de Israel de extender su ofensiva militar en la Franja de Gaza y asumir el control de la ciudad de Gaza, la mayor aglomeración del enclave palestino.
Según un comunicado leído por su portavoz adjunta, Stephanie Tremblay, Guterres considera que esta medida “marca una peligrosa escalada” en el conflicto y pone “aún más en peligro” a los civiles en la región, incluidos los rehenes en manos de terroristas palestinos.
En palabras de Tremblay, Guterres “está profundamente alarmado por la decisión del Gobierno israelí sobre ‘tomar el control de la ciudad de Gaza’”, y advirtió que esto podría “agravar las ya catastróficas consecuencias de millones de palestinos”.
El secretario general subrayó que los palestinos en Gaza “siguen padeciendo una catástrofe humanitaria de proporciones terroríficas”, al tiempo que señaló que una nueva ofensiva podría “provocar un nuevo desplazamiento forzado, muertes y destrucción masiva, suponiendo un sufrimiento inimaginable a la población palestina”.
El conflicto en la Franja de Gaza se acerca a los dos años y, según declaraciones oficiales, la decisión del gabinete de seguridad del primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, añade tensión a la ya inestable situación.
El Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU anunció la convocatoria de una reunión de urgencia para este sábado, con el objetivo de abordar el nuevo plan israelí tras solicitudes de varios miembros, según informaron fuentes diplomáticas a la AFP. “Varios países en nuestro nombre y en el suyo propio están solicitando una reunión del Consejo de Seguridad”, declaró este viernes el representante palestino ante la ONU, Ryad Mansour.
Guterres reiteró su llamado a un alto el fuego y a facilitar la entrada de ayuda humanitaria, exhortando a las autoridades israelíes a cumplir con sus obligaciones conforme al Derecho Humanitario Internacional. “No habrá una solución sostenible a este conflicto sin el fin de la ocupación ilegal y una solución viable de dos Estados. Gaza es y debe seguir siendo parte integral de un Estado palestino”, afirmó el secretario general.
Adicionalmente, Guterres recordó que la Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) exige a Israel “poner fin a su presencia ilegal en los territorios palestinos ocupados –que abarca Gaza y Cisjordania, incluida Jerusalén Este– lo antes posible”.
En el ámbito humanitario, Tremblay confirmó el encuentro celebrado el miércoles entre personal de la ONU y representantes de la Fundación Humanitaria de Gaza (GHF, por sus siglas en inglés), entidad respaldada por Israel y Estados Unidos desde mayo para la distribución de alimentos en la zona. La portavoz explicó que la reunión, impulsada por la Misión de EEUU ante la ONU, abordó “la grave situación humanitaria en Gaza”.
“Con prácticamente toda la población de Gaza al borde de la hambruna, damos la bienvenida a cualquiera que eleve su voz para llegar urgentemente con asistencia humanitaria a los civiles de Gaza. Pero ya tenemos un plan basado en principios humanitarios reconocidos globalmente”, explicó Tremblay.
Según el Ministerio de Sanidad palestino, cientos de personas han muerto por disparos del Ejército israelí o a consecuencia de disturbios cuando buscaban ayuda en los centros de la GHF, ubicados en áreas bajo control militar israelí. Una reciente investigación de Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) sostiene que estos centros ‘son lugares de asesinatos orquestados y deshumanización’ y pide su cierre. Además, un grupo de 25 relatores y expertos de la ONU solicitó esta semana el desmantelamiento de la GHF, creada por Israel en febrero de 2025 con apoyo de EEUU.
La ONU mantiene que su “plan funciona” y ofrece puntos de distribución en todo el territorio, donde las personas pueden recibir asistencia humanitaria de manera segura. Preguntada por los principios que rigen el trabajo de la GHF, Tremblay respondió: “Creo que puedes ver lo que está pasando en Gaza día a día”.
El aumento de la ofensiva y el control de Israel sobre la ciudad de Gaza han avivado la preocupación internacional. Con el Consejo de Seguridad preparado para abordar la situación, la comunidad internacional aguarda las próximas decisiones respecto al futuro del enclave y la respuesta humanitaria en la región.
(Con información de AFP, EFE y EP)
Lousteau-Manes: un proyecto amparado por Schiaretti, pero fuera del grupo de los cinco gobernadores
Luego del fraude en el examen de residencias, el Gobierno cambió el sistema de convalidación para los títulos extranjeros
El plan de Milei en el Congreso: polarizar con el kirchnerismo y forzar a los gobernadores a tomar partido
WATCH: GOP senators divided over whether Epstein documents are a distraction or a needed reckoning
Graciela Alfano reveló su lema diario y enloqueció a sus fans
Belgrano vs. Banfield: formaciones, hora y dónde ver por tv
Malas noticias para Wanda Nara: por qué la bajaron misteriosamente de MasterChef: «No va a salir este año»
Axel Kicillof reclamó ante la Corte Suprema $12 billones que le adeuda Nación
Mauricio Macri cruzó a los libertarios por el acuerdo electoral: “Quieren tomar una posición dominante”
“¡Vergüenza nacional! La Policía Federal recibirá aumentos ridículos de solo $10.000 y vive un colapso salarial mientras el costo de vida se dispara”
Milei afirmó que la elección en la provincia de Buenos Aires “podría significar el fin del kirchnerismo”
Causa Cuadernos: la Justicia confirmó el inicio del juicio en contra de Cristina Kirchner por corrupción
El discurso de Javier Milei, en vivo: inminente medidas del Gobierno
En el marco de su plan de alcanzar el déficit cero, el Presidente anunció que en los próximos días presentará...
La nota que publicó The New York Times sobre la expedición del Conicet y la tensión con Milei
El reconocido diario estadounidense The New York Times publicó este viernes una nota que aborda la expedición al fondo del...
Lilia Lemoine reaccionó a las declaraciones de Diana Mondino y dijo que “atentó” contra el Presidente: “Está armado”
Después de que la excanciller Diana Mondino diera una entrevista en el exterior y realizara declaraciones sobre Javier Milei -entre...
POLITICA3 días agoCausa Cuadernos: la Justicia confirmó el inicio del juicio en contra de Cristina Kirchner por corrupción
- DEPORTE2 días ago
Rakitic, obligado a pedir disculpas tras felicitar a Modric por su fichaje
- POLITICA2 días ago
La oposición logró la media sanción para el aumento del financiamiento universitario y desafía a Milei
