Catholics & Bible

The death of a sitting or former pope marks the beginning of a mourning period that follows strict rules of protocol. Most of the activities during this period are ceremonial and highly symbolic. Here’s everything you need to know about what happens when the Pope dies.

The pope’s chief of staff, or

When white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel in May 2025 and the name ‘Leo XIV’ was announced to the world, history was made. For the first time in two thousand years of Catholic history, an American had been elected to lead the Church. The man who stepped onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica that afternoon — Robert Francis Prevost — was largely unknown to the general pu...

On 10 January 2026, Pope Leo XIV did something that surprised even the most seasoned Vatican watchers. Just four days after closing the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, he announced a new extraordinary jubilee — the Year of St. Francis of Assisi — running from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027. It marks the 800th anniversary of the death of one of the most beloved figures in all o...

If it has been years — or even decades — since your last confession, you are not alone. Millions of Catholics drift away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, often not because they have lost their faith, but because they are not sure what to say, or they feel too ashamed to go back. Here is the truth: the priest has heard it all before, God’s mercy has no expiry date, and wa...