Last year he simplified the elaborate funeral rites developed over centuries of tradition, a permeating characteristic of the Catholic Church ... in charge of the time between the death or ...

Here is a list of the garments you may see the new pope wearing once he steps out onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s ...

On Good Friday more than 660 years ago, the hot cross bun became part of English culture as well as Catholic ... “The time-honored custom has therefore been observed over the centuries and ...

Hot cross buns have long heralded the start of Easter in the western world, with the marked cross on top a symbol ... time of great religious change as the English Queen had broken ties with the ...

Soon after Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced “Habemus Papam," which translates to “We have a pope," from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday, followers of the Catholic Church ...

Easter was a time for catechumens (those preparing for baptism) to be baptised, a practice that continues in the Catholic ... over several days. The Paschal Candle became an important symbol ...

Francis was a Pope of notable firsts — the first Jesuit to be elected pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first shepherd of the Catholic ... they can last over time.” ...

Visitors have been able to step into a reconstructed 17th-century Catholic church in Maryland for the first time – an opportunity over 320 years ... "But it's also a symbol, and this is what's ...

Follow live coverage from the Vatican on the second day of conclave as cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel to vote for a ...

Pope Leo XIV has taken the reins as leader of the Catholic Church ... the pallium and the ring as a symbol of his taking of the papacy. While there is no strict time limit, Francis’ inauguration ...