The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican owes its name to Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) who commissioned it. The three-storey brick building was created to serve as a space for meetings of the papal court. It was ...

In a ritual dating back to medieval times, 133 cardinal electors will take an oath of perpetual secrecy under the gaze of the stern Christ depicted in Michelangelo's Last Judgement fresco, which ...

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with art historian Kim Butler about the artwork that adorns the walls of the Sistine Chapel and its significance ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope. The College of ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke was pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. More ...

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave. The 133 cardinal electors, meeting behind closed doors, ...

Faithful watch on a giant screen in St Peter's Square cardinals taking their oath at the start of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7 ...

The College of Cardinals will gather this week to elect the next pope, who will be tasked with leading the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. One important aspect of the conclave is the location itself, ...