Pope Francis died Monday morning at the age of 88, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, ... The first Jubilee year according to a Vatican fact sheet was proclaimed in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII.

Even in death, Pope Francis remained a trailblazer — becoming the only pontiff to open, but not close, the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in what has become a fateful symbol of his papal ...

With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to ...

But when Pope John II was elected in 533 A.D., he changed the precedent, opting for John over his given name, Mercurius, probably to shed associations with the pagan Roman god, said Vanessa ...

He was reminded of when Pope John Paul II was elected “from behind the Iron Curtain” in 1978, a move that signaled the church was choosing to challenge the Soviet bloc.

Pope Leo XIV says he chose the name in honor of Leo XIII, ... Because of the antipopes, there are 21 Johns, but no Pope John XX, and eight Bonifaces but no Pope Boniface VII.

When Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the crowd for the first time after his May 8 election, liturgical fashion aficionados around the globe took ...

Gregory and Benedict, names of reform and rigor. Gregory, chosen by 16 popes, is most reminiscent of Gregory I, known as the Great, a 6th-century pope known for his missionary work and liturgical ...

Because of the antipopes, there are 21 Johns, but no Pope John XX, and eight Bonifaces but no Pope Boniface VII. John and Gregory are the most common names among the popes.