The Catholic Sun

At 55, Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, Philippines, is one of the youngest and newest members of the College of Cardinals, but he is also one of the cardinals most frequently mentioned as a possible pope.

After Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican and began the last hours of his papacy, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago told reporters he already was considering the qualities of certain cardinals and what kinds of pope they would make.

Pope Benedict XVI, who began his papacy describing himself as a "humble servant in the Lord's vineyard," described his retirement as a time of being a "simple pilgrim, who begins the last stage of his pilgrimage on this earth."

With extensive experience in Latin America, the Vatican and his home province of Quebec, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet possesses broad knowledge of the universal church as well as strong pastoral and leadership skills from serving as the former primate of Canada.

Pope Benedict XVI briefly addressed the College of Cardinals, calling for unity and harmony among the men who will choose his successor and pledging his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to the next pope.

At Xavier College Preparatory, everything is for girls. Most especially those classes and clubs — like math and computer science — typically filled with...

Popes are elected by members of the College of Cardinals, not by the general Catholic population and certainly not by the media. Yet Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan's presence on practically every journalist's list of potential next popes bespeaks a real and important influence among his peers.

The world watches with interest as cardinals gather in conclave -- literally under lock and key -- to elect the next pope. The rarity of the event, the ceremony and secrecy add to the intrigue.

The Italian cardinal leading Pope Benedict XVI's Lenten retreat was tweeting and podcasting his reflections, signaling that detachment from the outside world doesn't have to mean a total media blackout.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, 69, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, is the "proto-deacon" of the College of Cardinals and will be the one, at the end of the conclave, who will announce to the world, "Habemus papam" ("We have a pope").