The 2025 conclave is less predictable than ever after Francis shook up the Catholic Church during his years as pope. What will that mean for the election of his successor?

Beyond simply picking who the next pope will be, players and gamblers also can guess how many tries it will take the cardinals to choose the leader, which day of the week he’ll

US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope, prompting accusations of poor taste in the Roman Catholic community just days before the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor is due to begin.

That would be my number one choice,” he said at the time. The image shows Trump dressed in a white garment wearing a pope’s hat and a necklace with a cross hanging around his neck. He is sitting in a chair with his index finger pointed upwards.

The church is set to begin the papal conclave on May 7 to choose a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis, who was 88, on Easter Monday. Vance is a Catholic and was one of