As Italy turned into a battleground between foreign powers, Rome suddenly found itself in the crosshairs of a marauding horde ...

The pope’s political adventurism set the stage for the humiliating disaster known as the Sack of Rome in 1527. Pope Francis, whose successor will soon be elected, provided a stark contrast with the ...

The Swiss Guard, the pope’s iconic bodyguards, look ceremonial but in the pageantry of the Renaissance-style uniform lies the ...

Cardinal Prevost's choice of the name Leo links him to Leo XIII, a 19th-century champion of social justice. It also recalls ...

On May 7, the cardinal electors—those under the age of 80—will enter the conclave to choose the next pope. Since 1878, every ...

“The reason is the sack of Rome in 1527,” Jensen, host of the Pontifacts show, told USA TODAY. “One hundred forty-seven of the 189 Swiss Guards, including their commander, died and were torn ...

May 6th has been a date marked by significant events that have shaped the world in various ways.One of the most impactful ...

Artists have captured the hidden world of papal elections for centuries, turning secrecy into spectacle for the public.

If you have never seen the uniforms of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard — personal bodyguards to the pope — imagine that St. Peter’s ...