A new papal election — known as the conclave — is set to begin following Pope Francis' death. The method the Catholic Church uses to elect its leader has stayed almost the same for 800 years.

“Conclave” the film may have introduced moviegoers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a ...

(Bloomberg) -- For centuries, the head of the Roman Catholic Church has been chosen through what’s known as a papal conclave. The proceedings are cloaked in secrecy, making them the subject of ...

From the longest and shortest elections to the origin of the required vow of secrecy, here are some facts about the centuries-old process. NBC Universal, Inc. Here are some facts about conclaves past, ...