In the days leading up to the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor, wealthy American business leaders, philanthropists and conservative activists have descended on Rome and Vatican City to meet, fete and dine with churchmen.
For Cardinal Juan García Rodríguez, the pre-conclave gatherings are not about orchestrated strategies or names whispered in corners. "The conclave and the general congregations are acts of faith," he said.
Time is running out and there are still many cardinals registered to speak at the pre-conclave meetings called general congregations. Efforts are being made to ensure that all cardinals who wish to speak will have the opportunity to address the College of Cardinals.
The chimney on the Sistine Chapel is up, and voting to elect the next pope will begin on Wednesday afternoon, May 7. Here is the National Catholic Reporter's final roundup of the 12 leading front-runners.
For the second Sunday in a row, the balcony from where the pope prays the traditional Angelus remained empty. An unusual quiet blanketed the streets of Rome, with fewer of the usual crowds of faithful and tourists.
In a workshop that's a stone's throw from St. Peter's Basilica, 86-year-old Raniero Mancinelli has been sewing cassocks for popes for more than half a century.
