How a Pope is chosen

During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency against the South Vietnamese government and their American allies. The tunnel network was a key base and shelter for the North Vietna ...  Afficher plus

On 24 December 1951, in the United States, television history was made with the live broadcast of Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera ever composed specifically for TV.Written by acclaimed Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the opera almost didn’t happen. Struggling w ...  Afficher plus

As the world ushered in a new year on the 31st of December 2022, it also said goodbye to possibly its most well-known religious leader, Pope Benedict XVI. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger’s uncompromising conservative views earned him the nickname "God's Rottweiler". As Pope, his ...  Afficher plus

According to the records of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 men who have been pope. However, for centuries it was thought that there was another pope not on the list that was different from all of the others. What made this pope different is that the pope was a woman. Le ...  Afficher plus

In February 2013, Pope Benedict said he would become the first pope to retire in 600 years. Check out this episode of Stuff You Should Know to find out just what the pope does and the process of choosing a new one.

Giovanni de' Medici was a shrewd strategist who became pope before the age of 40. As a cardinal, he ended the Medicis’ exile in Florence, returning the dynasty to their seat of power. As pope, he would nearly bankrupt the Vatican — and upend the Christian world. Learn more about ...  Afficher plus