Pope Francis is dead at the age of 88. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church passed away earlier today about a month after leaving a hospital in Rome where he was being treated for respiratory ailments. A statement released by the Vatican from Cardinal Kevin Farrell read in part: “At 7.35 am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.” The White House posted on X “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.” Meantime, the passing of Pope Francis today means it’s time to choose a new Pontiff and with that comes plenty of speculation. While any baptized Roman Catholic male can technically be elected as Pontiff, the Pope has traditionally been chosen from the College of Cardinals since the 14th Century. There are currently 17 cardinals in the United States. Italy, by comparison, has 51. Cardinals under the age of 80 vote by secret ballot until a candidate gets two-thirds of the vote.
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