The Latest Breaking News from Miles Pattenden

Francis sought to lower age profile and broaden spread of college of cardinals and for most it is their first conclave

As world leaders gather in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, many Catholics are wondering if the church could soon elect its first black pope. With Africa home to one in five Catholics, the idea of a pope from the continent is gaining ground.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the death of George Pell has come as a shock for many, but a clergy abuse survivor who started a petition to have Cardinal Pell defrocked in 2020 says the news will spark mixed emotions.

For centuries, 22 August marked a day to celebrate one of our bravest saints… who was also a dog. Hilarity aside, what happened to that and similar holy days once celebrated by all? Tom Ough speaks to the Reverend Richard Coles and other experts on whether we ought to bring…

The last few years have been difficult, but this expert says there have been times when the world's population had to deal with even more devastating events.

In 2020, our way of life was turned on its head as the COVID-19 pandemic set in. But as we enter our third year of the pandemic, is there anything history can teach us about these present-day challenges?