World
A sea gull took center stage at the last conclave.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York has some advice for cardinals who are about to experience their first conclave.
“Bring a book,” he said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon, as the cardinals packed their bags to move into Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican City guesthouse where scores of cardinals stay during the conclave, the process of selecting the next leader of the Catholic Church.
“I do,” said Cardinal Dolan, “because in the conclave is mostly silence.”
When the cardinals meet for the conclave, they gather in the Sistine Chapel. All cardinal electors must swear an oath of secrecy and vote by secret ballot. The cardinals cast repeated votes until there is a two-thirds majority, and the next pope is selected.
The voting process can take an hour or two each time, so there is a lot of waiting while each cardinal fills out his ballot and submits it in an elaborate ritual to ensure there are no election violations, he said.
“It’s not like you’re at the edge of the seat, and watching them all do that,” said Cardinal Dolan, who attended the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013.
He’s bringing a biography of Michelangelo, which felt appropriate, as he will be surrounded by some of the artist’s masterpieces, including “The Last Judgment,” which depicts the second coming of Christ and covers the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
Cardinal Dolan said he had top candidates for pontiff in mind, men whose writing and work he has studied.
“You want to see a guy who speaks well, you look for some linguistic ability. It would be very difficult for someone who did not know enough Italian,” he said. “If you don’t know the difference between carbonara and tagliatelle, you’re in trouble. It would be very difficult for somebody who only knows Italian, because you’re also a universal pastor.”
As he spoke, he looked down at St. Peter’s Basilica from the roof terrace of the Pontifical North American College.
“I think it’ll be longer than last time,” he said, referring to the process that selected Pope Francis, which took two days. He said he had brought 12 packets of peanut butter, thinking that would be enough for him to eat three a day while sequestered. “So you figure that out,” he said on the math.
The meetings held before the conclave have been “strenuous,” he said, with “one cardinal after another” getting up to speak.
Cardinal Dolan said the cardinals had shared their concerns about what they see as challenges for Christians in Islamic countries; in countries with oppressive governments; in regions without enough Catholic priests; or where religious liberty is suppressed.
“Think of the cardinal from Sudan. Think of the cardinals from the Holy Land,” he said.
One cardinal was grateful that Francis had traveled all over the world, he said, while another said maybe the next pope should largely stay at the Vatican and bring cardinals to meet with him there.
“One of the cardinals said, I love Pope Francis, and I am grateful for his 12 years. But we are here to elect the successor of Peter, not the successor of Francis,” he said, referring to St. Peter, the first pope. “That of course is true. We have to remember that.”
The ancient and elaborate rituals of the conclave can be mystifying for those watching from afar. But new cardinals “will also say, we don’t really know the rituals and the protocol, we don’t even know what to wear,” he said. “They’re so honest and they’re so fresh.”
After a morning Mass on Wednesday, the cardinals are expected to go back to Casa Santa Marta, unpack and have lunch. The accommodation and cuisine are relatively simple. “The food’s not that good,” Cardinal Dolan said.
The process is also extremely secretive, so much so that at the last conclave, even the blinds of Cardinal Dolan’s windows were secured shut so that no one could see in or out.
Vatican City shuts down, and the cardinals are sequestered, but they have a physician and a confessor available, “if we need help in body or soul,” he said.
Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure
Fox News reports on heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirms strict control over the Strait of Hormuz and fires on passing ships. President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, states the US naval blockade will remain in full force. White House correspondent Alex Hogan provides updates on the escalating diplomatic and military standoff.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Shops and schools shut in northern Israel as residents protested a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that took effect on April 16, saying “nothing was achieved”. Israeli officials say operations may continue, with forces still deployed inside southern Lebanon.
Published On 19 Apr 2026
World
Pope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that remarks he made this week in which he said the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not directed at President Donald Trump, a report said.
The pope, speaking onboard a flight to Angola during his 10-day tour of Africa, said reporting about his comments “has not been accurate in all its aspects” and his speech “was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” according to Reuters.
The news outlet cited the pope as saying his comments were not aimed at Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,” the pope reportedly said.
’60 MINUTES’ ACCUSED OF USING LEFT-LEANING CARDINALS TO BAIT TRUMP INTO FEUD WITH VATICAN
Pope Leo XIV answers journalists’ questions during his flight from Yaoundé, Cameroon, to Luanda, Angola, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (Luca Zennaro/Pool Photo via AP)
Vice President JD Vance later took to X to thank the pope for clearing the record.
“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated,” Vance wrote. “Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day.
“The President — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world,” he continued. “He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we’ll be in his.”
The vice president’s comments came days after he told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report” that it would be best for the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality.”
“Let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said Tuesday.
Trump last Sunday accused Pope Leo XIV of being “terrible” on foreign policy after the pontiff criticized the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
“He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
POPE LEO SLAMS THOSE WHO ‘MANIPULATE RELIGION’ FOR MILITARY OR POLITICAL GAIN, TRUMP RESPONDS
Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump (Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images; Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, the pope said, “We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.
Pope Leo XIV speaks as he meets with the community of Bamenda at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda on the fourth day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa April 16, 2026. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
-
News5 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
-
Culture41 minutes agoPoetry Challenge: Memorize “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden
-
Lifestyle47 minutes agoPhotos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
-
Technology59 minutes agoBlue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket
-
World1 hour agoDistress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
-
Politics1 hour agoTrump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
-
Health1 hour agoExperts reveal why ‘nonnamaxxing’ trend may improve mental, physical health
-
Sports1 hour ago‘Demon’ Finn Balor settles score with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42