Pope Julius II (1443-1513), the head of the Catholic Church known for commissioning the Sistine Chapel and for supporting various military efforts to empower the Papal States.

For nearly 180 years, papal conclaves have chosen a new pope in three to five days. In centuries past, they've taken a lot longer.

It all dates back to the late 1400s when guardsmen began serving the Papal States. In 1505, the Swiss bishop Matthaus Schiner, who later became a cardinal, proposed to Pope Julius II the creation ...

The Swiss Guard is the oldest army in the world. It was founded on January 22, 1506, by Pope Julius II and is responsible for protecting the Pope and his residence.

However, a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, commissioned works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling and vaults depicting scenes from Genesis, including The Creation of Adam, between 1508 and 1512.

The conclave on Thursday elected a new pope after white smoke was seen rising from the Sistine Chapel, but the new pope has not yet been publicly announced.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

But Julius II, the 216th pope, had also contracted syphilis, apparently via prostitutes, and on Good Friday in 1508 his feet were so covered by sores that the faithful could not kiss them.

Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States is the new pope, succeeding Pope Francis, and taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He’s been elected following a millennium-old ceremony known as the papal ...

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.