Papal succession style guide distributed by AP The AP Standards Center today issued the following advisory to editors at our member news organizations:
To help with coverage of the selection of a new pope to succeed Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, The Associated Press has compiled a style guide of essential words, phrases and definitions. Some are based on entries in the AP Stylebook: http://www.apstylebook.com/. Others were suggested by AP's religion writers in Rome and New York and based on decades of AP coverage of the Roman Catholic Church and papal successions.
conclave
The secret meeting of the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel of St. Peters Basilica to hold a papal election. The term comes from the Latin with a key, referring to the custom of locking away the cardinals while they cast ballots. Cardinals are not allowed to communicate with the outside world for the duration of the conclave. Cardinals over 80 are barred from voting in a conclave to elect a new pope.
sede vacante
Latin phrase for empty seat. It describes the period of time when the church has no pope, either because of death or abdication, and the election of the next pontiff.
interregnum
The period between the death of a pope, or end of his pontificate, and the election of his successor. The College of Cardinals has authority over the church during this time.
camerlengo
The camerlengo, or chamberlain, is in charge of administration and finances of the Holy See in the interregnum, the period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 78, was named camerlengo in 2007. He is currently the Vatican No. 2 as secretary of state and runs the Vatican bureaucracy.
College of Cardinals
Chosen by the pope, the members of the college serve as his principal counselors. Only cardinals can participate in the election for a pope. The college elects a dean who calls and presides over meetings.
Habemus Papam!
The Latin phrase (We have a pope!) shouted by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the proto-deacon, from the balcony overlooking St. Peters Square after the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney signifies a decision. He then introduces the new pope - in Latin - along with the name the pope has chosen.
curia
The papal bureaucracy consisting of congregations, which have decision-making authority: councils, which have no authority but promote key issues such as church communications: and tribunals, or church courts.
pontiff
Though a synonym for pope, it is not a formal title and always spelled lowercase.
pope
Capitalize pope when used as a title before a name: Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Paul. Lowercase pope in all other uses. The pope is the bishop of Rome; the office was held by the Apostle Peter at his death.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Also, Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus, or former Pope Benedict XVI or Benedict XVI, the former pope. On second reference, Benedict without the numerals. On Feb. 28, 2013, Benedict became the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to resign in 600 years. (The church uses resignation instead of abdication.)
papal infallibility
A pope invokes apostolic authority derived from the apostles of Jesus Christ to define doctrine or morals for the entire church. Only the sitting pope has this authority.
Holy Father
The preferred form is the pope or pontiff. Use Holy Father in direct quotations or in special contexts where a literary effect is desired.
Holy See
The term used to describe the Vatican as sovereign state. It is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, in Vatican City.
Vatican City
Stands alone in datelines.
Castel Gandolfo
Town south of Rome where the papal retreat is located. Benedict XVI will reside there for two months, then return to the Vatican to live in a monastery.
Roman Catholic Church
The church teaches that its bishops have been established as the successors of the apostles through generations of ceremonies in which authority was passed down by a laying-on of hands. The church counts more than 1.2 billion members worldwide. Use Catholics and Catholicism for those who believe that the pope, as bishop of Rome, has the ultimate authority in administering an earthly organization founded by Jesus Christ.
bishops
The responsibility for teaching the faithful and administering the church rests with the bishops. The pope has final authority over their actions.
Mass
It is celebrated, not said. Always capitalize when referring to the ceremony, but lowercase any preceding adjectives: high Mass, low Mass, requiem Mass.
religious titles
The clergy below pope are, in descending order, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, monsignor, priest and deacon. Capitalize the title before a name. Do not routinely use father or pastor before a name, but capitalize this description before a name in a quote. For priests, use the Rev. on first reference before the name.
nuns
Capitalize Sister, or Mother if applicable, before a name: Sister Agnes Rita in all references if the nun uses only a religious name; Sister Mary Ann Walsh on first reference if she uses a surname. Walsh on subsequent references.
About AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the worlds population sees news from AP. On the Web: www.ap.org.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Papal succession style guide distributed by AP The AP Standards Center today issued the following advisory to editors at our member news organizations:
