
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 ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
18/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/04/2026
Clear-Com announced FreeSpeak Cell , a cellular-based wireless intercom system that uses LTE and 5G infrastructure to support large-scale production communicat...
18/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/04/2026
New York, NY, April 17, 2026 -- TAG Video Systems has announced an integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elemental MediaConnect Router. The integration bri...
18/04/2026
Pro Sound Effects (PSE), the leading provider of professionally recorded sound effects for film, television, advertising, and technology today announced the lau...
18/04/2026
Fincons Group, a multinational IT business consulting and system integrator firm, announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Enterta...
18/04/2026
Adobe extends leadership in video: unleashing new AI-powered creation in Firefly...
17/04/2026
The World Fencing League (WFL) has announced DAZN as its primary global streamin...
17/04/2026
ARRI Releases ALEXA 35 SUP 6.0 and LPS-1 SUP 1.3 Software Updates
ARRI has announced software updates for its ALEXA 35 Live camera and Live Production System L...
17/04/2026
Sennheiser has announced Spectera Studio, an offline system planner for its Spec...
17/04/2026
Deltatre and the German Football Association (DFB) have announced DFB.TV+, a DFB-owned direct-to-consumer streaming service developed and operated by Deltatre. ...
17/04/2026
Global sports marketing agency IMG has announced new senior leadership roles, designed to strengthen how it supports rightsholders and partners in the midst of ...
17/04/2026
NAGRAVISION and Harmonic have announced a watermarking-as-a-service solution for...
17/04/2026
NETGEAR and EVS Broadcast Equipment have announced a global technology partnersh...
17/04/2026
America's broadcasters are launching the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, a new initiative designed to provide millions of American viewers with a low-cost...
17/04/2026
Quantum Corp. will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1726), presenting what it ca...
17/04/2026
Leadership and Staff Announce '20/20 Vision' Playbook...
17/04/2026
TNT Sports has announced a multi-year agreement for U.S. media rights to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Three events will air on truTV - the 24 Hou...
17/04/2026
Scripps Sports has announced a multi-year broadcast partnership with PBR (Profes...
17/04/2026
Adder Technology, a specialist in connectivity solutions and high performance IP KVM, today announced the latest release of AIM, its IP KVM matrix management so...
17/04/2026
Victory , a free sports streaming platform from A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), has announced a multi-year content distribution partnership with the Dallas Cowb...
17/04/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level have one major thing in common: the intensity and attention to detail ramps up dur...
17/04/2026
Quickplay has announced the full-scale deployment of Gray Media's streaming ...
17/04/2026
Clear-Com has introduced the FreeSpeak Cell cellular-based wireless intercom system that uses LTE and 5G infrastructure to support large-scale production commun...
17/04/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off Saturday, April 18, with the show floor and exhibits opening April 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show features more ...
17/04/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
17/04/2026
Versatile ribbon mic kit revealed
The latest arrival to the AEA line-up brings together three contrasting models from their Nuvo range, delivering a versati...
17/04/2026
Revealed following sold-out MPG Awards ceremony
Following another sold-out MPG Awards ceremony at The Troxy in London, the MPG have released a full list of ...
17/04/2026
L3Harris towed array systems provide U.S. Navy submarines with extended acoustic...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
Cobalt Digital and SineSix Media Partner to Transform Accessibility Compliance into a More Engaging Viewer Experience at NAB Show 2026
Collaboration integrates...
17/04/2026
Strengthening Appear's North America team with a new Vice President of Business Development
Appear ASA (Appear, OSE: APR), a global leader in live producti...
17/04/2026
New framework helps broadcasters, streaming platforms, and sports organizations apply AI to live video for monetization, metadata, highlights, and downstream wo...
17/04/2026
New whitepaper gives broadcasters and OTT operators independent, codec-by-codec evidence that the VisualOn Optimizer transforms viewer quality of experience.
V...
17/04/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces New Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive 100G
Brie Clayton April 17, 2026
0 Comments
World's first immersive cinema camera f...
17/04/2026
NAB 2026: Vubiquity and Eluvio Showcase Streaming Solution that Significantly Re...
17/04/2026
What Makes a Good Marathon Running Playlist? We asked Xander Dawson, an eighth-semester saxophone major at Boston Conservatory running the Boston Marathon thi...
17/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/04/2026
At NAB Show 2026, PTZOptics (Booth N1902) will showcase a live sports streaming demo created in collaboration with Moondream, offering a new look at how Visual ...