Here's how the conclave creates black and white smoke and why the Catholic Church began using them to signal whether a new ...

A change in popes is a complicated process. Centuries-old rituals are involved in the transition in leadership for both the ...

At the end of each voting round, black smoke means a new pope has not yet to be selected, while white smoke indicates a new ...

For white smoke, a compound of the chemicals potassium chlorate, lactose, and rosin (also known as Greek pitch) is used, ...

White smoke billowed over the Vatican on the first full day of voting, but this was not quite the fastest conclave in history ...

The 2025 papal conclave is underway. Who will be the new pope when the white smoke settles? Who is the odds-on favorite? Are ...

Papal conclave ballots have been burned to maintain secrecy for centuries. Ballot smoke has been used to announce a decision ...

The Vatican’s cardinals gather in conclave today to begin electing the successor to the late Pope Francis—which means the ...

On the afternoon of Thursday, May 8, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney billowed into the sky, prompting waves of ...

Black smoke has been rising from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinals have not yet elected a new pope on Thursday ...

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to choose Pope Francis' successor. Here's how long it could take.

The result is a mixture of steam and white or light gray smoke that contrasts sharply with the dark, carbon-rich black smoke. Over the years, the papal conclave smoke signal has evolved from an ...