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 ...

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

The papal conclave smoke signal has evolved from an incidental byproduct of burning ballots into a carefully engineered communication tool ...

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

No cameras will be allowed inside the church during the vote, so the result will remain secret until white smoke emerges from ...

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

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

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

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.