Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican begins the conclave to elect a new pope, with smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel marking the votes.

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

The use of black smoke, however, can be traced to the 1800s. Related: What Did Conclave Get Right and Wrong About Picking 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 ...

Hype has been building on social media around the Catholic Church's secretive, centuries-old tradition of conclaves to elect ...

Neither of the top two candidates casts a ballot in the runoff. What does white or black smoke mean during a papal transition? After each round of voting in the Sistine Chapel, the ballots are ...

anthracene (a component of coal tar), and sulfur to produce black smoke. But if there is a winner, the burning ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin to produce the ...

A change in popes — through death or resignation — is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global ...

A change in popes — through death or resignation — is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church ...