Papal conclave ballots have been burned to maintain secrecy for centuries. Ballot smoke has been used to announce a decision since 1914.

Rather than soot, the smoke contains microscopic droplets and fine solids that are transparent or white. The result is a mixture of steam and white or light gray smoke that contrasts sharply with the ...

White smoke appeared to billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel this afternoon - despite cardinals failing to reach a verdict on the next pontiff. Footage from the Vatican live feed of the ...

The first time white smoke was used to signal the election of a pope was at the 1914 conclave in the frescoed Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. The cast iron stove in which the cardinals burn their ...

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

Suddenly I heard the most beautiful noise I have ever heard in my life: the sound of tens of thousands of people cheering as ...

What does white smoke coming out of the Vatican mean? White smoke coming out of the Vatican chimney means a new pope was selected and received enough votes during the Papal Conclave. For white ...

clearly visible from St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. It will release a plume of white smoke if a pope has been chosen, and black smoke if no candidate has won the required two-thirds ...

The election process is held in strict seclusion inside the Vatican's Sistine Chapel ... When that happens, white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel's chimney. If the two-thirds majority is ...