For three votes, the smoke spewed out in thick black billows, indicating a new pope has yet to be chosen. The conclave needs 77 votes, or a two-thirds majority from 115 cardinal-electors, for a ...

Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, and white smoke indicates that a new pope has been selected. Here's what to know about the black and white smoke used during a papal conclave.

Now that white smoke has finally billowed out of the chimney above the Sistine Chapel to signal that a new pope has been chosen, there will still be a short wait before the identity of the next ...

White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, May 8. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini Conclave to Pick New Pope 'Will Be Short,' Predicts Cardinal: 'I Think There Is a Consensus' ...

As The New York Times reported, during the 1958 conclave, white smoke seemed to appear twice during the second day of voting. That created confusion because, in fact, a pope had not yet been selected.

A group of 133 cardinals took only a short time to determine the next pope after voting began on May 7. Here's what to know. What does white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney mean?

During the 2013 conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis, the black smoke was produced using a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar) and sulfur.

Black smoke signals no pope elected in first conclave vote By Crispian Balmer, Joshua McElwee and Philip Pullella May 7, 20254:50 PM PDTUpdated May 7, 2025 0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0% ...

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — White smoke appeared atop the Sistine Chapel on Thursday (May 8), sending a signal that the cardinals gathered below had found a new leader to succeed Pope Francis, who died ...

Black smoke has billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney after the first round of voting by the College of Cardinals, indicating a new pope has yet to be elected.

At 12:09 p.m. Eastern 6:09 p.m. Vatican time, on May 8, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a new pope had been chosen on the fourth ballot. This traditional ...

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.