Black smoke issues from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel if a ballot fails to elect a new pope.
The smoke comes from burning the ballots in a stove in the Sistine Chapel.
White smoke means a new pope has been elected.
White
White smoke issues from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel if the voting has successfully elected a new pope.
After the a vote is taken the ballots are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel and chemicals mixed with them. If the smoke is black, no pope has been elected. If the smoke is white, a new pope has been chosen.
After the a vote is taken the ballots are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel and chemicals mixed with them. If the smoke is black, no pope has been elected. If the smoke is white, a new pope has been chosen.
No, the bells will only be rung if a new pope has been elected.
When a vote is taken the ballots are counted and recorded. Then they are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel. If the vote failed to elect a pope, chemicals are added to the burning ballots to turn the smoke black. If the vote elected a new pope, chemicals are added to turn the smoke white. This is how the outside world learns if a pope has been elected.
If a vote is held in the conclave that is successful in choosing a new pope, the ballots are burned with a chemical that makes the smoke white as a signal to the outside world that a pope has elected.
Each new pope is elected by a conclave of cardinals held in Vatican City. The meeting place is often fitted with a chimney from which smoke is emitted, ostensibly by the burning of ballots. A ballot that elects a pope will be marked by white smoke from the chimney, with official announcements made a few hours later.
Roman Catholic AnswerThe smoke is from a small wood burning stove in the Sistine chapel. If the ballets to elect a new pope are incinclusive they are burned with wet straw and the smoke is black, if they are from a successful election of a new pope, they are burned alone and the smoke is white. There is no smoke when a pope dies, it is strictly for the election of a new pope.
White smoke issues from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel when the ballots are burned.