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.

Smoke signals have occurred at mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and evening. The longest conclave took three years.

Black smoke has been rising from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinals have not yet elected a new pope on Thursday.

But what does the smoke mean? There are multiple voting rounds during a papal conclave. A pope is elected when a candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the votes. When that happens, white smoke ...

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

On the afternoon of Thursday, May 8, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney billowed into the sky, prompting waves of ...

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. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your ...

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Black smoke billowed over the Vatican on Wednesday to signal that no candidate received the required two-thirds majority of cardinal electors to become the next pope. The big picture: White smoke is ...

White smoke came from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Rome on Thursday afternoon, indicating the 133 cardinals had elected a new pope.

Italy’s Pietro Parolin leads odds on the Polymarket and Kalshi betting platforms, while Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines ...