- The process to pick a new pope has begun
- It comes after the death of Pope Francis, aged 88 on Easter Monday
- Here is how we know they’ve come to a final papal selection
A papal conclave has begun in the Vatican City to select a new pope.
It comes after the death of Pope Francis, aged 88, on Easter Monday. The head of the Catholic church is believed to have passed away from the complications of a stroke. Prior to this, Francis spent a month hospitalised due to a bout of double pneumonia.
Many have the selection process to pick a new pontiff demystified by the 2024 film Conclave. The Oscar-winning movie follows the power dynamics, factions and schemes involved in picking a new pope. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow and others.
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Anyway, it involves cardinals from all over the world being locked into a designated area in the Vatican. Each time they vote, they signify if they have settled on a pick by the colour of smoke.
Black smoke means that on that day, no new pope was chosen. A mandate of two-thirds of the conclave needs to be reached. If not, they have to go again.
If the smoke is white, it means it has all come to an end, and a new papal era has begun.
Why do people worry about the smoke during the papal conclave?
Well, the Sistine Chapel is a very old place of great historical importance to both Catholics and art admirers in general. It’s age means it can be very delicate, ergo people to need to be very careful with a substance like smoke.
Read more: Conclave movie is being used to help select new pope
The chimney from which the smoke appears dates back to the 1700s.
“This is such a precise process because if one thing goes wrong, it’s not just a technical failure – it becomes an international incident,” the structural engineer Kevin Farlman told BBC News.
The same outlet reported the black smoke is made up of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulphur.
Potassium chlorate, lactose and rosin constitute the white smoke.
Where did the smoke tradition come from?
According to The Irish News, the tradition of using white smoke only springs from the 1914 papal conclave. That one settled on Pope Benedicy XV.
Using black smoke dates back to the 1800s, but managing the smoke’s colour soon became tricky.
In 2005, before picking Benedict XVI, they pioneered the smoke from burning the ballot cards. They also added the ringing of bells.