The Vatican has unveiled a complex system of stoves that will generate smoke, marking the progress of the conclave’s mission to choose a new pope. The cardinals are set to begin their meeting on May 7, with Pope Francis’ death on April 21 sparking the process.
Two stoves and chimney pipes have been installed in the Sistine Chapel, where workers are preparing for the election of a new pope. If one candidate doesn’t receive the required two-thirds vote, black smoke will signal that no pope has been chosen yet. White smoke will indicate that a new pope has been elected.
The system works by folding ballots twice and dropping them into a chalice. The votes are counted by selected cardinals, who then place the ballots in stoves to create the smoke. Two stoves, containing different chemicals, are used to produce black or white smoke.
In 2013, the recipe for the smoke was revealed, but the use of cartridges containing these chemicals is relatively recent. A previous method, which involved adding damp straw to burned ballots, caused false alarms in the past. The Vatican has since adopted a more reliable system, using military flares and chemical additives in the past as alternatives.
The conclave’s tradition of using black or white smoke dates back to the early 1900s, but the current system is designed for efficiency and reliability. As the cardinals cast their votes, the stoves will create puffs of smoke, signaling progress in the election process.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/05/03/conclave-smoke-signals-chimney-stoves/83429402007