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

Rather than soot, the smoke contains microscopic droplets and fine solids that are transparent or white. The result is a ...

White smoke appeared to billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel this afternoon - despite cardinals failing to reach a verdict on the next pontiff. Footage from the Vatican live feed of the ...

Experts say the process requires "two custom fireworks", smoke test rehearsals and Vatican firefighters on standby.

White smoke billowed over the Vatican on the first full day of voting, but this was not quite the fastest conclave in history.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions ...

What does white smoke coming out of the Vatican mean? White smoke coming out of the Vatican chimney means a new pope was selected and received enough votes during the Papal Conclave. For white ...

The first time white smoke was used to signal the election of a pope was at the 1914 conclave in the frescoed Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. The cast iron stove in which the cardinals burn their ...

White smoke from the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Roman Pontiff with the name of Pope Francis I in Vatican City on March 13, 2013.