Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, 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.

Black smoke emerging from the chimney means the world's 1.4 billion Catholics don't yet have a new pope. White smoke means the cardinals have chosen a new leader of the church.

Conclave smoke: What black and white smoke signal during election of a new pope In the past, a papal conclave has been held 15-20 days after a vacancy.

Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, 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.

Black smoke over Vatican signals no pope chosen on first day of conclave. Updated. May 7, 2025 at 4:29 p.m. EDT ... “He didn’t want any language, any racial background, ...

Cardinals did not select a new pope in the first secret vote of the papal conclave Wednesday, a result indicated by billowing black smoke from the world’s most-watched chimney. The proceedings ...

Videos filmed early on May 19 show smoke billowing over Khan Younis in southern Gaza as explosions echo in the background. The Washington Post - Video Posted: May 19, 2025 | Last updated: May 19, 2025 ...

The result is a deliberately inefficient combustion reaction, producing a high volume of unburnt carbon particles. This abundance of carbon (soot) makes the smoke thick and black—akin to the ...

The black smoke indicates another day of voting is ahead. If a candidate is selected, the final round of ballots are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke.

What does the white and black smoke mean during the conclave? There are multiple voting rounds during a papal conclave. A pope is elected when a candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the votes.

The 2025 Conclave begins today to elect Pope Francis’s successor. Here’s what time to watch for black or white smoke, how the process works, and where to stream it live.