Black smoke, white smoke: How the Vatican refers to decisions on the new Pope

Once the Cardinals themselves closed in the Sistin Church so that a vote on the next Pope can start, the eyes outside the outside turns into a chimney that comes out of the church, which can be considered clearly from the Saint Peter Square in the Vatican city. A column of white smoke will be released if the Pope is chosen, and black smoke if no candidate is won by the two -thirds majority of the sounds.

It is a tradition that dates back to the nineteenth century, when the dispute was held in the Quirinale Palace, the papal palace across the city, which is now home to the Italian president.

in “Behind the closed doors“The history of the 2003 papal elections, Friedrich J. Bumgartner wrote that the first evidence he found on the smoke used as a sign of the papal elections was from 1823. Cardro cards were burned in previous differences, but there was no record that smoke was aimed at informing the outside world of a new clip.

Smoke comes from burning sounds, as well as any notes taken by the Cardinals, which are placed in a blossom iron stove after each round of voting. (One tour is held on the first day, four every day, with two in the morning and two in the afternoon.) The poll is burned after two rounds of voting, unless the Pope is chosen.

Until this century, the wet straw has been added to the stove to create a white smoke color. But it was not always reliable.

like The New York Times reportedDuring the Conclave 1958, white smoke appeared twice during the second day of the vote. He created that confusion because, in fact, the Pope has not been chosen yet.

The Times correspondent described the frenzy outside Saint Peter: “Dozens of newspapers in the square made a motivation for the nearest phone,” and guests at a wedding ceremony inside a church, “they left the bride and the groom’s groom alone in front of a priest in the altar.”

But it was a false warning. The ambiguity in this range, which was elected Pope John XII, led to conspiracy theories that another cardinal was the real winner.

In 1978, cartridges were first used to enhance black or white for smoke during the range that was elected John Paul I.

This method was also incomplete. In the case of John Paul, An entertaining video From time, correspondents with panic appear while white smoke turns from the smoker to black. “You cannot understand anything,” one of the chopped correspondents shouts on the phone. The Vatican later announced that the Pope was elected.

Come to 2005, when John Paul II died, a more reliable system was still being used today. An electronic control unit that resembles a fireplace is now placed next to the raised iron stove-and it shares in chimney chimney chimneys-to burn the cartridges that color smoke from sounds.

Massimiliano de Sanctis, a firework expert, has dedicated one of his fireworks in the Vatican, and was used in the Conclave 2005 that elected Pordek XVI and the 2013 election that elected Francis.

“We have not invented anything new,” he said in an interview. “It is a fireworks system.”

Black or white smoke cartridges are placed in the unit, and when the ballot is burned in the stove of the raw iron, the cardinal presses a button to adjust the cartridges in the unit, and the smoke coloring. For each vote, six cartridges are used, and smoke lasts about seven minutes.

After the jamming of the past, the Vatican does not take advantage of the opportunities: Once white smoke comes out of the chimney, bells will begin to finish the Church of St. Peter, describing the other churches in Rome to take their bells as well.