Black smoke vs. white smoke: What does each color mean during conclave?
As the papal conclave begins on Wednesday, May 7, onlookers from around the world will watch for smoke in Vatican City, eager for the first update on who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church.
On the morning of May 7, more than 130 cardinals − the Catholic Church's most senior officials − will gather to vote on who they believe should be the next pontiff, succeeding Pope Francis. While this process is held in secrecy, the rest of the world is informed on the group's daily decisions by white or black-colored smoke funneled from the top of the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, and white smoke indicates that a new pope has been selected.
The first smoke signal is expected to occur on the evening of Wednesday, May 7.
Here's what to know about the black and white smoke used during a papal conclave.
More: A conclave like no other: How papal pick gathering is different this year
More: How accurate is the movie 'Conclave' about the election of a new pope?
What is a papal conclave?
A papal conclave is an election of a new pope, conducted by the College of Cardinals − bishops and Vatican officials selected by the pope. The cardinals are tasked with voting for one of their colleagues to take over the role of pontiff. As of May 5, 135 cardinals are eligible to vote in the conclave, according to The Holy See's College of Cardinals Dashboard.
During the conclave, the cardinals are sequestered, and cannot communicate with the "outside world."
Before voting, the cardinals discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. They then gather in St. Peter's Basilica to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit on who should be the successor, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cardinals leave the Vatican after a College of Cardinals' meeting, on May 2, 2025 in Rome, Italy. Funeral rites for the late Pope Francis are held for nine days after his burial as he is mourned and celebrated by the faithful. During this time, the Vatican prepares for the process to elect a new Pope, known as the Conclave, which must begin within 15 to 20 days of the Pope's death.
For the actual election, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, take an oath of secrecy and seal the church's doors. Each cardinal votes by secret ballot. He says a prayer and then drops his ballot in a large chalice, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
If one candidate does not receive a two-thirds majority vote, another election is held. This process is repeated until one candidate has received the necessary votes.
The longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years (34 months) with the election of Pope Gregory X in 1271, according to EWTN Vatican. On the flip side, Pope Francis was elected just one day after the conclave began in 2013.
What does the black and white smoke mean during a conclave?
File photo: White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on March 13, 2013.
Black and white smoke is used to represent the cardinals' decisions each day, as they are sequestered and cannot share this news directly.
If one candidate doesn't receive the necessary two-thirds vote, the ballots are burned in a stove with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke. The black smoke indicates more voting is ahead.
If a candidate is selected, the final round of ballots are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke.
What time are the smoke signals?
There isn't an exact timing for the smoke signals that occur during a conclave, but experts use past conclaves to make educated guesses.
On May 7, it is likely the cardinals will only conduct one round of voting, as the majority of the day will be spent taking care of introductory business, including a special sermon led by one of the church's top officials, Matthew Gabriele, a medieval studies professor at Virginia Tech, previously told USA TODAY. White or black smoke could be expected around 7-8 p.m. local time (1-2 p.m. ET).
The Sistine Chapel's chimney will soon be used to display the smoke from burnt ballots during the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor.
If a final decision isn't made the first day, people can expect the next smoke signal to be shared mid-morning the next day, Thursday, May 8.
The cardinals can fit up to four rounds of voting in one day, if one candidate is not selected. If this is the case, Gabriele said smoke signals will occur around mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and evening.
In 2013, during the conclave in which Pope Francis was elected, the first black smoke signal was spotted at about 7:41 p.m. local time, America Magazine reported.
Where does the smoke come from?
The black and white smoke comes from a cast iron stove inside the Sistine Chapel. One of the stoves is used to burn the cardinals' ballots and the other is to send puffs of black or white smoke up above.
Furnaces and chimney pipes are installed at the Sistine Chapel ahead of the conclave at the Vatican on May 2, 2025.
What chemicals are mixed with the ballots to produce black and white smoke?
During the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, the black smoke was produced using a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar) and sulfur.
The conclave used a combination of potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin to create the white smoke.
What happens once a candidate is chosen?
Once a candidate has received two-thirds of the cardinals' votes, accepts the position and chooses his papal name, the senior cardinal deacon announces him from the balcony of St. Peter's balcony before the new pope steps out to face the crowd.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a new link.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pope smoke explained: What black and white means during 2025 conclave
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