Here's how the conclave creates black and white smoke and why the Catholic Church began using them to signal whether a new ...

At the end of each voting round, black smoke means a new pope has not yet to be selected, while white smoke indicates a new ...

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

A bell is also rung, part of the ritual introduced when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, which confirms the smoke is white and ...