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.

For white smoke, a compound of the chemicals potassium chlorate, lactose, and rosin (also known as Greek pitch) is used, while potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur are used for the black ...

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.

In a tradition that scholars date to the 19th century, smoke released from a chimney will be colored white if the cardinals have made a decision, or black if they remain deadlocked.

May 1, 2025 9:30 AM EDT White smoke from the roof of the Sistine Chapel on March 13th, 2013, indicating the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Roman Pontiff with the name of Pope Francis I.