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As the world watched in anticipation, all eyes were set on the small chimney above the Sistine Chapel, and a familiar ritual played out in the heart of the Vatican. After three unsuccessful votes, each followed by plumes of thick black smoke signalling “No,” the papal conclave came to a climactic end at 7:06 p.m. Rome time today — with the appearance of white smoke, announcing to the world: “We have a pope.”
But behind this ancient tradition lies a careful amalgamation of chemistry and technology. The process begins as the cardinals cast their secret ballots. In order to maintain secrecy of the decision, these ballots are burned after each vote, with the colour of the smoke revealing the result: black for inconclusive, white for a successful election, according to an ABC News report. A pope is chosen only when a candidate receives at least 77 votes, or a two-thirds majority, from the 115 cardinal electors.
So, how does the Vatican ensure the smoke is black or white? The answer, according to the Vatican press office, lies in precise chemical mixtures.
“The black smoke is produced by a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulphur”, ABC report said, citing the Vatican press office.
“The white smoke is a mixture of potassium chlorate, lactose and a pine resin, also known as Greek pitch.”
According to the report, once the ballots are counted, they are burned in a three-feet-high, 19-inch-diameter cast-iron stove, a relic used since the 1939 conclave that elected Pope Pius XII. But that’s just the beginning.
A second, modern stove, introduced during the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, is equipped with an electronic smoke-producing device. This high-tech apparatus contains a cartridge with five “charges”—each filled with one of the two smoke-producing chemical compounds, the report said. One charge is loaded at a time, ensuring a dense, coloured smoke that lingers in the air for approximately seven minutes.
Each charge is roughly the size of a tissue box, measuring about 25 centimetres by 15 centimetres by 7 centimetres (or 10 x 5 x 3 inches). The smoke from both stoves, the report said, is funnelled through a shared exhaust pipe that leads up to the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, resulting in the signature white or black clouds visible to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square.
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