White smoke from Sistine Chapel confirms new Pope elected
The historic signal was seen late on Thursday afternoon
White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025
(Image: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini )
White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney has confirmed a new Pope has been elected to lead the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. The historic signal was seen late on Thursday afternoon.
Black smoke had billowed from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, signalling a new pope has yet to be chosen. Cardinals resumed their voting in the secret conclave, having already failed to choose a new pope in the first round of voting on Wednesday evening.
Earlier in the day, one prominent cardinal, who was not in the conclave as he is older than the age limit of 80 for participation, was reported to be hoping for a new pope by the evening. According to reports in Italian media, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, said on Thursday: 'I hope that when I return to Rome this evening, I'll find the white smoke already rising.'
The voting cardinals began their behind-closed-doors meeting shortly before 5pm UK time on Wednesday. Pope Francis was elected after five ballots, and white smoke on the second day of that conclave confirmed the news to the world in 2013.
The voting ballots are burned with chemicals added in a special furnace to ensure the colour signals the correct result. For black, to indicate no-one has been elected, the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene – which is a component of coal tar – and sulfur.
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For white to signal a new pontiff has been chosen, potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin are added to the burning ballots. The cardinals in this conclave were gathering to elect the 267th pope and had, as is tradition, been cut off from communications with the outside world.
At a pre-conclave mass on Wednesday, they were reminded of the 'choice of exceptional importance' they must make in electing the next pope. A new pope requires a two-thirds majority in the voting.
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