Posts Tagged
white smoke
The history behind ‘habemus papam’ and the white smoke that announces a new pope

By Julieta Villar , Zoe Romanowsky ACI Prensa Staff, May 6, 2025 / 17:41 pm When a new pope is elected, there are two signs that mark that historic moment: the white smoke (“fumata bianca” in Italian) erupting from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the formula “habemus papam” pronounced by the …
Black smoke: Cardinals do not elect pope on first vote of the conclave
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite the rain, thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square after dark March 12, the first evening of the conclave, to witness the black smoke that signaled the Catholic Church’s 115 cardinal electors had failed, as expected, to elect a …