On May 2, on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, firefighters installed a characteristic rust-colored chimney – it is from it that the smoke will appear that will announce the results of the vote for the new Pope. About this informs DW.
The election of Pope Francis’ successor will take place at a closed meeting of the conclave scheduled for May 7. The chimney, which is clearly visible from St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, will serve as the main signal for the many people who will gather in anticipation of the news of the election of the new pontiff.
After each two-round voting stage, the cardinals’ ballots are burned in a special furnace. If Pope is not selected, a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulfur is added to the paper, which produces black smoke. If the vote is positive, the ballots are mixed with chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin – then white smoke rises over the Vatican, which indicates the election of a new Pope, the 267th in the history of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church unites more than 1.4 billion believers in the world and is currently experiencing financial difficulties that fall on the shoulders of the new leader. About 133 cardinals are expected to participate in the conclave vote. They are already arriving at the Vatican to discuss the challenges facing the Church and determine what the new Pope should be. All cardinals, including those over 80 years of age, can participate in the discussions, but only those who have not exceeded this age have the right to vote.
Francis, the first Pope from America, was elected in 2013 and led the Church until his death on April 21. His pontificate lasted more than a decade. The two previous conclaves — in 2005 and 2013 — ended with the election of the Pope in just two days of voting.
