What is the role of black and white smoke in the choice of a new pope?
The “Fumata Bianca” or white smoke means the successful election of a new Pope. Each time a vote is taken, the smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. If the vote is not conclusive and the verdict on a new pope has not been reached, the smoke is black. If a pope has been chosen, it is white – and means that the new pope will soon appear in the city of Vatican.
How long does the election of a pope last?
A conclave will last until a singular candidate receives at least two thirds of the votes of the eligible cardinals basin, with four typical ballots which take place every day. The election of Pope Francis lasted around 28 hours, two days, before he was announced as successor to Benoît XVI. The longest conclave of all time took place in 1268, which lasted 34 months.
When was the last time a new pope was elected?
The election of a new pope generally only occurs after the death of a previous Pope. However, Pope Francis had been elected in extraordinary circumstances. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI had resigned from the post – the first to withdraw from the papacy since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do it voluntarily since Célestine V in 1294.
At the time, Benoît – who died in 2022 at the age of 95 – was presented in a press release concerning his resignation published by the Vatican, “” “The strength of the mind and the body are necessary, the force which, in the past few months, has deteriorated in me insofar as I had to recognize my inability to adequately achieve the ministry which was entrusted to me. »»
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