Learn the secret behind the Vatican’s smoke in the Pope’s election

For centuries, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church they were chosen in the Vatican in private meetings known as conclaves .

The vote is performed at closed doors, and the secrecy It is strictly kept. The Sistine Chapel, where the election occurs, is verified in search of hidden cameras and microphones, and the cardinals are not allowed to talk about procedures with anyone outside the group. If they do, they can be excommunicated.

You cannot enter the Sistine Chapel, but faithful and journalists are Knowing the result through Smoke color that comes out of the roof of the Vatican.

Banknotes are burned after voting, once in the morning and once afternoon.

If a Pope has not been chosen, the banknotes are burned together with a chemical that leaves the Black smoke.

However, if Smoke that comes out of the roof is white this means that the world’s Catholics will have a New Church Head.

The moment is always a lot of party for the thousands of faithful who expect the process in the Vatican.

Traditionally, about 30 to 60 minutes after the white smoke the New Pope will appear on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

The new pontiff will then speak briefly and will say a prayer. Days after the election, the Pope formally assumes the position.

But after all, how is smoke made?

The Vatican revealed the Science behind the signs of smoke They inform the world if a Pope was elected, according to a Reuters report in 2013.

In the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, the color of smoke sometimes had several shades of gray, which caused confusion.

But in the conclave of 2013, which elected Jorge Bergoglio – Pope Francis – the two smoke emissions were a black cloud that left no doubt that the reclined cardinals in the Sistine chapel failed to elect a pontiff.

The Vatican said that black smoke It was produced by a Potassium perchlorate mixture, sulfur and anthracene which is a component of the Hulha tar.

THE white smoke that eventually announce to the world the election of a new pontiff will be produced by a mixture of potassium chlorate, lactose and a pine resin, also known as Greek piche.

According to Reuters, citing the Vatican, there Two stoves in the Sistine Chapel where the cardinals vote, and both are attached to a single copper chimney that leads to the ceiling.

The first stove, made of cast iron and used in all conclaves since 1939, is used to burn the paper banknotes vote of cardinals.

The second stove is electronic, with a key, a red button to turn on and seven small temperature indicator lights. Loads are lit electronically inside, releasing white or black smoke For about seven minutes.

To improve the circulation, the chimney is preheated with electric current and a fan that helps boost smoke up.

In the conclave of 2005, the Vatican said that the bell From St. Peter’s Basilica should have been touched along with white smoke to ensure the crowd that he expected a Pope to have been elected.

But the person on the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica refused to play the bell for about 15 minutes because he had not received the order directly from his superior.

A book about the Vatican reported that he received the order of a Swiss guard and was afraid that he could be false news.

With information from Reuters.

This content was originally published in know the secret behind the Vatican’s smoke in the Pope’s election on CNN Brazil.

Source: CNN Brasil