BREAKING: White Smoke Seen Rising From Vatican Signaling the Next Pope Has Been Chosen

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News just broke that white smoke, the tradition of signaling that a new leader of the Catholic Church has been chosen, was just seen billowing from the chimney stack.

Crowds around the Vatican erupted as the white smoke was glimpsed, rising from the smoke stack that had cameras trained on it, anticipating either black or white smoke.

The smoke was seen after the fourth round of voting by the 133 Cardinals gathered to vote.

The new pontiff’s chosen name and identity will be revealed in traditional fashion, according to a report in the New York Post:

White smoke was seen pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday, signaling the College of Cardinals has chosen a successor to Pope Francis.

Riotous applause went up from a crowd of thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where they had been keeping eyes on the chimney waiting for the white plume to emerge after each ballot was cast during the papal conclave.

The smoke indicates at least 89 of the 133 cardinals participating in the process have reached a consensus on who should be the next pope. Black smoke — indicating no candidate achieved the two-thirds majority threshold — wafts from the chimney before the white smoke appears.

The new pontiff’s identity and chosen name will soon be proclaimed by revered Cardinal Dominique Mamberti from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, with the religious higher-up declaring, ”Habemus Papam!” which is Latin for, “We have a pope!”

I’m not Catholic — proud Protestant here!

So if you’re like me, the entire process that the Catholic Church uses to select a Pope is a bit of an unknown.

Here’s a great video explaining the entire process of what happens when a Pope dies.

Here’s the ENTIRE PROCESS explained that goes in to selecting a new Pope:

For Catholics, there are very few things as exciting as seeing that white smoke.

It represents a new start for the Catholic Church.

 

The tradition of signaling that a new Pope has been selected goes back more than 100 years.

It began with the election of Benedict XV in the early 20th century, according to a Fox News affiliate in Seattle:

With the death of Pope Francis, attention turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be locked up,” or, more simply, “a closed room.”

Members of the College of Cardinals will cast their votes behind the closed and locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, famous for its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo. Distinguished by their scarlet robes, cardinals are chosen by each pope to elect future popes.

A cardinal must be under the age of 80 to be eligible to vote in the conclave. Of the 252 members of the College of Cardinals, 138 are currently eligible to elect the new pope.

The release of black smoke from the Sistine Chapel signals that the cardinals voting to choose the new pope have not yet reached the two-thirds majority needed to secure a decision.

Simply put, black smoke, or umata nera in Italian, indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke, or fumata bianca, will indicate that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.

According to the BBC, the Vatican reported that the black smoke is a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulphur, which the white smoke comes from potassium chlorate, lactose and the conifer resin called rosin, which is often rubbed on violin bows to increase friction.

The tradition began with the election of Benedict XV in 1914. Chemical additives are used to make sure the smoke is black because during the election of John Paul II, there was confusion over the smoke’s color.

The smoke actually rises from the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

Traditionally, the new Pope will appear at the window of St. Peter’s Basilica and his new chosen name will be announced.



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