Fumata nera and fumata bianca[edit]The color of the
smoke indicates the results to the people assembled in St Peter's Square. Dark smoke (fumata nera) indicates that the ballot did not result in an election, while white smoke (fumata bianca) announces that a new pope was chosen.[SUP]
[85][/SUP] Originally, in the event a pope was not elected, damp straw was added to the fire to create dark smoke. In the event a new pope was elected, the ballots were burned alone, creating white smoke.
Prior to 1945 (when Pius XII changed the form of ballot to use anonymous oaths, first carried out in 1958), the sealing wax on the complex type ballots illustrated above had the effect of making the smoke from burning the ballots either black or white, depending on whether or not damp straw was added. This explains the confusion over the color of the smoke in the
1958 Papal conclave, caused by the lack of sealing wax on the ballots. The
Siri Thesis was based on the confusion over the smoke color on the first day of that conclave.
Since 1963, chemicals have been added to the burning process, and beginning in 2005, bells ring after a successful election to augment the white smoke.[SUP]
[86][/SUP]
During the 2013 conclave, the Vatican disclosed the chemicals used to color the smoke:[SUP]
[87][/SUP][SUP]
[88][/SUP][SUP]
[89][/SUP]
- Fumata nera:
- Fumata bianca:
