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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories The chimney is installed atop the Sistine Chapel as cardinals prepare for the conclave.Vatican News the vatican Chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as conclave to elect new pope nears The conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor will begin on 7 May. 10.34am, 2 May 2025 Share options VATICAN FIREFIGHTERS HAVE installed a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as the 7 May conclave to elect a new pope grows nearer. The chapel’s chimney is an important fixture in the conclave. After every two rounds of voting, ballots are burned in a special furnace to indicate to the outside world how its papal election is going. If a pope has been elected, ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin as they burn to produce white smoke from the chimney, telling onlookers that the new pontiff has been chosen. Advertisement Vatican News Vatican News However, if voting concludes with no election – which requires two-thirds of votes from eligible cardinals – the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar) and sulphur to produce black smoke that will steam from the chapel’s chimney. The election of Pope Francis in 2013 came after the fifth ballot and two days. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, was also elected after two days. Many people will crowd outside the chapel, waiting for the white smoke to appear. The Journal’s Diarmuid Pepper will be in Rome throughout the conclave next week – you can follow him on X here Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Support The Journal Emma Hickey View 12 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as conclave to elect new pope nears”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as conclave to elect new pope nears”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. 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