As the Vatican makes your smoke -a signal

When the Catholic Church chooses a new Pope, the world is observed not at a press conference or post in social media, but to increase smoke from a small chimney on the Sistine chapel.

If the smoke is black, the new pope is not selected. If he is white, the decision was made: We have daddy – We have a dad. This is a high drama broadcast live millions.

But what viewers do not see is a centuries-old hidden complexity of the ritual: a carefully built chimney, engineering stove and accurate chemical recipes, each part painstakingly designed to ensure that smoke carries a clear message.

Experts have informed the BBC that this process requires “two custom fireworks”, smoke rehearsals and Vatican firefighters. It is carefully organized by a team of engineers and church officials working in unison.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, and with the funeral ended, attention was paid to the conclave – a private meeting through which a new Pope will be elected.

The Vatican confirmed that the cardinals would meet in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7 to celebrate a special Mass before gathering at the Sistine Chapel, where the complex vote will start.

The tradition of burning the paper ballots of the cardinals dates back to the 15th century and became part of the endings of rituals aimed at providing transparency and prevention, especially after the previous papal elections, led to public disappointment and unrest.

Over time, the Vatican began to use smoke as a way of communicating with the outside world, maintaining strict voting privacy.

And today, despite countless success in communication, the Vatican has decided to preserve the tradition.

“From ancient times, people saw the ascending smoke – the victims of animals and grain in the Bible or the burning of a cry in tradition – as a form of human communication with Divine,” said the BBC candidate Moss, Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham.

“In the Catholic tradition of prayer” rise “to God. The use of smoke causes these religious rites and aesthetics of the miracle and secrets that accompany them.”

Professor Moss also says that ascending smoke allows people who gather on St. Peter’s Square, “they feel included – as if they are included in this mysterious and secret business.”

The reasons are symbolic, but in order for it to work in the 21st century, it requires engineering in the real world.

Inside the Sistine chapel, two furnaces are temporarily installed specifically for a conclave: one for burning ballots and the other to create smoke signals.

Both furnaces are associated with small smoke . The pipe in the chimney that allows the smoke to run away – leading through the roof of the chapel outside. On Friday, fire brigades were spotted on the roof, carefully securing the chimney, while the workers erected construction forests and built furnaces inside.

The Sistine Chapel, which was built more than 500 years ago, is home to one of the most famous ceilings in the world. Decorated with michelangelo murals, it is not precisely designed for smoke signals, and the chimney should be installed restrained and safe.

This is a complex process. Techniques either use an existing opening, or create a temporary hatch through which the smoke, which is usually made of metal, such as iron or steel. The pipe comes from the furnaces outside that arise through the roof tile above St. Peter’s Square.

Each joint is sealed to prevent leaks, and each component is tested. Experts rehearse the smoke tests on days before the conclave starts, providing the chimney in real time. Even Vatican firefighters participated; in standby mode in case of malfunction.

“This is such an accurate process, because if one goes wrong, it is not just a technical failure – it becomes an international incident,” said BBC Kevin Farle, a construction engineer who worked on Heritage properties. “It’s not like putting a pipe in a pizza oven. Each part of the system must be installed without damaging.”

This installation was built a few days before the arrival of the cardinals and is disassembled after the pope’s election.

To provide a visible signal, the Vatican techniques use a combination of chemical compounds.

“The fact that they are essentially building here is two custom fireworks,” said Professor Mark Lorch, head of the chemistry and biochemistry department at Halle University, said the BBC.

“For black smoke, a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulfur is burned – produces thick dark smoke.

“For white smoke, a combination of potassium, lactose and pine rose, which burns purely and pale, is used.

“In the past, they tried to burn wet straw to create darker smoke and dry straw to make lighter smoke – but it caused some confusion because it sometimes seemed gray.”

He explained that these chemicals are “pre -packaged in the cartridges and ignited electronically”, so there is no ambiguity.

Adding the call – introduced during the election of Pope Benedict XVI – now serves as a confirmation and used with a smoke signal.

For many years there have been proposals for the modernization of the system: colored lights, digital alerts or even television voices. But for the Vatican, a ritual is not just a tool for communication – this is a moment of continuity with a long tradition.

“It is about tradition and mystery, but it also has a real theological impact,” said Professor Moss.

“Plus” Catholic Church “and” front edge “are far from synonyms – innovation is practically anti -thetetic for the rite.”