Conclave: The Fascinating Process by Which the Next Pope Will Be Elected

Voting begins on May 7. Here's how it all works.

Black smoke, no pope. More black smoke, no pope. Black smoke again…

Hundreds of thousands of people wait outside St. Peter’s Square. Millions more watch on television and social media, waiting for a sign of white smoke on top of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Inside the chapel, over 100 cardinals cast their ballots for the next leader of 1.4B Catholics.

Their votes, written each time in unique handwriting to maintain secrecy, are eventually burned. Chemicals added to the fire change the color of the smoke to either white or black, a signal to the world of whether a pope has been elected or not.

Catholic, Baptist, or atheist, the process is fascinating to just about everyone. But why?

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, I was 17-years-old. I still remember seeing the white smoke on CNN as we sat in my family’s living room. Then Pope Francis walked out of the papal doors and asked everyone to pray for him. I won’t forget it.

This time around, I am fascinated by the actual details of…