Black smoke emerging from the chimney means the world's 1.4 billion Catholics don't yet have a new pope. White smoke means the cardinals have chosen a new leader of the church.

Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, and white smoke indicates that a new pope has been selected. Here's what to know about the black and white smoke used during a papal conclave.

What does the white and black smoke mean during the conclave? There are multiple voting rounds during a papal conclave. A pope is elected when a candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the votes.

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.

Black and white smoke is used to represent the cardinals' decisions each day, as they are sequestered and cannot share this news directly. If one candidate doesn't receive the necessary two-thirds ...

It wasn't clear whether grey smoke was closer to black or white, for example. By the 1970s, the straw method had been abandoned in favor of more controllable chemical mixtures.

What does the white and black smoke mean during the conclave? There are multiple voting rounds during a papal conclave. A pope is elected when a candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the votes.

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.