VATICAN CITY, APR 18, 2005 (VIS) - This afternoon, 115 cardinals from all over the world will come together in the Sistine Chapel to begin the process of electing a new pope.
The interior of the Sistine Chapel has been prepared with 12 tables, six on each side; the lectern with the Gospels upon which the cardinals will take their oath; the table holding the urns in which the ballots will be collected, and the stove used to burn them with the chimney from which the smoke signals will appear.
The stove in which the ballots will be burned and from which the white or black smoke signals will appear, was first used in the conclave of 1939, when Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected as Pope Pius XII. Made of iron, it is one meter high and has a diameter of 45 centimeters. It has two doors, a lower one behind which the fire is lit, and an upper one to introduce the documents to be burnt.
The dates (year and month) of the conclaves at which the stove has been used are stamped into the top cover: 1939/III election of Pius XII, 1958/X election of John XXIII, 1963/VI election of Paul VI, 1978/VIII election of John Paul I, 1978/X election of John Paul II.
The black smoke signals, meaning that no Pope has yet been elected, are obtained simply by burning the ballots; the white smoke, meaning a Pope has been elected, results from burning the ballots and damp straw. For the first time, an electronically-controlled auxiliary stove will be used to create extra smoke and increase the visibility of the signals.
.../STOVE CONCLAVE/... VIS 20050418 (290)
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