John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013. The longest conclave in ...

John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, ...

For white smoke, the Vatican says it used to use wet straw, but to make it a more pure color, instead of a confusing grey, they use potassium chlorate ... confiscated and cell-jamming equipment ...