VATICAN CITY—Forget all the artistic masterpieces. The most gazed-at item at the Vatican this week will be a humble, copper, two-meter-high chimney that will pipe out puffs of smoke to tell the world if there's a new pope. Black smoke means "not yet." White smoke means "pope elected." When three Vatican firefighters hoisted the chimney to its perch a few days ago, it was a visual cue that preparations for the conclave to elect retired Pope Benedict XVI's successor were in high gear. The Sistine Chapel and its magnificent Michelangelo-frescoed ceiling were made off limits to tourists. Two metal stoves were then installed in a far corner, away f...
Keep on reading: Black or white smoke, did they pick a pope?
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