Black smoke. No Pope today.

I don’t know who knows this but I found out yesterday that the famed Pope chimney (where we see the white or black smoke) is actually specially installed for the purposes of the conclave rather than being like the regular all-the-time chimney of the fireplace in the Sistine Chapel.

Let’s start by granting the point that it was at best awkward to seem to defend someone who apparently derives sexual pleasure from at least fantasizing about killing women and then eating them. With that out of the way, Gilberto Valle was just convicted of plotting to do that or arguably just talking about it. (Details of the story here.) Read More