As Pope John Paul II clings to life, Cardinals throughout the world prepare to mourn him and select a new pontiff. The following is an explanation of the process for choosing a new pope.
The Cardinal Camerlengo (papal chamberlain) certifies the pope is dead. This is traditionally done by calling the pope three times by name.
The Camerlengo then seals the pope's private apartment and arranges for his papal ring and seal to be smashed and scratched over. The ring and seal are used to authenticate papal documents. When the pope dies, they are buried with him.
Interregnum (the time between the death of one pope and the election of another)
The cardinals fly from all over the world to Rome. There are currently 184 cardinals, 13 are from the United States. Cardinals over the age of 80 aren't allowed to serve as papal electors.
Nine days of mourning ensue. The pope is usually buried between four and six days after he dies.
Conclave (Cardinals gather in seclusion to elect a new pope)
The Conclave must be held no less than 15 days but no more than 20 days after the pope dies.
The Cardinal Electors gather in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. They take an oath of secrecy. The penalty for disclosing anything about the conclave is automatic excommunication.
Voting
The cardinals gather twice a day and each session has two votes.
The Cardinals all take seats around the wall of the Sistine Chapel and take a ballot paper. They write a name on it, fold it, and then proceed one by one to approach the altar. They hold up their ballot high to show that they have voted, then place it into a two-foot tall chalice.
After all the ballots have been deposited, the folded ballots are mixed and then counted. If the number of ballots does not equal the number of cardinals, this vote is invalid and another immediately follows. If the number of ballots and electors matches, three cardinals start the tally.
If one candidate does not receive enough votes another vote is immediately taken.
To be elected pope, one Cardinal must receive more than two-thirds of the votes. If 30 elections (eight days) have taken place without any one cardinal being elected Pope, the cardinals may then elect by simple majority. This rule was introduced under Pope John Paul II.
After each vote, if no pope has been elected the ballot papers and cardinals' notes are burned along with wet straw to create black smoke. The black smoke travels up a 60-foot pipe to tell the crowds outside that they are still without a pope.
When a man is elected pope, white smoke signals the election. Throughout history the ballots have been burned to create the white smoke, but today a few chemical pellets are added.
One official record of the voting is sealed and deposited in the Vatican archives, to be opened only with the explicit permission of the pope.
Once a new pope is elected
When a cardinal is elected he is approached and asked in Latin, "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?" When he says yes, he is asked, "By what name do you wish to be called?" Once he answers, he is the pope.
At this point the new pope is taken to the sacristy of the Sistine Chapel and dressed in papal robes. He is then returns to the altar to receive each of the cardinals.
Shortly afterwards, an announcement is made from a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. The pope's birth name and then his papal name are read to the crowd. He then appears and gives his blessing.
http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=ff007abd-0abe-421a-0177-db939442bd91&TEMPLATEID=4525fe63-ac1f-02d8-002a-f131478a1f55
