According to what I researched online, the tradition of cardinals voting a Pope dates back to the Middle Ages. No one knows what really goes on a conclave - a conclave is the lockdown mode when cardinals have to live at the Vatican until a Pope is elected. The mystery has been preserved because cardinals are sworn to secrecy for life and if any one is found violating, he would be excommunicated. Cardinals are deprived of phones and internet access during a Conclave so they couldn't communicate with the outside world.
It's in the Sistine Chapel where cardinals hold the voting. The Chapel is said to be swept for bugs everyday before the start of a Conclave. Luckily, I've had the chance to go inside the Sistine Chapel twice already - once in 2008 and the last one in 2011. The Sistine Chapel is one of the sections at the Vatican where silence is observed and picture-taking is strictly prohibited. But here's a photo inside the Sistine Chapel which I got online.
For the voting, all cardinals below 80 yrs old have to participate. 115 cardinals are voting this Conclave - 60 of which are from Europe, 19 from South America, 14 from North America, 11 from Africa, 10 from Asia (including our very own Cardinal Tagle) and 1 from Oceania.
Each day of the Conclave, cardinals have 2 rounds of voting. A candidate needs to get 2/3 majority vote to be elected as Pope or in this Conclave, at least 77 votes. After each voting, they burn the ballots. If there is no candidate who achieves the majority vote, they put chemicals on the stove so that the chimney stack emits black smoke.
If no Pope is elected for 3 days, the cardinals would take a break and hold a day of prayer. If no one still qualifies in terms of voting, the cardinals must choose between the 2 most voted candidates but still with a 2/3 majority vote requirement.
At any voting session where a candidate achieves the 2/3 majority vote, he will be asked by the Dean of Cardinals if he accepts it or not. If he accepts it, white smoke is emitted from the Vatican's chimney stack. And the newly-elected Pope is lead to a room to put on the papal garb and is presented to the expectant crowd at St. Peter's Square.
I got saddened when Pope Benedict XVI resigned but I admire his honesty and humility for doing what he did. Luckily, in my past 2 trips to Italy, I've had the chance to see Pope Benedict and even attend his Papal Easter Mass right at St. Peter's Square. With Pope John Paul II, I was just able to see him from the balcony of the Archbishop's Palace in one of his trips to Manila. And I do hope that I'll have the chance to see the new Pope - maybe even get the chance to kiss his hand - I know I wrote this on my wish list. :)
