VATICAN CITY May 6 — The world’s most secretive election begins Wednesday, when 133 Catholic cardinals will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel to choose a successor to Pope Francis.
Each cardinal will have sworn an oath of lifelong secrecy, as will every staff member supporting the process—from doctors and dining staff to Vatican officials. Anyone who breaks the rules faces excommunication.
Electronic devices are banned, and all participants must surrender phones, tablets, and smartwatches. The Vatican enforces strict isolation, with rooms swept for bugs and electronic jammers in place to prevent any communication with the outside world.
“There are no TVs, radios, newspapers or even open windows,” said Monsignor Paolo de Nicolo, a former papal household chief. “The cardinals are completely incommunicado.”
The conclave is not just secret—it’s also secure. Vatican police, walkie-talkies for emergencies only, and heavily vetted staff ensure total lockdown until a new pope is chosen. The result is announced to the world by white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
Despite the religious framing, political undercurrents are hard to ignore. Media speculation has swirled around potential successors, and books and videos promoting certain cardinals have circulated. But inside the conclave, external lobbying is blocked out.
“It’s meant to be a decision guided by the Holy Spirit, not by headlines,” said Ines San Martin of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Cardinals have been meeting daily in “general congregations” to prepare for the vote. Many are new and unfamiliar with each other, thanks to Pope Francis’ diverse appointments.
By Wednesday morning, voting cardinals—those under age 80—will be sealed off behind Vatican walls. Over the following hours or days, they will vote up to four times daily until one of them receives a two-thirds majority.
The stakes are global: the pope leads over 1.3 billion Catholics and commands immense influence on moral, social, and political issues worldwide.
As John Allen of Crux put it: “The Vatican takes isolation seriously. This is one of the biggest decisions of their lives.”
