The world must be kept outside the walls. These are the objectives of the comprehensive security measures implemented during the Conclave. High-tech devices, logistical rigour and age-old canonical restrictions intertwine to form an impenetrable barrier, ensuring the secrecy of the votes cast in the Sistine Chapel, which has been transformed into a digital bunker for the occasion. Prior to the arrival of the cardinals, teams of security experts conducted a comprehensive electronic sweep of both the Sistine Chapel and the Santa Marta residential complex, where the cardinals reside during the Conclave. The objective of the checks was to ensure that no hidden microphones or other recording devices had been planted, ensuring the utmost secrecy of the deliberations.
Electronic shielding and total blackout
(Foto Benotti/SIR)
In accordance with the regulations set out in Universi Dominici Gregis, all personal electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets and recorders, are collected and stored prior to entering the Sistine Chapel. The entire area is screened off from the outside world. Sophisticated electronic security measures include frequency jammers and shielding to block the transmission of radio signals. While there has been no official confirmation of the use of a Faraday cage, this technology is considered a feasible option and has been widely covered by the media during past conclaves. The windows of the Sistine Chapel are darkened to prevent outsiders from observing what is happening inside, although the use of high-tech shielding films has not been confirmed. However, darkening the windows is a long-established practice to prevent unwanted viewing from outside.
Mobile phone signal deactivation
In relation to mobile communications, the Governorate of Vatican City has mandated the deactivation of all mobile phone signals throughout Vatican territory, with the exception of the area surrounding Castel Gandolfo. This measure will take effect at 3 PM (15:00 hours) on the date set for the start of the Conclave, and will remain in place until the election of the Supreme Pontiff is announced from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. Only then, as quickly as technology allows, will the signal be restored. These measures ensure that no communications signal can penetrate or exit the Sistine Chapel, thus precluding external eavesdropping during the delicate voting process.
Physical security and logistical checks
The Vatican Gendarmerie and the Pontifical Swiss Guard constantly monitor all access points within the Vatican walls and the movements of the cardinal electors and authorised personnel. The cardinals, who are housed in Santa Marta, travel to the Sistine Chapel each day via a strictly guarded route that avoids all contact with the outside world. Outside the Vatican, a ‘security cordon’ was set up all around St. Peter’s Square and the nearby streets by Italian authorities, in collaboration with the Vatican Gendarmerie. Access is permitted only at checkpoints after thorough security checks, including metal detector searches and ID verification. During the Conclave, a temporary no-fly zone is enforced over Rome, in coordination with the Italian civil aviation authorities.
Oath and complete seclusion
Alongside impenetrable technological and logistical measures, the Conclave is bound by canonical restrictions rooted in the Church’s centuries-old history. Prior to the start of voting, all participants – cardinals, masters of ceremonies, technicians and support staff – must take a solemn oath of secrecy. The oath, which is taken in the Pauline Chapel, binds those present “not to reveal any information concerning the voting and counting of ballots for the election of the Supreme Pontiff”, under penalty of latae sententiae excommunication, i.e automatic and immediate excommunication. The ‘Extra Omnes’ (Everyone out) ritual is then performed, during which the doors of the Sistine Chapel are closed and all outsiders are asked to leave. From that moment on, the cardinals enter seclusion, cut off from the outside world, until the momentous words ‘Habemus Papam’ (We have a Pope) are announced.
Canon law and total secrecy
Canon law, governed by the instruction Universi Dominici Gregis, prohibits all external communication, including phone calls, letters and contact with the media. Cardinals are not permitted to follow the news, read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch television. Any attempt to influence the election from outside is strictly forbidden. Those who violate the secrecy of the Conclave, including cardinals, are immediately excluded from ecclesiastical communion — a penalty which further strengthens the wall of secrecy surrounding the election.
The post Total secrecy: how the Vatican is shielding the Conclave from the outside world first appeared on AgenSIR.