The world’s most mysterious election is set to unfold behind the sealed doors of the Sistine Chapel, as 133 Catholic cardinals prepare to elect a successor to Pope Francis in a conclave shrouded in centuries-old secrecy.
From Wednesday, the electors will be locked inside Vatican walls under strict rules that ban all communication with the outside world. Every cardinal, doctor, cook, and cleaner involved has sworn a lifetime oath of “absolute and perpetual secrecy.” Breaking it could mean excommunication.
To prevent leaks, Vatican technicians will sweep the chapel and guesthouses for bugs and install electronic jammers to block all Wi-Fi and mobile signals. Phones, tablets, and even smartwatches are surrendered. There are no televisions, radios, or newspapers—windows remain shut.
“The Vatican takes the idea of isolation extremely seriously,” said John Allen, editor of Crux news site. “They want to avoid interference and ensure the vote is purely spiritual.”
Despite official silence, Vatican-watchers have been busy in Rome. Journalists and curious onlookers have turned to restaurants and basilica courtyards, searching for clues. “Wine and Rigatoni: the Cardinals’ Last Suppers,” quipped La Repubblica, reporting cardinals’ movements before lockdown.
While cardinals are technically barred from discussing the vote, speculation swirls. A viral video of Filipino Cardinal Tagle singing Imagine sparked debate, and glossy booklets promoting conservative candidates like Cardinal Sarah of Guinea are circulating discreetly.
Ines San Martin of the Pontifical Mission Societies says lobbying exists but is muted. “Many of these cardinals don’t even know each other. Pope Francis changed the composition dramatically.”
The conclave’s goal is spiritual, not political, Catholic officials insist. “The Holy Spirit guides the decision,” San Martin said. But the next pope will lead a powerful global institution influencing everything from diplomacy to social policy.
As the cardinals prepare to cast their first vote, the world watches—and waits—for the next man in white smoke to emerge.
