On Tuesday, cardinals will begin moving into Vatican accommodation as they prepare to convene for the conclave that will elect the successor to Pope Francis.
After the Argentine Jesuit’s death over two weeks ago, 133 cardinal electors will enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, where they will remain until a new pope is chosen. This conclave is expected to be one of the most open in history.
On Tuesday morning, both electors under 80 years old and non-electors gathered for their final preparatory meeting, avoiding the attention of hundreds of global journalists reflecting the worldwide interest in this event.
Before the Sistine Chapel doors close on Wednesday afternoon, cardinals will swear an oath of secrecy, risking excommunication if they disclose conclave proceedings. They are prohibited from external communication until a new pope is elected.
The Vatican will cut off the phone network inside the city-state starting at 3 PM local time (1 PM GMT) Wednesday, but this will not affect St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful gather.
Cardinals will surrender their mobile phones and will communicate progress by burning ballots: black smoke signifies no decision, while white smoke indicates the election of a new pope, a ritual broadcast globally.
Pre-conclave discussions have covered topics from Vatican finances and sexual abuse scandals to Church unity and the profile of the next pope.
With a record 133 cardinal electors from around 70 countries spanning five continents, this is the largest and most international conclave to date, making its outcome more uncertain than ever.
“There are various profiles, many personalities who could be elected. At least five or six, I would say,” Archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, told Corriere della Sera.
“There are the ‘natural’ candidates, those known for their role and personality. And then there are those whose contributions make you think: that’s a strong voice. But there is no one who ‘dominates’ the others, no obvious choice,” he added.
During his 12-year pontificate, Francis implemented numerous reforms within the Church, facing significant internal opposition.
He appointed approximately 80% of the current cardinal electors, but experts believe they may not necessarily choose a successor in his mould.
Traditionally, the “princes of the Church” stay in the Vatican’s Santa Marta residence, offering hotel-style comforts, yet it lacks sufficient rooms for all cardinals involved.
Hence, some will be accommodated at the nearby Santa Marta Vecchia, typically used for Vatican officials.
Each cardinal will be assigned a room by lottery, accessible from Tuesday until the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning at 10 AM local time, just before the conclave begins.
Doctors, drivers, chefs, security and cleaning staff involved with the cardinals are also sworn to secrecy, having taken their oaths on Monday.
Security around St. Peter’s Square is already heightened, with police blocking nearby streets and checking tourists’ bags.
