Conclave stay: Speculation grows over who can be named new Pope whereas cardinals collect for secret election | EUROtoday

Support workers from clerics and confessors to drivers, cooks and cleaners have taken an oath of secrecy forward of the Papal Conclave.

About 100 workers who will help the cardinals throughout their conclave took oaths of secrecy on Monday within the Pauline Chapel on the Vatican, spokesperson Matteo Bruni mentioned.

Those workers embrace cooks, cleaners, medical doctors, nurses, elevator operators and drivers tasked with transporting the cardinals from their residence to the Sistine Chapel.

Clerics and confessors who converse a number of languages had been additionally amongst the workers, who all face computerized excommunication from the church in the event that they break the vow.

The 133 cardinals collaborating within the conclave will take their oaths within the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, earlier than they solid their first ballots.

The Vatican will confiscate all the cardinals’ cellphones and plans to make use of sign jamming expertise across the Sistine Chapel and the cardinals’ residences to forestall exterior interference through the conclave.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni initially mentioned on Monday that cardinals could be requested to go away their cellphones at their Vatican residence Santa Marta, however hours later he mentioned that they’d hand their telephones over and solely get them again on the finish of the conclave.

The Vatican additionally plans to make use of sign jamming across the Sistine Chapel and the residences to forestall digital surveillance or communication exterior the conclave, with the Vatican gendarmes overseeing the safety measures.

But Bruni mentioned the matter went “beyond just technical questions”.

The 133 cardinals of voting age (underneath the age of 80) who’re capable of attend will collect contained in the Sistine Chapel, the place they are going to be unable to speak with outsiders till the subsequent pope is chosen.

Rounds of voting can be held amid discussions and conferences to resolve who’s greatest positioned to run the Catholic Church.

A pope is just elected when a single candidate receives a two-thirds majority. Sometimes this occurs rapidly if a powerful candidate emerges, however conclaves may run for a very long time – the longest Papal Conclave took the perfect a part of three years, within the late thirteenth century.

When a candidate has lastly gained the two-thirds majority, the candidate – who can be one of many cardinals gathered within the conclave – can be referred to as to the entrance of the chapel and requested if they’re prepared to simply accept the duty. If the reply is sure, the brand new pope then chooses his papal identify.