Survival kit of a cardinal in the conclave: what can we carry (and what do not) to the Sistine Chapel?

A rumble of doors will marry the beginning of one of the most hermetic and loaded rituals of symbolism of the Catholic Church: next Wednesday, May 7, 133 cardinals gathered in conclave will be isolated from the outside world in the Sistine Chapel, under an oath of absolute secret, to choose the new Pope.

After making oath, the master of liturgical ceremonies, Mons. Diego Ravelli will pronounce the phrase in Latin Outside all (Everyone outside!), And immediately all those who do not participate in the conclave will have to leave.

A period of confidentiality will begin at that time where the confidentiality is law and the automatic excommunication lurks who you have to break the silence, while the world expects, attentive to the white smoke signal that will announce the choice of a new pontiff.

Any contact with the outside world is prohibited, except for serious and urgent reasons, such as a health problem, which, in any case, must be confirmed by a four pairs panel.

The confidentiality that must surround the conclave is not a trivial detail. It is explicitly regulated by the Apostolic Constitution All Dominic of the flock, promulgated by San Juan Pablo II in 1996 and reviewed by Benedict XVI in 2013.

The Magna Carta, which delineates the master lines of the development of the choice of the new Pope, dedicates an entire chapter to the obligation to keep secret, prohibiting the cardinals from disseminating any information about the development of the voting, the names that have resonated the most, the deliberations held in the past cardinal congregations or any conversation that refers to the conclave. The violation of this standard is punished with automatic excommunication (automatic), one of the most severe sanctions that contemplates canon law.

In order to preserve this climate of confidentiality, the cardinal electors will be subject to strict insulation conditions.

A bunker in front of the digital

Before entering the Sistine Chapel, mobile phones, computers or tablets will be requisitioned to prevent them from accessing the Internet; Nor can they read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch television; They will also be prohibited from receiving or sending correspondence and, as long as the conclave lasts, they will not be able to access the media. But not only electronic devices are vetoed, but also any book, daily or document that is not devotional or liturgical.

In order for this provision to be fulfilled, several specialized Vatican technicians will be responsible for meticulously reviewing the space of the Sistine Chapel and its surroundings to detect any listening, recording or transmission device.

In fact, before entering the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will go through a discreet control carried out by Vatican personnel who verify that they do not carry unauthorized objects.

According to the Italian newspaper The Corriere della Sera, The cybersecurity of the conclave has been reinforced to turn it into a real bunker, with the installation of devices to block cell phones (Jammers), anti-drone shields and protective sheets in the windows to prevent any attempted filtration or external listening. In addition, security experts have reviewed the room to detect microphones, hidden cameras or any espionage technology.

The only allowed images of this process that will mark the future of the Church are the ones that the Vatican himself will disseminate at the beginning of the conclave, during the oath of secret that all the cardinals must do.

In any case, there are objects that are not subject to the strict restrictions of the conclave, so the cardinals can take them to the Sistine Chapel. These include religious articles such as breviary, the rosary and other devotional texts, as well as indispensable personal objects such as glasses, canes or hearing aids.

The entry of medicines is also allowed, provided that its use has been approved for health reasons.

Only cardinals can be present during vote, although other people, such as doctors, administrative assistants and cleaning personnel can enter at different times. These assistants are also subject to strict rules of silence and confidentiality, under penalty of excommunication.