Papal Conclave 2025: What is 'oath of secrecy' taken by each cardinal before entering Sistine Chapel to elect new pope

The first vote of 2025 papal conclave ended when black smoke came out of the chimney of Sistine Chapel on Wednesday (May 7) evening. There will be a vote again tomorrow (May 8) as the Roman Catholic church searches for its next pope to lead 1.4 billion-strong faithful after demise of Pope Francis.

The people gathered at St. Peter's Square in Vatican outside the Sistine Chapel, however, won't know the result until after white smoke comes out of the chimney, signaling the election of the new pope.

To avoid any leakage of information and maintain secrecy to the process which has roots back to middle ages, mobile signal jammers have been installed around the Sistine Chapel. This comes in addition to the oath of secrecy taken by all the cardinals who are present in Rome for the election process.

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What is the oath of secrecy taken by cardinals before entering Sistine Chapel to elect the new pope?

The cardinals from all around the world take oath of secrecy before entering the Sistine Chapel to vote on new pope.

“And I, (first name) Cardinal (last name), do promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand,” each cardinal says, in order of seniority.

Out of more than 250 cardinals in world, only 135 who are below the age of 80 'on the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant' are allowed to take part in conclave. Currently, 133 cardinals are in Rome for the process while two could not travel due to health concerns.

For the new pope to be elected, two third majority, 89 in this case, is required and the cardinals will be inside the Chapel till they reach a mandate.

The longest recorded papal conclave in history happened in the 13th century when it stretched from November 1268 to September 1271, nearly three years.