The Vatican announced on Monday that it would cut the telephone signal inside the small city city during the conclave to elect a new pope, without affecting Saint-Pierre square.
The Office of the Presidency of the State of the State of the City of the Vatican said that “From 3:00 p.m. May 7, all telecommunications signal transmission systems for mobile phones present in the Territory of the Cité du Vatican Cité […] will be disabled“. “The signal will be restored after the election of the sovereign pontiff“, Specifies the press release.
But the signal cut will not concern Saint-Pierre square, the Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told the press.
Thousands of faithful are expected on the square in front of the Saint-Pierre basilica to wait for the announcement of the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
In total, 133 cardinals from all over the world will meet in the Vatican Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to start voting for a new chief of 1.4 billion Catholics on the planet. The election takes place in the greatest secrecy and the cardinals will have to leave their mobile phone behind them when they enter into a conclave, said Bruni.
