Holy Reference:

On Monday, the Vatican announced plans to disable mobile phone signals within its territory during the Conclave, which is the process for electing a new Pope. However, this will not impact St. Peter’s Square.

The president of Vatican City stated that “from 3 PM on May 7th (1300 GMT), all mobile communication systems in Vatican City’s territory will be turned off.”

This signal will be reactivated following the announcement of the new Supreme Bishop, according to a statement.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni informed reporters that a large crowd is expected to gather in front of St. Peter’s Cathedral while they await news on who will succeed Pope Francis, who died on April 21st.

A total of 133 Cardinals from around the world will assemble in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to begin the voting process for the new leader of the global Catholic community, which numbers around 1.4 billion.

The election will take place under strict secrecy, and Bruni mentioned that the Cardinals will have to leave their phones behind when entering the Conclave.