Cardinals at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City take an oath to adhere to the rules of the conclave, the process by which the next pope is selected.
Inside the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals are swearing an oath in accordance with guidelines set by Pope John Paul II in a document he issued in 1996. The most senior cardinal leads the oath in Latin, with all 133 cardinals repeating it. In their vow, they promise to follow the prescribed rules of the conclave. They also pledge that the future pope will "faithfully" carry out the mission of St. Peter, the first pope, and defend the spiritual and temporal rights of the Holy See.
The cardinals also commit to keeping the proceedings confidential, including the voting process, unless the newly elected pope permits them to break their vow of secrecy. Any notes taken during the conclave will be burned, along with the paper ballots, which are incinerated up to twice a day.
Despite this, some details from the conclave have occasionally leaked after the election. Vatican insiders, or "Vaticanisti," have pieced together stories about the decision-making process. In some instances, "secret diaries" by anonymous cardinals have later been published, such as one detailing the election of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
The cardinals also pledge to remain unaffected by outside influence during the conclave. Each cardinal takes the oath in Latin, placing his hand on the Bible and stating, "And I," followed by his name, "do so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand."
Once the last cardinal has taken the oath, Diego Ravelli, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, will give the command “extra omnes,” meaning “everyone out.” He is one of the few individuals allowed to remain in the chapel during the conclave, but not while the votes are counted.
By Elisabetta Povoledo, reporting from Vatican City
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