In a solemn ceremony held on the evening of Monday, 5 May at 5:30 PM in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, all personnel assigned to the upcoming Conclave swore an oath of secrecy, underscoring the Vatican’s steadfast commitment to the sanctity and confidentiality of the papal election process.
The oath, required under the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis—instituted by Pope John Paul II on 22 February 1996—was administered by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. All designated clergy and lay staff, previously approved by the Camerlengo and the cardinal assistants, took part in the ceremony.
The wide-ranging group included high-ranking Church officials such as the Secretary of the College of Cardinals, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, and the seven papal masters of ceremonies, as well as support staff like Augustinian sacristans, multilingual confessors, medical personnel, cleaners, dining staff, technical crews, florists, and transport facilitators shuttling electors between Casa Santa Marta and the Apostolic Palace. Also sworn in were members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard and officials from the Vatican’s Directorate of Security and Civil Protection.
Each participant, having been thoroughly briefed on the weight of the obligation, individually recited and signed the formal oath before Cardinal Farrell, with two apostolic protonotaries serving as official witnesses.
The oath entails an uncompromising vow of secrecy on all matters related to the Conclave’s proceedings—both directly and indirectly—under perpetual obligation, unless explicitly released by the future pontiff or his successors. The rules strictly forbid any form of audio or video recording, with violators facing latae sententiae excommunication, a penalty exclusively reserved to the Apostolic See.
This meticulously organized ritual highlights the Church’s unwavering resolve to preserve the sacred integrity of the Conclave and maintain trust in the spiritual and procedural purity of electing the next Pope.