VATICAN: Officials and Attendants of the Conclave Take the Oath of Secrecy

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

In a solemn ceremony held on Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, Vatican support staff, including staff of the refectory and cleaning services, cooks, medical personnel, drivers, the Colonel and Major of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, surveillance staff close to the Sistine Chapel, lift attendants in the Apostolic Palace and the ecclesiastic to assist at the Conclave among others, took an oath of secrecy ahead of the papal conclave set to begin on Wednesday, May 7.

As per the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, the oath binds all the responsible parties to absolute confidentiality regarding all aspects of the conclave proceedings, with violations punishable by automatic excommunication.

According to the constitution, no. 48, “At a suitable time before the beginning of the election, the persons indicated in Nos. 46 and 55 § 2 of this Constitution, having been duly warned about the meaning and extent of the oath which they are to take, shall, in the presence of the Cardinal Camerlengo or another Cardinal delegated by him, and of two Pronotaries Apostolic de Numero Participantium, swear and sign the oath.”

The constitution highlights further that, “…technical instruments of any kind for recording, reproducing or transmitting of sound, visual images or writing,” are also forbidden in the place of election.”

In the statement shared by the Holy Press Office explained that after the responsible parties taking the oath have been “instructed on the meaning of the oath, they must pronounce and personally sign the prescribed formula in front of His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, with the two Protonotaries Apostolic de numero.”