In 2005, cell The phones were prohibited for the first time during the conclave, the process by which the Catholic Church elects its new Pope. Twenty years later, after the death of Pope Francis, the electoral process is again in progress. The authorities have two priorities: protect the integrity of those who attend the meeting and to ensure that it proceeds in a strict secret (under the penalty of excommunication and imprisonment) until the final decision is taken.
By 2025, the body gendarmerie keeping the city of Vatican faces unprecedented technological challenges compared to other conclaves. Among them, there are systems of artificial intelligence, drones, military satellites, microscopic microphones, an epidemic of disinformation and a world connected and informed permanently via social media.
The conclave should take place about 20 days after the death of the Pope. The Vatican and the Holy See are preparing for the arrival of the cardinals who will vote for the next head of the Catholic faith. Emergency and control organizations also work on it with advanced technology. So far, they have not shared details on their security arrangements, but they are not inexperienced in the task of protecting the integrity of high -level figures in the face of today’s technological risks.
In fact, the 2013 election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the real name of Pope Francis – as the Supreme Pontiff gives some indications of the rigorous security strategies which will be presented in the next conclave.
Signal bronchi and apparatus checks
The Vatican has access to the Internet, but in areas where cardinals will reside and vote for the new Pope, there will be signs of signals. Technology prevents two aircraft from communicating between them by radiofrequency interference. The headquarters becomes an electronic bunker. So if someone manages to introduce a microphone, a phone or a computer, it would not be able to transmit information.
However, the possibility of administrative staff or cardinals themselves introducing technology is distant. The authorities inspect the building for days in search of microphones or unauthorized cameras, to check each authorized participant and to reveal the participants.
Confidentiality film in windows
Contemporary satellites are able to take photos of the faces of space people, while AI can interpret the movements of the lips. However, as there is currently no technology to see through the walls with such a resolution, the best strategy against espionage in the conclave is to close the doors and windows.
During meetings and in the dormitory, voters are not allowed to look outside. In addition, before the arrival of the cardinals, the Vatican staff place an opaque film on Windows so that no journalist, satellite or drone can take photos from the inside.
Vatican locked
The Vatican only covers 0.44 square kilometer surface. It is the smallest nation in the world. Until 2018, he had 650 cameras watching his streets in an underground command center. In addition, the gendarmerie of the city of the Vatican, which operates as a conventional police force, and the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which acts as an army, are located on the territory. While in photographs, they seem to wear old costumes and transport hallebars, the latter group has highly qualified staff with heavy weapons, such as machine guns, rifles and explosives.
200,000 people are expected to be present in the small city-state once the conclave has determined the name of the successor of Pope Francis.
This story originally appeared on Cable EN ESPAñol and was translated from Spanish.
