VATICAN CITY — On May 7, 2025, 133 Catholic cardinals go enter Sistine Chapel to choose di next Pope as dem don swear oath to keep everything wey happen inside di conclave secret for life.
Every person wey go dey inside di Vatican during di conclave, from di doctors wey dey ready for any emergency to di kitchen staff wey go feed di cardinals, go vow to follow “absolute and perpetual secrecy.” Dem go sweep di chapel and di guesthouses for microphones or any listening devices.
As John Allen, editor for Crux news site talk, “Di Vatican take di idea of isolation for dis matter seriously.“ Dis lockdown no be just to keep di voting secret; e also to prevent any nefarious forces wey fit try to disrupt or get information.”
On entering di conclave, each cardinal go hand over dem phones, tablets, and gadgets. Di Vatican police go dey monitor di rules. Monsignor Paolo de Nicolo, former head of di Papal household, explain say, “You no fit even open di windows because many rooms dey open to di outside world.” Dem don vet all di people wey go work for di conclave, so dem no fit talk to di electors.
Ines San Martin from di Pontifical Mission Societies for USA narrate say, “Di cardinals dey completely away from any communication. Only walkie-talkies dey available for emergencies. If we need doctor, na dat one we go use.”
But before di conclave start, di cardinals don already been dodging questions from di press. Even though dem officially banned from discussing di process, reporters don turn dem into cardinal-hunters, trying to fish out di next Pope by spotting possible alliances in nearby restaurants.
Di Italian press report plenty headlines about di ambience, like “Wine and Rigatoni: Di Cardinals’ Last Suppers.” Waiters no gree spill any tea; dem dey silent when reporters ask questions.
Currently, about 250 cardinals dey in di city, although those wey don reach 80 years no dey eligible to vote. As dem dey gather for di congregations to discuss di election, dem only dey talk about di need for unity and how di conclave go short. “Di Holy Spirit dey guide di conversation and di vote,” Ines San Martin conclude.
Di choice of di new Pope carry serious weight because e go lead a big institution with global influence. Di new Pope go fit shape issues from conflict resolution to social issues wey affect everyday life.
In di past, certain Catholic monarchs had di power to veto di election, but today, influence dey come from many angles, especially through di media. At occasional times, di media don shade certain possible candidates. At one point, dem don criticize di presumed frontrunner, Italian Cardinal Parolin, for what dem called “self-candidacy.”
As di days dey approach di conclave, everyone dey expect say politics go come into play. But Ines San Martin talk say because many cardinals no sabi one another, dis politics no go loud like people think. “About 50 to 60 percent of dem no dey familiar with each other,” she comments. “If you wanna push agenda, e dey hard to identify di cardinals for beginning.”
By di time di cardinals enter di Vatican on Wednesday, all dem distractions go disappear. As John Allen believe, personal convictions go lead di discussions over any political affiliations.
As dis sacred act commence, di eyes of di world go dey firmly fixed on dem. Di outcome of dis conclave go determine not only di future of di Catholic Church but also di influence di new Pope go wield across di globe.
