Cardinal found with phone during secret conclave to elect Pope Leo
The secret conclave that elected Pope Leo as head of the Catholic Church last May faced an unexpected interruption when one of the 133 participating cardinals was discovered carrying a cellphone—a major security breach, according to a book released Sunday.
As the cardinals prepared to cast their first votes inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, equipped with jamming devices to block outside communication, security staff detected an active mobile signal.
Cardinals reportedly exchanged stunned looks before one older cleric realized he had a phone in his pocket and handed it over. The moment left him “disoriented and distressed,” according to The Election of Pope Leo XIV, authored by longtime Vatican reporters Gerard O’Connell and Elisabetta Pique. The book does not reveal the cardinal’s identity or suggest any motive for keeping the device.
“Better Than Fiction” Security Breach
The authors described the incident as “unimaginable even for a film and never before seen in the history of modern conclaves.”
O’Connell compared it to the 2024 movie Conclave, which depicts a fictional papal election filled with intrigue. “Reality was better than fiction,” he told Reuters, referring to last year’s discovery of a phone inside the chapel.
Clerics in a conclave take a vow of secrecy, surrendering all phones and communication devices for the duration of the proceedings, which can last several days. The Vatican press office did not respond to requests for comment about the book, which provides rare behind-the-scenes insight into one of the world’s most secretive elections.
Two Leading Candidates Emerge
The conclave, held May 7–8, followed the death of Pope Francis in April after 12 years leading the 1.4-billion-member Church. With cardinals from 70 countries participating, speculation had swirled that the new pope might come from Asia or Africa. However, according to the book, candidates from those regions failed to gain significant support.
The book also details the voting results for the first time, based on interviews with participating cardinals. Two candidates quickly emerged as frontrunners:
-
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a long-time Vatican official widely seen as a favorite.
-
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost, relatively unknown outside Church circles, who would become Pope Leo, the first American pontiff.
Prevost received an unusually large 20–30 votes on the first ballot on the evening of May 7. Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, considered a contender before the election, never received more than 10 votes.
On the fourth ballot the afternoon of May 8, Prevost won with 108 votes. Tagle, sitting next to him as the final tally was announced, reportedly offered the new pope a cough drop to soothe his throat.
About Post Author
