A cardinal brought a mobile phone inside the top-secret conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV last year in a massive security breach, according to a new book.
The papal conclave, an 800-year-old selection process held at the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, is one of the world’s most mysterious and secretive traditions.
Vatican Church officials are cut off from the outside world and forced to surrender phones for the duration of the vote, which can last anywhere from a few days to years.
But May’s proceedings were interrupted when an elderly cardinal was found with the device in his pocket, according to the book titled The Election of Pope Leo XIV.
Gerard O’Connell, veteran Vatican correspondent, who wrote the book alongside Elisabetta Piqué, told The Telegraph: “He was disoriented and distressed. He was as surprised as everyone else was.”
Pope Leo XIV was elected in May 2025 by the top-secret conclave – Alberto Pizzoli/AFP
He said the phone was discovered after Vatican support staff had been ushered out of the Sistine Chapel and the first round of voting was about to begin in front of Michelangelo’s spectacular altarpiece, The Last Judgment.
It had no impact on the final outcome, which saw the election of the first American to head the Catholic Church, a result that caught many pundits by surprise.
But it exposed a huge security lapse since the Vatican was supposedly jamming all electronic interference.
“We all saw the film, Conclave, the reality is better than fiction,” said Mr O’Connell, referring to the 2024 hit film that presented a fictional account of the internal drama and intrigue that surrounds the election of the pope.
“In real life, nobody expected this with all the security measures taken by the Vatican. There was massive security to ensure the place was secure from any electronic interference.”
Cardinals attend a mass at St Peter’s Basilica prior to the start of last year’s papal conclave – Vatican Pool
Without their mobile phones to use as alarms, some cardinals overslept in Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house, where they reside during the conclave, the book claimed.
“Santa Marta staff had to go and knock on their doors on the first day,” said Mr O’Connell. “Then they gave them alarm clocks.”
Some cardinals also complained about the lack of bathroom facilities in the chapel which meant they had to be escorted to an external restroom during their lengthy voting sessions. “It’s like going back to kindergarten,” one cardinal told the authors.
“These are elderly people and they were in there a long time, up until 9pm”, said Mr O’Connell.
“In the past there was a toilet on the right side of the chapel. For some reason that was closed.”
The Vatican press office did not respond to a request for comment about the book.
