The Vatican has announced that it will cut off telephone service during the conclave to elect a new pope, but this will not affect St. Peter's Square.

The office of the president of the Vatican Governorate said that "all systems for the transmission of mobile phone signals within the Vatican... will be deactivated" from 3 p.m. on May 7. The signal will be restored after the new pontiff is announced.

However, the deactivation will not affect St. Peter's Square, said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

Thousands of faithful will gather in front of St. Peter's Basilica to await the announcement of the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

A total of 133 cardinals from around the world will gather in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Wednesday, May 7, to begin the process of electing a new head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

The election is being held in strict secrecy and the cardinals will have to leave their mobile phones behind before the conclave begins. | BGNES, AFP