Phone signal will be deactivated at 3 pm (local time) on Wednesday, an hour and a half before the cardinals are scheduled to proceed to the Sistine Chapel to start the papal conclave, CNN reported, citing Italian state broadcaster RAI reported on Monday.
As speculation intensifies over who will succeed Pope Francis, predicting the outcome of the papal conclave remains challenging, as the cardinals' positions can shift with each vote.
"He is a man who is with the people. The last ceremony he participated in was a celebration of faith with the people on Easter," he said. After nine-day mourning period known as the Novendiale the process of choosing the next pope begins.
Among the 135 cardinals currently eligible to vote in the papal conclave, four are from India. These include Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Anthony Poola, and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad.