As the majority of the world knows by now, the Catholic Church is in the midst of electing its newest pontiff, with 115 cardinals congregating in Vatican City to cast their votes this week. Specifics on the voting process itself have changed with relative frequency over the last 2 millennia, however there’s one factor that radically changes protocol for Conclave 2013: technology.

Mobile devices have completely altered the way the world communicates, and will undoubtedly play a role in Rome this week. Technically, 2005 marked the first conclave where cardinal-electors (and nearly everyone else in the Vatican) were equipped with personal smartphones. However mobile technology has been revolutionized in the past 8 years, with the development of high-def camera phones, remote login access, sound recording features, and apps for just about anything.

So this year, the Vatican made an executive security decision. A social media blackout. Vatican officials have taken extra precautions to eliminate the tempation for cardinals to text or update Twitter and Facebook by installing jamming devices to block all Wi-Fi throughout Vatican City. (The fact that 80-year old cardinals even have Twitter is a pretty significant change from 2005…) Access to television, newspapers and phones will be blocked as well.

So could businesses learn a few things from the Vatican’s example? Smartphone addictions (or more accurately, tweeting addictions) among employees and CEOs alike has led to several embarrassing, even lawsuit-worthy, workplace faux-pas. And more businesses are beginning to set new guidelines for high-security meetings. “When public companies have meetings discussing acquisitions, lawyers increasingly recommend that no cellphones be allowed,” says Dale Carnegie Training CEO Peter Handal. “They’re very sensitive about word getting out. That’s what they’re concerned about in Rome.”

Yes or no: Should companies have a “no cell phones allowed” policy during meetings?