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The selection of a new pope hit the big screen not long before Pope Francis’ death in the Oscar-winning Conclave.
The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis has died aged 88 after leading the Catholic Church for 12 years.
He was elected in March 2013 following the historic resignation of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
Francis recently left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on February 14 after having difficulty breathing.
Follow the latest news on the death of Pope Francis in our live blog
It later emerged he was suffering from a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia, which can inflame and scar both lungs and makes breathing more difficult.
His death has set in motion the process for a new pope to be elected, known as conclave.
This ceremony was shown in the multi-award-winning film Conclave, which features a star-studded cast. But how accurare was the movie?
What happens in Conclave?
Directed by Edward Berger, 2024 historical drama Conclave follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) organising a conclave to elect the next pope.
As the deliberations get underway, Cardinal Lawrence finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates.
The film begins with the pope dying of a heart attack, with Cardinal Lawrence convening with the College of Cardinals to elect his successor.
There are four leading candidates in the running: Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) of the United States, a progressive; Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) of Nigeria, a social conservative; Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) of Canada, a moderate; and Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) of Italy, a staunch traditionalist.
Matters become complicated when Archbishop Janusz Woźniak (Jacek Koman) insists the pope demanded Tremblay’s resignation before dying, which Tremblay denies.
A short time later, Archbishop Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) of Kabul, whom the pope named cardinal in pectore the previous year, arrives for deliberations.
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Where can I watch Conclave?
Conclave is available to buy and rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
On both Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, it costs £5.99 to rent the film and £13.99 to buy it.
No one obtains the two-thirds majority needed to win as deliberations begin, forcing them to continue their discussions over several days, in which multiple revelations about the candidates threaten their positions, and a suicide bombing damages the Sistine Chapel.
Eventually, the college elects Benitez, who chooses the papal name of ‘Innocent.’
How accurate is Conclave?
While Conclave is not based on a true story, there are a lot of moments in the selection of a new pope that are accurate.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, who consulted with late English cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor on the details of his book.
Following Pope Francis’ death, a conclave will take place in which Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in secret to elect a new pope.
Only cardinals below the age of 80 have a vote, which is cast in the Sistine Chapel. Once the paper ballots are cast, they are burned after being counted.
Rounds of voting continue until one person has a two-thirds majority, in which they become the Pope.
To signal the end of the conclave and that a pope has been elected, a chimney above the Sistine Chapel billows out white smoke.
The ceremony is kept very secretive, so the infighting and drama seen in Conclave is not likely something we would know about should it happen.
But arguments within the Catholic church are not out of the ordinary and would certainly not be a new thing, so while selecting a new Pope, it would not be unusual for disagreements and revelations to occur.
We see all of this within Conclave, but there are some details the film doesn’t quite get right, such as the way in which the cardinals address each other and the fact that there is so much discussion about who should vote for who.
In an article for Benedictine.edu about the realities of a Conclave, the author writes: ‘Conclave is not out of line for having its characters vocalise their thoughts and feelings. But the kind of bald campaigning the movie is filled with is highly unrealistic.
‘Philippe Barbarin visited Benedictine College in Kansas after serving as Archbishop of Lyon and described conclave life. ‘In the conclave, we can talk about whatever we want. But no one can tell you who to vote for. No one has the right to say who the other should vote for or who they have voted for,’ he reports. But the cardinals in the movie Conclave talk of little else.’
Though secret cardinals like Cardinal Benitez do exist, in real life, a secret cardinal would not be allowed into the conclave and would not result in a surprise election.
There are other details the movie works hard to recreate, such as the accommodation the cardinals stay in that recreate the Domus Sancta Marthae where the cardinals stay during the conclave.
The film also shows the sealing of the deceased pope’s room and the destruction of his ring.
Conclave was not filmed at the Vatican, though the filmmakers were given a private tour of the Sistine Chapel as part of production.
Screenwriter Peter Straughan opened up to USA Today about what he learned about the process of a conclave: ‘As shown in Conclave, once a Vatican official faces the assembled cardinals and says the words ‘extra omnes’ (or ‘everyone out’) the cardinals are allowed to interact only with each other.
‘There isn’t supposed to be any information coming in from the outside world, or going out, that could sway the election in any way.
‘There are, however, some officials who as needed can act as emissaries, even if the cardinals themselves cannot leave until a successful ballot is cast, meaning one cardinal receives two-thirds of the votes and is elected pope.
‘While some people can go back and forth, I’m not sure they’re used as detectives as they are in our story.’
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