How accurate is Conclave? What the film gets right (and wrong) about selecting a new Pope

The decease of Pope Francis astatine the property of 88 has drawn renewed attraction to Conclave, which was acceptable wrong the cloistered satellite of the Vatican during the predetermination process for a caller Pope.

According to figures published connected Tuesday, viewership of the movie surged by 283% pursuing the quality of the Pope’s death.

In Edward Berger’s adaptation of a Robert Harris novel, from a publication by Oscar-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan, the predetermination of a caller Pope is depicted arsenic a gossipy affair, afloat of infighting and governmental maneuvering by cardinals jostling for powerfulness and leverage implicit their rivals.

While the movie is by nary means a documentary, it did acceptable retired to recreate a existent Papal Conclave arsenic accurately arsenic possible. However, the caveat present is that precise small is known astir the existent interior workings of a conclave, arsenic participants indispensable instrumentality a vow of secrecy.

We bash cognize that the wide logistics shown successful the movie are broadly accurate. We spot cardinals played by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow living, eating (and vaping) unneurotic astatine the Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse connected the grounds of the Apostolic Palace successful the Vatican City. The guesthouse shown successful the movie was a movie set, but the real-life cardinals volition beryllium sequestered determination from the opening of May.

The voting process, which takes spot wrong the Sistine Chapel, is besides accurately shown. Cardinals volition constitute down the sanction of their ballot for the adjacent Pope, and past spot those votes successful a sealed container. Once the votes person been totaled, an authoritative volition work them aloud. If a two-thirds bulk is not reached, they volition beryllium burned with an additive that produces achromatic smoke. It is lone erstwhile a determination has been reached that the additive volition not beryllium used, and the fume volition pain achromatic to denote that a caller Pope has been selected.

One large quality betwixt the process arsenic shown successful the movie and world is that the relation played by Ralph Fiennes’ character, Cardinal Lawrence, conflates 2 real-life positions. In the film, Cardinal Lawrence acts arsenic the camerlengo, who takes implicit the Holy See, which governs the Catholic Church and the Vatican, aft the Pope’s death. He is besides seen acting arsenic the dean of the College of Cardinals, who oversees the predetermination of the caller Pope.

In reality, the camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Farrell. An Irish-born American, Cardinal Farrell was liable for announcing the decease of Pope Francis, sealing the papal flat and breaking the pontiff's fisherman's ring, which symbolizes that determination is present a vacancy successful the Vatican. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, an Italian, is the real-life dean of the College of Cardinals. He volition oversee the gathering of the conclave, and volition besides beryllium the 1 to inquire the recently elected pope what sanction helium volition take, arsenic Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence is depicted doing successful the film.

Another cardinal mistake successful the movie is that a “cardinal successful pectore” is depicted arsenic taking portion successful the conclave. A “cardinal successful pectore” is simply a cardinal who has been appointed by the Pope successful secret, which tin hap successful reality. However, dissimilar the pivotal portion Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) is shown playing successful Conclave, a concealed cardinal would not beryllium allowed to enactment successful the predetermination of a caller Pope.

In an interrogation with The Hollywood Reporter past year, Conclave manager Berger explained that helium spoke to cardinals who had been progressive successful conclaves astir wide details, and besides hired a spiritual advisor, but did not attack the Vatican directly. “That’s a senseless approach,” said Berger. “First, they won’t assistance you, and secondly, they shouldn’t.”

How to ticker Conclave.