Is 'Conclave' Accurate? How The New Pope Is Chosen
Ralph Fiennes in 2024's ConclavePope Francis died this Easter Monday of a stroke and heart failure.His passing followed a final message on Easter Sunday, in which the 88-year-old expressed his hope for peace and a ceasefire in Gaza. The Pope’s funeral is set to take place this Saturday, April 26. It will take place outside of St Peter’s Basilica.Since his death was announced, the 2024 movie Conclave, which focuses on the election of a new Pope after the death of a former one, has seen a spike in interest. As part of a pre-existing deal Amazon struck with Universal, the movie is set to appear on Amazon Prime this Tuesday. It’ll be free for Prime members. Here’s what is expected to happen with Pope Francis’ funeral, how a conclave works, and how it compares to the movie. ‘CONCLAVE’ will be released on Prime Video tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/CJZtKn19eN— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 21, 2025First, the Pope’s death must be confirmedWhen a Pope dies, it’s traditionally up to a member of the Vatican called a camerlengo to confirm the death. This high-ranking member of the Vatican has historically called out the Pope’s name three times to see if he responds before certifying his passing, though nowadays this is mainly ceremonial.The camerlengo then announced the news to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. Additionally, the Pope’s signet Fisherman’s ring, which is used to seal papal documents, was destroyed and broken as a symbolic end to his reign.The papal desk is traditionally locked, the telephone is cut off, and the papal apartment is sealed.The camerlengo, who was also tasked with seeking a death certificate for the Pope after he died, has been Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell since 2019.The blessing, mourning, and funeralAfter the Pope’s death was announced, a nine-day mourning period called the Novendiale began. Italy has also declared a national state of mourning.The Pope’s body will be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing on Wednesday. The funeral, set to take place this Saturday 26, will happen outside St Peter’s. It will be led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.Pope Francis simplified the funeral rituals that usually happen when a Pope dies last year.Historically, the burial of the Pope required three coffins (cypress, lead, and oak). His body had to be displayed on an elevated bier in St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis made sure these rules were no longer mandatory and made it possible for the Pope’s body to be displayed in a single wooden coffin. Per AP, the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, said this is meant “to emphasise even more that the Roman Pontiff’s funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world.”During this time, the Vatican will enter a stage called the sede vacante, meaning “the seat is vacant.” The College of Cardinals will vote for the next Pope, but they can’t make any new decisions until a new Pope has been chosen. Popes usually get buried in the Vatican Grottoes (the crypts beneath St. Peter’s Basilica).But Pope Francis has previously said that he wants to get buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome instead, where six other Popes rest.How is a new Pope chosen?The new Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals. At present, there are 252 cardinals from across the world.The Papal election is called the conclave. The conclave cannot start sooner than 15 days after the Pope’s death. It can begin as late as 20 days after his passing.Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a historian of Catholicism at Notre Dame, told The Guardian that the 2024 movie Conclave “got a lot of the details right” about the process of choosing a new Pope.It accurately showed that the Cardinals lock themselves into the Sistine Chapel and vote over and over again until a single candidate receives two-thirds of the votes.If the voting carries on for longer than 12 days, then the new Pope only needs 51% of the votes. Only those aged under 80 can vote; the film correctly says that though it’s rare for a camerlengo to be elected Pope, it’s not against the rules.The discussion, held behind closed doors, is kept secret from the public. Speculations about these opaque conversations formed a large part of the movie Conclave. Cummings told The Guardian that the 2024 film did portray the intense “politicking” of the situation well: “They’ll be having dinners, they’ll be gathering in apartments. There will be: ‘who’s supporting who? Is there a clear majority going in? Is there a clear front runner going in?’ That’s all happening.”But we will never know the true contents of these secret meetings. Instead, the public will be informed about the progress of the vote through twice-daily smoke signals, part of the burning of ballots. If black smoke appears from the Chapel, no decision has been made. It is only when white smoke appears that we’ll know a new Pope has been chosen.Then, it is left to the new Pope to choose his papal name. After that, he will be announced to the public on a balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square.Related...Vatican Releases 1st Images Of Pope Francis In His Open Casket, Sets Funeral DateBarack Obama Pays Touching Tribute To 'Rare Leader' Pope FrancisThe Vatican Has Revealed Pope Francis' Cause Of Death
