The papal conclave is one of the most special, specific, and holy rituals that dictates who the next leader of the Catholic Church will be. After Pope Francis died in late April, the conclave met immediately to vote for a cardinal to replace him as pope. Two days after the conclave, a new pope was elected, Pope Leo XIV.
Coincidentally, one of the most popular movies of 2024 was “Conclave.” This movie showcased the drama that occurred during a hypothetical conclave. With the premiere and popularity of the movie rising so close to the real-life conclave, many outsiders get a special look at what happens behind the Vatican door. Yet, how dramatized was “Conclave” really?
The process of the real conclave is kept very sacred and secret. This year, 133 cardinals from all over the world participated in the process. They are all locked away in the Vatican with no connection to the real world, including all technology being taken from all participants. Cardinal Vincent Nichols stated in an interview with the BBC, “It was a much calmer process that I found a rather wonderful experience.” This year, Cardinal Nichols stated that there was no real politics and it was a great way to reflect and practice patience. The process the cardinal experienced explains why the conclave only met twice. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was elected very quickly, shocking the public.
“Conclave” the movie showed the process to be driven by politics and drama. The movie was based on the bestselling book written by Robert Harris in 2016. “Conclave” premiered in October of 2024 and was directed by Edward Berger. The movie was nominated for many awards, including many Oscars. According to Sky News, the movie rose in viewership by 283% the day that Pope Francis died. “Conclave” looks behind the closed doors of the Vatican and shows how a pope is elected. Yet, instead of focusing on the Catholic religion, it looks into the politics that happen when deciding on a new pope.
In order to be elected pope, one candidate must receive ⅔ votes of the entire conclave. Sometimes, this process could take days. Some cardinals lean more conservative, while some lean more progressive, all working towards gaining a following within the College of Cardinals in order to earn their votes. In the movie, you see how cardinals who want to be elected advocate for themselves and their views within the conclave. Within the real conclave, the process looks very similar. This year there were 11 cardinals believed to be in the running, all ranging in nationalities and beliefs regarding the church, as seen in the movie.
In the movie, the politics within the papal conclave is the main point of the plot. The main character, Cardinal Lawrence, is the head of the conclave. The movie follows him and his discovery of secrets that the prior Pope kept from him and most of the cardinals. The plot paints the Catholic Church as full of scandals within the College of Cardinals and the audience watches as Cardinal Lawrence is trying to find a way to uncover the secrets and find the truth.
In real life, the conclave, as far as the public is aware, is not as dramatic as the movie paints the process to be. Religion teacher, Mr. Martinez believed that the politics seen throughout the movie are not as prevalent in the real conclave, explaining “Hollywood as a whole tends to make the Catholic Church look more scandalous than it really is.” The parallels between this year’s papal conclave and “Conclave” the movie help the public gain an understanding of how the process works. Yet, the dramatics seen within the movie could taint the image of the holy process.
