After Pope Francis’s Death, How Realistic Is the Vatican Thriller 'Conclave'?

• Apr 27, 2025

The death of Pope Francis has once again focused global attention on the process of electing a new pope. As millions reflect on the loss of the leader of the Catholic Church, the political thriller Conclave (2024), directed by Edward Berger and based on Robert Harris’s novel, arrives at a particularly poignant moment. The film explores the tense, secretive world of the College of Cardinals as they prepare to elect a new pope, raising an intriguing question: How close to reality are the dramatic scenarios portrayed?

In the movie, 118 cardinals, dressed in their red robes, are locked inside the Sistine Chapel, navigating personal ambitions, ideological battles, and deep secrets while trying to choose the next pope. The film stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, a Dean who is trying to guide the conclave through mounting chaos. Fiennes’s performance adds emotional depth to the story, but how much of this dramatic portrayal reflects the true process of electing a pope?

Officially, the conclave is governed by centuries of tradition and strict protocols. Mobile phones, outside communications, and private negotiations are prohibited. Cardinals are required to take solemn oaths, and the proceedings are meant to be conducted with prayer and discernment. In theory, the election of a pope is a spiritual act, separate from politics. However, as history has shown, politics inevitably plays a role.

Conclave captures the ideological and geographical divisions that exist within the Church, echoing real dynamics seen during the elections of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. These divisions between traditionalists, progressives, and cardinals from different parts of the world are grounded in reality. However, the film’s more sensational twists — such as a secret cardinal with a potentially devastating secret — lean heavily into fiction.

In reality, the Church’s canonical laws leave little room for such chaos. Cardinals are not typically revealed in such dramatic fashion during the election, and any secret appointments are usually kept out of the spotlight. Still, the atmosphere in Conclave feels authentic. The intense pressure and weight of history that cardinals face during the conclave are palpable.

With Pope Francis’s passing, the real-life drama unfolding in the Vatican mirrors the tension seen in Conclave, making the film feel even more relevant as it captures the complex human emotions behind the election process.