Originally published on 4/24/25

In light of Pope Francis’s death on Monday, April 21, many people have been wondering how the Catholic Church picks the next pope and if the process is really as dramatic and prolonged as the 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave, which centers around Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he works endlessly to select a new leader for the church. Below, we look at what the film got right and wrong in terms of religious practices, including how some of these elements will impact Catholics as they wait for a new leader to be named. 

Is ‘Conclave’ accurate? A look at what the film got right and wrong 

Overall, Conclave—which was directed by Edward Berger and is based on Robert Harris’s best-selling novel— is fairly accurate in how the Catholic Church picks its new religious leader, which Fiennes said was important to him. 

“I knew we had to get the rituals right,” the actor told the National Catholic Reporter in November 2024. “If you portray any organization, take the military, for example, there’s a way they wear their uniforms and salute. I hate when … it’s not done properly or if it’s messy. For those who are in these spaces, those elements are important.” 

One of the biggest elements the film gets right is how important it is for anyone involved in the Conclave to keep what they discuss confidential. There is even a scene where several people scan the Sistine Chapel for recording devices before they vote on the next pope, highlighting just how hard the people involved in the selection process work to maintain the dignity and rituals of being involved in such a highly sacred religious event. 

Another thing the film got right was how many Cardinals smoke during the Conclave. They might not be hitting vapes like Conclave’s Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), but according to David Gibson, Fordham University’s director of the Center on Religion and Culture, “Some of those guys still smoke! Not nearly as many as in past years, however, when the College of Cardinals was largely an Italian institution. Vaping is an improvement on the smoke-filled conclaves of centuries past, and I’m not just talking about the incense. Cardinal Tedesco is also a great character. If he were anyone but an Italian cardinal, he might be over the top. Not here.” 

Now, it is important to note that not every detail in the film is correct. Reverend Thomas J. Reese told The New York Times that the layout of the Sistine Chapel “wasn’t quite accurate.” 

This can be seen specifically on the floor of the chapel, which is beige in real life, but red in the film. Production designer Suzie Davies said they did this “to heighten that whole sequence and again to bring that red-on-red of those beautiful costumes.” 

What exactly is a Conclave? 

A conclave happens after a pope dies. It consists of the College of Cardinals getting together at the Vatican—more specifically, the Sistine Chapel—to discuss, debate and vote on a new pope. 

The College of Cardinals that are selected to vote must be 80 years old or younger. They can begin discussions 15 to 20 days after a pope’s passing; however, if all the electors are present before then, they can start earlier than that. 

A hundred and thirty five of the 252 Cardinals are expected to be electors in this upcoming conclave. Out of that 135, Pope Francis appointed 108 of them. 

After their arrival, they all get locked in a room together and begin voting on who should be the next leader of the Catholic Church. The group must reach a two-thirds majority before a decision is reached, and after every voting round, smoke will be shown from the chapel’s chimney. Black smoke means no decision, and white smoke means they have picked a new pope and the conclave is over. The Cardinals also burn the ballots after each round to ensure no one’s vote gets leaked. 

Most conclaves last around two to five days, but in the past, they have taken as long as two months. The last one, which took place in 2013 and ended in Pope Francis being honored with the title, took two days. 

There is no word on when the Catholic Church and the College of Cardinals will begin the 2025 Conclave.

Link to original: https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/movies/is-conclave-accurate-a-look-at-how-they-pick-the-next-pope