This post contains spoilers for the 2024 film Conclave.
The world was stunned this week by the death of Pope Francis, whose tenure as leader of the Catholic Church ushered in increasingly progressive (and often controversial) stances on issues including LGBTQ+ rights and immigration.
Francis also broke barriers as the first Latin American pope, mirroring a major plot point from the hit 2024 film Conclave—currently streaming on Prime Video—that revolved around a progressive cardinal being elected pope after the death of his predecessor. Below, a rundown on the real-life papal succession process playing out in the Vatican right now and how it compares to the events chronicled in Conclave.
Does the College of Cardinals really come together to choose a new pope via…a conclave?
Well, yes! Traditionally, 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death—once the Vatican’s traditional nine days of mourning (known as the novendiales) are over—the camerlengo, or cardinal tasked with overseeing the selection of a new pope, begins the process of organizing a conclave.
Conclave’s camerlengo was memorably portrayed by a reluctant Ralph Fiennes, and his real-life counterpart, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, is now the acting head of the Vatican who will be in charge of preparing for the conclave.
Are the cardinals always cut off from the outside world?
Part of what makes Conclave so thrilling is the sense of pressure created by the cardinals’ sequestration, which is drawn from real life. During a conclave, the cardinals are housed in private rooms in the Vatican’s Domus Sanctae Marthae residence hotel and cut off from the outside world (without access to televisions, phones, computers, and newspapers). The secrecy surrounding the process is no joke whatsoever; during the 2013 conclave following the resignation of Pope Benedict, electronic jamming devices were installed to prevent any inside transmission from escaping and the area was regularly checked for microphones and communication devices.
Does a new pope need a two-thirds majority to win?
This nail-biting plot point from Conclave is actually drawn from real life; as in the film, votes are taken each day, morning and afternoon, until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority. (After every seven ballots, there’s a daylong break for prayer and reflection.) While the longest conclave on record lasted over two full years in the 13th century, there’s reason to believe this year’s process will move more swiftly—at least if 2013’s two-day conclave is any indication.
Has there ever been an intersex pope in real life?
Not that we know of, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen! “Yes, an intersex person could be elected pope, just as there have undoubtedly been gay men elected pope,” David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, told British GQ last year.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
