How Is A New Pope Chosen? The Story Of Oscar Winner Conclave

New Delhi:

As the world mourns the death of Pope Francis (the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church), the most secretive democratic process in the world is once again underway. 

But for millions grappling with the solemnity of this moment, it is the Oscar-winning film Conclave that has offered an eerie mirror to reality, one that blends ecclesiastical ritual with cinematic intrigue.

On Monday (April 21), Pope Francis breathed his last at the age of 88, following a prolonged stay at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli hospital in Rome. 

Diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs and compounded by other infections, the Vatican confirmed his death after he had spent days alternating between mechanical ventilation and high-flow oxygen therapy. 

His demise marked the end of an era – the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Global South and a leader whose reformist zeal challenged the very structure of the Church.

And now, as prayers echo through St Peter’s Square and the faithful hold vigil, all eyes turn to a centuries-old tradition: the papal conclave.

But it is not just Rome that is watching.

The film Conclave, which swept awards this season – including Best Picture and Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes – has become an unexpected primer for the masses on how the next leader of the Catholic Church will be chosen. 

Based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name, the movie offers not only a dramatised insight into the rituals and politics that underpin the election of a new pope, but also startling parallels with the present.

What Happens Now?

The term “conclave” comes from the Latin cum clave – “with a key” – referencing the locking in of cardinal electors until a new pope is chosen. In reality, the process begins with the Camerlengo – the papal chamberlain – declaring the pope’s death, followed by nine days of mourning during which the body lies in state at St Peter’s Basilica.

Unlike in earlier times, cardinals are no longer physically locked in until they make their decision. Instead, they will stay at St Martha’s House within Vatican walls, where they will have access to basic services, including two doctors.

How A New Pope Is Chosen

• Of the 252 living cardinals, only 138 under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave.
• Once assembled, they will be forbidden from accessing newspapers, radio, television, the Internet, or any form of outside communication.
• Each day, the cardinals will walk in their blue cassocks and red sashes to the Papal Palace or Sistine Chapel for voting.
• The process begins with each cardinal secretly writing the name of his preferred candidate on a ballot.
• In order of seniority, they approach the altar and place their ballot in an urn.
• Votes are tallied by three scrutineers. If no candidate receives the required two-thirds majority, voting continues twice each morning and afternoon.
• After every third day without a decision, a one-day prayer break may be taken.
• The world watches for the traditional smoke signals – black indicating no decision, white announcing that a new pope has been chosen.
• Though modern rules don’t specifically mandate this tradition, it remains one of the most recognisable elements of papal succession.

This is largely how Conclave depicts the process – with painstaking attention to liturgical detail. The Sistine Chapel is shown being swept for electronic bugs. Latin oaths are recited with grave solemnity. The ballots are threaded after counting, in accordance with actual Vatican practice. 

These aren’t mere cinematic flourishes, they reflect real protocol – with the screenplay drawing heavily from the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

What Is The Movie Conclave About?

Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) and written by Peter Straughan, Conclave is a taut ecclesiastical thriller that opens with the death of a fictional pope and places its central focus on Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the conflicted dean of the College of Cardinals, responsible for guiding the conclave.

As the cardinals arrive from across the world, allegiances begin to take shape: conservatives push for a return to traditional values, while liberals seek a more progressive church. The narrative plays out like a political chess match, where every whispered conversation and every glance exchanged beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes carries weight.

But Conclave is no simple procedural – its drama is anchored in a deeply personal crisis. Cardinal Lawrence is grappling with a “spiritual insomnia”, a crisis of faith exacerbated by the pope’s recent refusal to grant him a retreat. As the votes unfold and tensions mount, Lawrence becomes the reluctant conscience of the conclave.

The Twists That Reshape The Story

The film’s most explosive twist comes midway, and it shakes the very foundation of Lawrence’s identity: he discovers that the late pope had a secret son, born during his missionary service in Kuwait during the Gulf War. And that son is Lawrence himself.

This revelation turns Lawrence’s entire world upside down. Not only has he unknowingly been a cardinal under his own father, but the pope’s dying wish – expressed in a sealed envelope – was that Lawrence be elected as his successor. This is not merely a theological dilemma – it’s a bombshell that throws Church law into chaos. A cardinal born out of wedlock, and the secret heir of the former pope?

If that wasn’t enough, another subplot further complicates the proceedings. One of the cardinals vying for the papacy is revealed to be a closeted homosexual who has spent decades masking his identity within a deeply homophobic institution. 

His storyline raises uncomfortable questions about the Church’s internal contradictions – how it preaches compassion while perpetuating intolerance.

In the film’s final moments, the ultimate twist arrives. Against all odds, Lawrence is elected pope – not by manipulation, but by spiritual consensus. In a chilling final scene, he ascends the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square. The bells toll. White smoke curls into the Roman sky. But his eyes are haunted – a man crowned not just with papal authority, but with the weight of secrets that could shatter the Church.

Life Imitates Art?

While Conclave is undoubtedly fictional, its resonance with current events is uncanny. With Pope Francis now gone, the Church faces a similar fork in the road. Will his successor continue his progressive vision – advocating for interfaith dialogue, climate action, and LGBTQ+ inclusion? Or will the pendulum swing back to doctrinal conservatism?

The film paints this ideological chasm vividly, with characters who are amalgams of real-world blocs within the Church. The cardinals in Conclave whisper of married priests and open communion for divorced Catholics – issues Pope Francis himself has been unafraid to broach, often inviting backlash from traditionalists.

The movie also gestures toward how the conclave is as much about the future of the institution as it is about the man who will lead it. And therein lies its brilliance – Conclave doesn’t just show us how a pope is chosen, it shows us why it matters.

Conclave Is About Faith (Not Blind Faith)

At its core, Conclave is about faith – not blind faith, but the kind that wrestles with doubt, with history, with human frailty. Its timing, eerily aligned with the real-world death of Pope Francis, makes it more than a film. It becomes a lens through which we examine the Church’s past and speculate on its future.

As the cardinals now begin their own real-life journey under lock and key, perhaps some among them have seen the movie. Perhaps they, too, wonder what secrets lie buried under the marbled floors of Vatican City. And perhaps, like Cardinal Lawrence, they realise that the keys to St Peter’s Basilica unlock not just power, but responsibility.

For now, the world waits. The smoke has yet to turn white.