The news of Pope Francis’ death, coming just as people around the world were celebrating Easter, has left many in shock. His death has garnered a lot of attention, especially considering his progressive healthcare policies, outreach towards the youth, and being one of the few humble heads of the Church. While people realise the impact of his death, their focus shifts towards the Catholic Church and how it would cope with the loss. With his death, ‘conclave’ becomes a term that almost everyone would be interested in knowing more about.
The conclave – a tradition over 800 years old – holds significance for nearly every politician and member of the Catholic Church. It is the gathering of the Sacred College of Cardinals, who have the authority to elect a new Pope. The process takes place in the simplicity of the Sistine Chapel and descends into secrecy until the moment when white smoke rises from the chimney, signalling that a new Pope has been chosen.
The real-life gravity of this moment draws striking parallels to the 2024 film Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, which explores the same ritual through a fictional lens.
Fiennes portrays Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who, like in the real-life scenario, is dealing with a papal election after the death of a sitting pope, which is very similar to the current situation in the Vatican. The film, directed by Edward Berger, explores the political, personal, and spiritual conflicts that arise within the boundaries of the conclave, presenting a story that mirrors the ongoing drama within the Church.
As much as the film is fiction, it presents the sequestered fervour, the nuances of history, and the anguish of decisions that surround this timeless ceremony. ‘Conclave’ serves as an important reflection of the power and intricacy behind the smoke, while the entire world sits in anticipation, waiting for the next Pope.
In both the film and real life, the conclave is not merely a process of picking a new head of the Catholic Church; it also attempts to clarify what the Church’s vision is in light of contemporary developments.
Pope Francis’ reforms, as well as his commitment to inclusivity and social causes, heavily influence accompanying considerations.
What makes the timing of ‘Conclave’ somehow so relevant is the fact that how closely the film parallels the real-life friction surrounding the papal succession. Just as the Vatican will soon begin its process to replace Pope Francis, the film’s story begins with the death of a pope and the urgent gathering of the College of Cardinals.
In both film and real life, there is no denying the stakes are high, and the outcomes will shape the Church’s future. However, the film does not focus merely on the rituals; rather, it goes further to examine personal ambitions, ideological chasms, and latent conflicts — factors that, however real, may lie unseen in the real process.
In Fiennes’ ‘Conclave’, he plays a character that navigates through scandals, cover-ups, and conflicting interests that undermine the integrity of the election. These dramatic elements offer a lens through which audiences can consider how power and faith intersect inside the Vatican.
The fictional conclave in the film envisions candidates with a radical diversity of outlooks: a progressive, a traditionalist, a moderate, and a social conservative. The backroom politicking, shifting coalitions, and moral challenges portrayed in the film are what any reasonable person would expect to happen equally behind the Vatican’s closed doors, even though the process is shrouded in secrecy.
The film raises concerns about how internal factors, as well as external ones, may modify results in the real world or in fiction, by portraying a global chaos backdrop for the election of Cardinal Vincent Benitez, who is played by Carlos Diehz.
The film ‘Conclave’ manages to dramatise in an effective way the intersection of immense pressure and complexity that comes with electing a new pope. In reality, there would be no explosions or ground-shattering revelations, but it does highlight how a cardinal is forced to contemplate personal faith, devotion to authority, and responsibility towards the world.
The film also doesn’t shy away from deeper questions about identity, tradition, and what leadership means in an evolving Church. As the world waits for white smoke to appear from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, ‘Conclave’ serves as a timely reflection — a fictional narrative that echoes the real dilemmas facing the Catholic Church at this defining moment.
Just as in ‘Conclave’, the subsequent actions of the forthcoming choice will be decided through an intra-identity struggle, political manoeuvring, and scrutiny from civic society.
For billions of Catholics, alongside the global spectators of authority and aged customs, this moment is charged with meaning beyond the surface. The flashy elements of the Sistine Chapel, whether fictional or factual, capture the tension of a Church at a crossroads.
