How accurate is the Conclave to real life? Details of the Pope Election revealed

Edward Berger's Conclave offered a look into the papal selection process that very few know about. It unfolded like a suspense thriller as cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect the successor for the deceased pope. Since Pope Francis died on April 21, many people might be wondering about the papal conclave and whether Edward Berger's film accurately represented its details. Based on the comments of experts on this topic, the film gets more things right than one might assume.

To get the details right, screenwriter Peter Straughan reportedly met a cardinal to discuss the logistics of the process. During a conversation with USA Today, Straughan spoke about his research for the script and what helped him in the process.

"We (Straughn and Berger) were given a private tour of the Vatican, and they were quite welcoming, actually, quitehelpful. So it was a big research project, really. It’s a fascinating and theatrical world, so you want to get those details right. It’s a very sumptuous thing.”

In addition to that, Robert Harris, who wrote the thriller novel that the film is based on, reportedly consulted a person who was present at the selection process. That helped the film get many details right.

Does Conclave accurately present the election process? Here's what experts say

Edward Berger's film comes very close to the actual papal conclaves, according to experts in this field. The Guardian cites a positive response from Kathleen Sprows Cummings, who is a historian of Catholicism at Notre Dame:

“They got a lot of the details right. The movie did a really good job of balancing the human – people, men who are ambitious, who have very strong feelings about what the church needs – and the Holy Spirit.—It was remarkable the way that they took something that’s secret and really got a lot of it right."

Cummings further spoke about the type of interactions the film presents between the cardinals:

“They’ll be having dinners, they’ll be gathering in apartments. There will be: ‘Who’s supporting who? Is there a clear majority going in? Is there a clear frontrunner going in?’ That’s all happening.”

Per CNN, the film gets more details accurate, including the destruction of the deceased pope's ring and the sealing of his room. The article also notes that the film accurately shows situations like the pope's coming with their overnight bags or the sweeping of the Sistine Chapel for listening devices.

How does Edward Berger's film differ from a real-life conclave?

A still from Conclave, the film starring Ralph Fiennes (Image via YouTube/@FocusFeatures)

Edward Berger's film presents its characters as archetypes of different political beliefs, whether that's liberalism or conservatism. While it may have helped the makers for creative reasons, it is not accurate according to the professor of Catholic Studies at DePaul University, Bill Cavanaugh:

“Cardinals don’t fall neatly into progressive and conservative camps … in general, it’s much more of a mixed bag."

Cummings said something similar:

"They’re caricatures, certainly, but they also capture something that’s real. There are certainly people who are traditionalists, who think Pope Francis went too far in meeting people on the margins. There are people who want his legacy to continue in just exactly the same way.”

The film also shows Cardinal Vincent Benitez showing up at the convention despite being appointed in pectore (Latin for 'in his heart'). Many experts, including Cummings, pointed out that it is possible only under certain conditions:

“The idea that a cardinal in pectore could just like roll up to the conclave and say: ‘Hey, I’m here to vote’ – that actually could not happen. A cardinal doesn’t get the privileges of being a cardinal until he’s publicly announced as such.”