The Oscar-winning movie Conclave brought the mysterious process of electing a new pope to the big screen, raising questions about how accurate the film is to real-life. On the morning of April 21, 2025, at 7:35 am Central European Summer Time (1:35 am Eastern Time), Pope Francis died after suffering a stroke and heart failure (via The New York Times). In addition to mourning the late pontiff, Catholics and non-Catholics alike find themselves looking ahead at what’s next for one of the most powerful enтιтies in the world. Consequently, the 2024 film Conclave, which won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2025 Oscars, has become more timely than ever.

Since the Catholic Church formed, the papal election procedures have been changed multiple times. Some of the most significant changes include sequestration and the cardinals’ oath of absolute confidentiality, both of which factor into the air of mystery surrounding the election. The 2024 thriller film sought to demystify the papal election, providing insight into the logistical side as well as the political side. The movie wasn’t without pushback from traditionalist Catholics, given Conclave’s twist ending. However, the film deserves credit for the attention to detail that went into bringing Conclave to life, which is surprisingly accurate.

How Accurate Conclave’s Pope Election Process Is To Real Life

Conclave Gets The Process Of Electing A New Pope Mostly Correct

Most experts agree that Conclave is accurate to the process. This includes little details, such as the destruction of the late pope’s ring and the votes getting soaked in chemicals and burned to create the smoke color, as well as bigger details, like the fact that the cardinals are sequestered throughout the conclave.

Sister Susan Francois, an ᴀssistant congregation leader for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in New Jersey shared her thoughts on the accuracy of the movie, highlighting the fact that human issues play a role in the election. She told NPR this:

“While we wish and hope and pray it is entirely a spiritual discernment process, we are only human beings. It’s impossible not to have the egos, worries, concerns to not come to light, but yet, as people of faith, I think the sisters hope and pray and desire to be guided more by the light of the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, expert Kathleen Sprows Cummings, who is a professor of history at University of Notre Dame and a fellow of the Ansari Insтιтute for Global Religious Engagement, said to Religious New Service, “I think it’s got a lot of the details right…The jockeying and selfishness and the kinds of things that maybe struck us as a bit unsavory is real.” She also pointed out that a single moving speech can really factor into the cardinals’ decision, citing the election of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI as examples.

When speaking with NPR, Reverend Thomas Reese, a journalist with a Ph.D. in Political Science who has written multiple books on the Catholic Church, the film was fairly accurate. Specifically, he highlighted the fact that “the voting procedure was done very well.” His book Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church includes a nonfiction exploration of the conclave that could be interesting to individuals who want more details.

We can largely attribute the accuracy of Conclave to Robert Harris, the author of the thriller novel, and the filmmakers. The author consulted with someone who had actually been there during a conclave. The former archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor – who participated in the 2005 and 2013 votes – provided information to Harris to ensure accuracy. Similarly, the filmmakers and screenwriter went on a private tour of the Vatican and asked them questions about the logistics that would help them accurately represent the process.

What Conclave Gets Wrong About The Pope Election Process

Conclave Gets A Few Things Incorrect

Despite getting most things correct, Conclave also gets some details wrong about the process. The most notable example is the fact that a bishop who was Cardinal in pectore wouldn’t be allowed to enter a conclave. According to David Gibson, Director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, someone like Benitez couldn’t participate in the process unless their position was announced by the pope ahead of time (via GQ).

Mᴀssimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, also brought up a few discrepancies when speaking to Religion News Service. The death of the pope and the conclave have about two weeks between them, during which the College of Cardinals come together to discuss the needs of the church and get to know each other. He also points out that the politics discussed in a conclave are “coded” and “diplomatic” rather than blunt. Real conclaves also pay less attention to North America than the Hollywood movie did. Faggioli pointed out that the vote having two North American candidates is extremely unlikely.

The film downplays the number of votes that take place during a conclave, which can be up to four per day for as many days as it takes to get a two-thirds majority voting for one candidate. Ultimately, almost all the discrepancies in Conclave can be chalked up to creative decisions made for the sake of storytelling. The filmmakers had the responsibility of fitting a complex and secretive process into 2 hours while also telling a compelling story.

Sources: The New York Times, NPR, Religious New Service, and GQ