‘Conclave’ Movie Review: How Accurately It Portrays Papal Elections/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The movie Conclave offers a visually striking, mostly accurate portrayal of a Vatican conclave, but experts say it takes creative liberties with key rules. Some elements, like scenery and urgency, were praised, while dramatic twists misrepresent real-life procedures. Here’s what the film gets right—and wrong—about papal elections.
‘Conclave’ Movie Accuracy Quick Looks
- Conclave captures the Vatican’s visual and ceremonial grandeur well.
- Experts say the depiction of preconclave conversations is realistic.
- Ballot burning timing and cardinal dress colors were inaccurately portrayed.
- Storyline involving a “secret cardinal” is unrealistic under Church law.
- Breaking the confessional seal, shown in the film, would be a mortal sin.
- Modern vote-buying among cardinals, as depicted, is highly exaggerated.
- Real conclave politics are subtler than the liberal-conservative divide shown.
- Two-thirds majority rule ensures moderates prevail in papal elections.
‘Conclave’ Movie Review: How Accurately It Portrays Papal Elections
Deep Look
‘Conclave’ Movie: What It Gets Right—and Wrong—About Vatican Papal Elections
Speculation around a papal conclave has long been steeped in ritual, secrecy, and fascination. With the death of Pope Francis sparking a new election, Hollywood’s 2024 political thriller Conclave offers audiences a dramatized glimpse inside the Vatican’s most secretive process. But how true to reality is it?
Vatican scholars say the movie nails the atmosphere and ceremonial elements but bends major rules to heighten drama, resulting in a portrayal that’s gripping—but often inaccurate.
A Stunning Visual Re-Creation
Experts agree that Conclave succeeds in re-creating the grandeur and intensity of Vatican traditions. William Cavanaugh, a Catholic studies professor at DePaul University, praised the filmmakers for accurately capturing the Vatican’s “mise-en-scène,” including the cardinals’ hushed conversations before voting.
“The film gets a lot right,” Cavanaugh said. “They show that a lot of the drama is around the preconclave conversations among cardinals.”
Similarly, Jesuit priest and Vatican analyst Rev. Thomas Reese called the movie’s production design “marvelous,” though he noted that Hollywood’s version of the cardinals’ garments was more crimson than the real-world, slightly orange hue.
“Frankly, I like the Hollywood version better,” Reese quipped.
Papal Election Protocols: Some Accuracy, Some Errors
Massimo Faggioli, a professor of historical theology at Villanova University, commended Conclave for realistically portraying the swift timeline of modern papal elections. Long conclaves are viewed as signs of division, and recent history shows the Church prefers quick consensus to prevent instability.
However, Reese pointed out smaller, technical inaccuracies. While the voting process was correctly dramatized, the film incorrectly suggested ballots are burned after each individual vote. In reality, they are burned after each session of two votes.
Where the Film Gets It Wrong
Despite its reverence for the ceremony, Conclave invents dramatic twists that break real Church laws.
The film’s major error involves the character of the secret “in pectore” cardinal—an archbishop from Kabul who presents paperwork revealing his hidden elevation by the late pope. According to canon law, unless a cardinal’s appointment is publicly announced during the pope’s lifetime, he is ineligible to participate in a conclave.
“This was the biggest mistake in the movie,” Reese emphasized. “If the name is not publicly proclaimed, the cardinal cannot attend the conclave.”
Cavanaugh agreed, calling the twist “far-fetched,” but noting it highlights a real point: even when electing a pope, cardinals don’t always foresee what kind of leader they are choosing.
“History shows surprises happen,” Cavanaugh said, citing Popes Pius IX, John XXIII, and Francis as examples.
Another significant inaccuracy involved a cardinal breaking the sacred seal of confession. In the film, a cardinal reveals a nun’s confession to another cardinal—an act that, in real life, would be considered a mortal sin punishable by automatic excommunication.
“That would be egregiously wrong,” Reese said.
Vote-buying, another subplot shown in the movie, is extremely rare in the modern era. Reese and Cavanaugh both emphasized that while political maneuvering among cardinals is real, the overt trading of votes depicted on screen is an exaggeration.
Real Conclave Politics Are More Subtle
Conclave also oversimplifies Church politics, portraying the College of Cardinals as a stark battlefield between liberal and conservative camps.
Kurt Martens, a canon law professor at Catholic University of America, cautioned that labeling cardinals this way is misleading. “Even someone we think is a liberal cardinal is pretty conservative by secular standards,” he said.
Moreover, he noted that the conclave’s requirement for a two-thirds majority naturally prevents extremists from prevailing. The system is designed to force broad consensus, not polarize the electorate.
Final Verdict: A Beautiful Fiction
Ultimately, Conclave offers viewers a visually rich and emotionally compelling version of the Vatican’s most sacred political ritual. While it succeeds in showcasing the awe-inspiring setting and emotional stakes, it occasionally sacrifices accuracy for dramatic effect.
For viewers newly introduced to the papal election process, the film provides a valuable—if imperfect—glimpse into one of the world’s most secretive and consequential traditions.
But for the true Vatican-watchers and Church historians, Conclave is best enjoyed as a work of fiction with a carefully gilded patina of authenticity.
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