SOURCE: MEGA
The process of choosing a new pope is shrouded in secrecy and complexity—almost like something straight out of a movie.
That’s why Global Pulse has uncovered that many cardinals gathered in the Vatican watched the Oscar-winning film Conclave for a glimpse of what lay ahead.
The film Conclave, released just last year, stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. He plays the dean of the College of Cardinals, who is responsible for convening the conclave to elect the next pope. As the steward of the process, he soon uncovers hidden secrets and scandals surrounding the leading candidates.
While the movie is fictional, many of the 133 high-ranking cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, tasked with choosing Pope Francis’s successor, lacked experience with Vatican politics and procedures. Most had never participated in a conclave before, making the atmosphere tense.
As one cardinal revealed, Conclave quickly became essential viewing: “Some have watched it in the cinema,” the unnamed cardinal told Politico. According to the cleric, the film’s accuracy made it a valuable resource for understanding the complex process.
The conclave was delayed after the death of Pope Francis, allowing time for his funeral, burial, and a period of mourning. It also gave the cardinals time to travel to Rome from around the world and familiarize themselves before the conclave began.
Once gathered, the cardinals were isolated from the outside world. They voted in secrecy, beneath Michelangelo’s iconic ceiling fresco of the Creation and his monumental “Last Judgment.”
To ensure no leaks or outside communication, the Vatican took strict precautions. Cardinals had to surrender their phones, and the Vatican deactivated cell phone coverage. Signal jammers were used around the Sistine Chapel, the Domus Santa Marta hotel, and the adjacent residence where the cardinals slept to block any external communication or surveillance.
Cardinals expected a quick conclave this week, and by Thursday afternoon, they had made their decision.
As soon as the new Pontiff was chosen, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Bells rang out, and the crowds in Vatican Square erupted in cheers.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, has made history as the first American pope.
The first round of voting on Wednesday produced disappointing dark smoke, leaving the crowd waiting.
Historically, it usually takes between three and eight ballots to elect a pope. John Paul I was elected on the third ballot in 1978, while St. John Paul II required eight. Pope Francis was chosen on the fifth ballot in 2013.
Pope Francis passed away last month at the age of 88 due to pneumonia that developed in both lungs from an infection.
He had been in the hospital for weeks battling the illness, which followed two recent falls.
Francis had been struggling with bronchitis for over a week and was first hospitalized on February 14.
His condition worsened, requiring doctors to adjust his treatment for a respiratory tract infection due to a “complex clinical situation.”
An X-ray confirmed the Pope was suffering from double pneumonia.
