From ‘Conclave’ To ‘Angels and Demons’: What Fiction Gets Right And Wrong About The Papal Elections

Last Updated:April 21, 2025, 23:15 IST

Centuries-old Vatican rituals resurface after Pope Francis’ death with fiction like “Conclave” and “Angels and Demons” shaping popular understanding.

As mourning begins for Pope Francis the Vatican’s guarded traditions return with fictional thrillers like the movie “Conclave” and Dan Brown’s novel “Angels and Demons” offering glimpses into the conclave’s secrets. (IMAGE: REUTERS/X)

With the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican’s centuries-old rituals will once again take centre stage as the world turns its gaze toward the secretive papal conclave. People across the globe will be looking closely as cardinals from across the world gather in Rome for the Conclave.

138 cardinals out of the current 252 are eligible to vote. The Financial Times in a report called it “the world’s most powerful electorate".

As Pope Francis’ death triggers the 1,000-year-old ritual behind locked doors and billowing smoke, movies like 2024 Oscar-nominated “Conclave" and books like Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons" are bound to resurface in the public’s mind. Both works of art have shaped public imagination about how a Pope is chosen.

What is a Papal Conclave and How Does It Work?

When a Pope dies or resigns, the Vatican initiates a time-honored and secretive process to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church — the papal conclave. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, this process brings together cardinals from across the globe to decide who will take on the mantle of Saint Peter.

The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel and only cardinals below the age of 80 are eligible to vote. The voting is conducted in secrecy, and a two-thirds majority is needed to elect a new pope.

The world watches for the color of the smoke. Black smoke means no decision while white smoke signals a new pope has been chosen.

The death of a Pope triggers a series of solemn rituals rooted in centuries of tradition. Black smoke, known as fumata nera, will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to signal the end of a papacy. The Ring of the Fisherman is taken off, crushed, and burned by the camerlengo who also seals the papal apartment, locks the desk, and disconnects the phone lines.

This begins the Sede Vacante or the vacant seat. The Pope’s funeral is usually held between the fourth and sixth day followed by a nine-day mourning period. Only after that do the cardinals begin preparations for the next Conclave.

The voting still takes place inside the Sistine Chapel though the cardinals now reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a guesthouse built by John Paul II. Until 2005 they were kept in cramped makeshift rooms with hard beds and chamber pots.

Silence is not just sacred but mandatory. Any attempt to communicate with the outside world during the Conclave results in immediate excommunication.

Why It Matters

The Pope is not just a spiritual figure — he influences geopolitics, interfaith dialogue, and even social movements. The process to elect him is steeped in symbolism and reflects the Church’s desire for continuity, unity, and divine guidance.

The movie “Conclave", starring Ralph Fiennes, shows ambitious cardinals scheming and manipulating their way toward the papacy, their secret ballots shadowed by blackmail and betrayal and there is a looming terrorist bomb threat nearly shattering the conclave within Vatican walls.

Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons features a papal conclave, but it’s used more as a dramatic plot device than a faithful representation of the real process, with the action revolving around his signature protagonist, Robert Langdon.

Speaking on the Ralph Fiennes-starrer, Susan Hanssen, PhD, associate professor of history at the University of Dallas, told The New York Post: “It was drenched with banal leftist jargon. It’s essentially a form of propaganda to influence the way the papal conclave is perceived at this moment. No one should mistake the Hollywood movie for the ‘inside scoop’ on historical reality".

The most recent papal vacancy occurred in 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI, then 85, became the first pope in 600 years to resign from the position.

It took two weeks for Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, to be elected and take the name Francis.

“Two weeks is not a long time by Vatican standards," John Thavis, a papal expert and author of The Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church was quoted as saying by the New York Post.

“One reason is that the cardinals are very much aware that the world is watching and waiting. A drawn-out conclave lasting a week or more would inevitably invite speculation about division at the highest levels of the church".

The movie and Brown’s book got a few things right, like, location, the fact that the process is shrouded in mystery and secrecy and the voting system.

The novel shows multiple rounds of balloting, which reflects how conclaves can take time. The movie shows that because papal elections require a two-thirds majority, there’s always a possibility of a deadlocked conclave.

The novel gave the camerlengo, the character of Carlo Ventresca has enormous influence in the story, far beyond what a real camerlengo would typically exercise. In reality, the camerlengo manages day-to-day Vatican operations between popes but does not oversee or direct the conclave.

The conclave in the novel is fast-paced, filled with intrigue, and deeply theatrical — real conclaves are solemn, slow, and deeply ritualistic.

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