Forget the film: Vatican is preparing for the real ‘Conclave’

As the Vatican prepares for the secret meeting of cardinals who will pick a successor to Pope Francis, forget — to some extent — what you may have learned from “Conclave”, last year's hit movie depicting high-level power games and backstabbing among the red-robed clerics.

- Alvise Armellini, Reuters

The conclave of the so-called “Princes of the Church” that will elect a new pope is expected to start some time between May 6 and May II. It will follow Francis’ funeral on Saturday and wider consultations among cardinals, known as general congregations. The film, which won an Oscar in March for best adapted screenplay, is a faithful representation in terms of costumes and staging, but the blatant scheming and closing plot twist — which this article will not spoil — are too much, Church experts say.

“Let's face it: 'Conclave’, which takes us to the heart of one of the most mysterious and secret events in the world, is a highly entertaining film, especially for an easy-going American audience,” the Italian bishops’ newspaper, Avvenire, wrote in a December review. “But it is impossible not to smile at certain characters or situations that, especially in the eyes of Italian viewers, risk resembling involuntary parodies,” it added.