One of the interesting things to happen after Pope Francis died is that the movie Conclave, which came out last year, has had millions of new viewers online.
The film directed by Edward Berger – and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini – looks at the intrigue and infighting occurring during the election of a new pope.
Although the movie isn’t very accurate, it highlights the fact that conspiracy theories abound when a conclave is about to take place.
A conclave brings together the cardinals under 80 who are allowed to vote for a pope. Famously, they are mostly sealed in the Sistine Chapel, and if a pope is elected, white smoke will appear at the Vatican. If the pope isn’t elected, then black smoke is seen in the air. A cardinal needs a two-thirds majority to win, although the current regulations allow that to reduce to 50 percent plus-one after the process starts taking too long.
