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The papal conclave finally commenced on May 7, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025. The gathering includes 133 cardinal electors who are to cast their votes to choose the next pope. The first day of the event reportedly ended with no clear winner being declared.
According to WION News, black smoke came out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating that no decision has been reached on the first day of the event. Meanwhile, the 2024 movie Conclave has seen an increased viewership since Pope Francis' death.
A cleric involved in the real papal election told Politico in an article published on May 6 that some of the cardinals have actually watched the film. The cleric told the outlet that the movie has been found to be quite accurate by many of the cardinals.
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Netizens immediately went on to social media platforms to react to this latest update surrounding the 2024 movie.
"They clueless as us," commented one X user.
Several others also reacted to the report, many speculating on the truth behind it.
"Right. As if the church doesn't have thousands of years of its own tradition to look towards. They'd really rely on a movie?🧢" tweeted one user.
"Surely they won't be putting the faith of the masses on a film... but yeah it's a good watch," added a netizen.
"They should watch The Young Pope, things would be much more interesting," wrote another.
A myriad of responses flooded the social media platform with users weighing in.
"the movie was so good that they even get guidance to do the real thing," commented one user.
"😂😂😂😂😂That's hilarious if true," joked a netizen.
Cardinals involved in conclave stay in complete seclusion as long as papal election continues
As mentioned earlier, the first round of the papal conclave ended with no new pope elected. This would mean that none of the candidates received a two-thirds majority from their fellow cardinals. According to reports by WION News, after the voting was done for the day, the cardinals returned to Santa Marta, their temporary abode.
The outlet further confirmed that until a new pope is chosen, the cardinals taking part in the election will remain in seclusion. They will also have no access to phones or the outside world during the process. The second day of the conclave will resume on Thursday, May 8, with the first vote cast in the morning following a mass in the Pauline Chapel, as reported by ABC News.
The Reuters report gave an insight into the procedure of what happens when the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to start the vote. The cardinals take an "oath of perpetual secrecy under the gaze of the stern Christ depicted in Michelangelo's Last Judgement fresco," shortly after entering the Chapel.
The Vatican's master of ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, then pronounces "Extra omnes!" which means "Everyone out!" At this point, every individual who isn't a member of the papal conclave leaves the venue, and the process continues in utmost confidentiality.
Conclave was released in October 2024 and directed by Edward Berger based on Robert Harris' 2016 novel. The movie followed the proceedings of a papal conclave following the demise of the pope and the college of cardinals who were involved. The cast included Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Carlos Diehz, and Isabella Rossellini. It received eight nominations in the Academy Awards.
