"Conclave": Papal election as a political thriller

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the Vatican must elect its new spiritual leader in early May. Cardinals from around the world will vote for the new pope in the Sistine Chapel, behind closed doors.

The secret voting process known as a conclave has nothing less than the goal of determining God's representative on earth. The election of the pontiff has been the subject of much speculation, political intrigue, and artistic interpretation over the centuries.

Because cardinals are sworn to secrecy, only the new pope can speak publicly about the secret processes surrounding the election. The late Pope Francis, for example, described the intrigues behind the election of Pope John Paul II's successor in 2005 in his memoirs, 2024. Some cardinals refused to vote for the ultimately victorious candidate , Benedict XVI, and nominated Francis as their opponent in order to divert votes from the German cardinal. Francis himself decided against his election and voted for Benedict.

A "perfect story"

British author Robert Harris was so fascinated by the power games surrounding papal elections that he decided to address the mysterious process in his novel "Conclave." The book was published in 2016.

"Actually, God is supposed to move the cardinals to elect the pope, but between the meetings in the Sistine Chapel, there's also a lot of politics," the author said in an interview with Penguin upon the release of his novel.

The book focuses on the Dean of the College of Cardinals, which elects the Pontiff, and his role in the collusion, hidden agendas, and leaks that take place before the final election.

"I was fascinated by the sense of being trapped and the tight time frame," explains Harris. "It was a perfect story for me, and I'm surprised no one else has tackled this material before."

Harris, who rose to fame with the bestseller "Fatherland" (1992) – a Nazi thriller set in a fictional Third Reich that won World War II and now dominates Europe – was also drawn to the meticulously planned rituals of the papal election. What goes on behind the scenes? How are the votes cast? How are the ballots burned afterward?

The sacred ceremony of electing the spiritual leader of some 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide can also be quite "profane," says Harris, especially when it involves a power struggle between factions.

"Conclave" on the big screen

The fact that the papal election thriller was adapted for the big screen in 2024 can only be described as perfect timing. Less than two months before the death of Pope Francis, Edward Berger's film won an Oscar (for Best Adapted Screenplay).

Starring Ralph Fiennes as the Dean of the College of Cardinals and Isabella Rossellini as a venerable sister who also influences the decision of the male voters, the fictional film uncovers the intrigues of the secret conclave.

The critically acclaimed Vatican drama, which conjures up a crisis of faith within the Church, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It played a key role in turning the papal election into a pop-cultural phenomenon—on the eve of the first papal election since 2013.

But the film's portrayal of the conclave was also heavily criticized.

The independent Catholic magazine "Missio Dei" described the film as "a distorted portrayal of the papal election" because it "dramatizes internal conflicts" and portrays the Church as politically motivated.

"The film deceives the public about the true spirit that guides the election of a new pope by the College of Cardinals, namely the Holy Spirit," wrote American theologian and publicist Christina M. Sorrentino. In her opinion, the film's apparent focus on "scandals and power struggles" leads to "the construction of negative stereotypes about church leaders."

How political will the upcoming conclave be?

Weeks before Pope Francis's death, his health and hospitalization had sparked speculation about his potential successor. However, Robert Harris has reportedly declined numerous media interview requests. In a January interview with the Associated Press, he emphasized that it would be "extremely poor taste" to try to use the current situation as "any kind of publicity" for his book.

When asked how politics might affect the upcoming conclave and whether he thought it was possible for the first pontiff of African descent to be elected, the author said he hoped that Christian morality would prevail.

"Who knows what the future holds," Harris emphasized in an April interview with The Boston Globe. "But the purpose of the church remains to stand for certain eternal values, Christian values." And these values ​​are "not necessarily the same as those of Elon Musk and Donald Trump , or the AfD in Germany," he added. "We'll see."

It just takes a while for the white smoke to rise over the Sistine Chapel.