With the death of Pope Francis, the world turns its gaze to the Vatican, where a centuries-old ritual will soon unfold in the Sistine Chapel: the papal conclave. This sacred, solemn gathering of cardinal electors is charged with the election of the next bishop of Rome — the pope.

While the drama and mystery of this event have inspired works of fiction, including Robert Harris’ novel “Conclave” and its 2024 film adaptation, the actual process is deeply regulated, rooted in apostolic tradition, and marked by rigorous secrecy.

There is no room for fiction here. Apostolic rules guide the cardinals. The procedures governing the election of a pope are outlined in the apostolic constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis,” promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II in 1996 and still in effect today. When the papacy becomes vacant, a period of mourning and preparation begins.

The College of Cardinals then gathers in Rome, and after the funeral rites and preliminary meetings, those under the age of 80 — known as cardinal electors — are sequestered within Vatican City. The cardinal electors reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae and meet in the Sistine Chapel, which is sealed off to pre- vent any external communication. A solemn Mass “Pro Eligendo Pontifice” (“For the Election of the Pope”) marks the official beginning of the conclave. The electors then take an oath of secrecy.

Each day allows for up to four ballots— two in the morning and two in the afternoon. A two-thirds majority is required for the election of a new pope. After each round of voting, the ballots are burned. Black smoke, produced by burning the ballots with a chemical additive, signals an inconclusive vote.

White smoke, often ac- companied by the ringing of bells, signifies the successful election of a new pontiff. When a cardinal receives the necessary votes, he is asked whether he accepts his election and by what name he wishes to be called. Once he accepts, the dean of the College of Cardinals declares to the world: “Habemus papam”: “We have a pope.” The newly elected pontiff then appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to impart his first blessing, “urbi et orbi” (“to the city and to the world”).

The novel “Conclave” and the film have brought new public interest to the Vatican’s secretive electoral process. While the film attempts to capture the solemnity and tension of the conclave, it diverges significantly from reality in several areas. For instance, the plot introduces the concept of a cardinal appointed in secret who is revealed only after the pope’s death and then allowed to vote.

In reality, “Universi Dominici Gregis” specifies that a secret cardinal must be publicly announced during the pope’s lifetime to be eligible to participate in the conclave. Another inaccuracy involves the depiction of liturgical garments. The film shows cardinals wearing Mass vestments and addressing one another as “Father,” whereas, during the conclave, they wear choir dress and are addressed as “Eminence.”

Furthermore, the film suggests ballots are burned after the first vote of each day, when in fact, they are burned only after the second vote in both the morning and the afternoon. Most dramatically, the film concludes with a sensational twist involving a cardinal’s identity and eligibility, which, although compelling fiction, has no basis in Canon Law or Vatican practice. The papal conclave remains one of the most spiritually charged events in the Catholic Church.

It is a moment when the Church looks not to politics or media narratives, but to the quiet movement of the Holy Spirit. Fictional portrayals can provide intrigue, but the truth of the conclave offers a far deeper mystery. As the cardinals prepare to enter into prayerful deliberation, the world awaits the next successor of St. Peter.