Popes, Power, and Papal Politics: What Hollywood Gets Right (and Wrong) About Choosing a Pope
4 Films About Choosing A Pope
The Catholic Church’s papal conclave is one of the most mysterious and ritualized decision-making processes in the modern world. Naturally, that mix of theology, politics, and centuries-old ceremony has proven irresistible to filmmakers. Over the decades, movies like The Two Popes, Conclave, Angels & Demons, and The Shoes of the Fisherman have all dramatized what happens when the seat of St. Peter is suddenly vacant—and the Church must choose a new leader.
But how much of what’s shown on screen is accurate? And what do these films reveal about how the world views the Vatican?
The Two Popes
(2019): Dialogue over Dogma
Let’s start with The Two Popes, arguably the most character-driven of the bunch. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and based on true events, the film imagines a series of intimate conversations between Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis) and Pope Benedict XVI before Benedict’s resignation in 2013.
What it gets right:
The film accurately portrays the resignation of Benedict XVI, a highly unusual and historical move. Benedict was the first pope to voluntarily resign in nearly 600 years. The movie also captures the ideological divide between the more conservative Benedict and the pastoral, reform-minded Bergoglio. Their discussions—though fictionalized—reflect real tensions within the Church about tradition, reform, and the future of Catholic leadership.
What’s more creative than accurate:
The core of the movie is the extended dialogue between the two men, including scenes where they watch soccer, eat pizza, and confess personal regrets. While these moments are beautiful and humanizing, there’s no public record that such meetings ever occurred in this form before Benedict’s resignation. In reality, Benedict made his decision privately and shocked much of the Church when he stepped down. That said, Pope Francis has since confirmed that they developed a close friendship.
Conclave
(2024): Secrets Behind the Sistine Chapel
Based on Robert Harris’s novel, Conclave is a political thriller that delves into the secretive process of electing a new pope following the sudden death of the previous pontiff. The film stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who uncovers scandals and secrets among the candidates and electors.
What it gets right:
The film accurately portrays many aspects of the papal election, such as the cardinals’ sequestering inside the Vatican, residing at the Casa Santa Marta, voting rituals within the Sistine Chapel, and the symbolic use of smoke to signal the election outcome. It gets the process right, but adds little else. These are already well-known traditions
Where it stretches the truth:
While the film captures the solemnity and secrecy of the conclave, it introduces fictional elements for dramatic effect. For instance, the involvement of nuns in political interference. In reality, nuns support logistical needs without being involved closely with the cardinals. Additionally, the revelation that the newly elected Pope Benitez is intersex adds a layer of intrigue that, while thought-provoking, is a creative addition not based on any known events.
Angels & Demons
(2009): When Vatican Drama Becomes Action
Ah yes, Angels & Demons—where Vatican theology meets Hollywood blockbuster. This sequel/prequel to The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown’s novel, drops Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon into the middle of a papal conclave under threat from the Illuminati.
What it gets right:
Surprisingly, a few things, but they are the same things Conclave gets right. The film accurately depicts the architecture of the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square, and the conclave process itself (complete with the doors being locked from the outside and the use of ballots). It also shows the white smoke as the public signal of a successful election.
What it absolutely doesn’t get right:
Almost everything else. The idea that the camerlengo (the temporary steward of the Church after a pope’s death) would have the kind of power and secrecy shown in the film is also far-fetched. The movie leans heavily into a conspiratorial version of Church history that, while entertaining, doesn’t reflect any real process—one grounded in prayer, tradition, and consensus.
The Shoes of the Fisherman
(1968): A Pope for a World in Crisis
This film might be the most thoughtful of the bunch. Based on the novel by Morris West, The Shoes of the Fishermanstars Anthony Quinn as Kiril Lakota, a Ukrainian archbishop who is surprisingly elected pope amid a global crisis involving China and the Soviet Union.
What it gets right:
The film shows the power of the conclave to surprise—even selecting a pope from behind the Iron Curtain, which was fiction in 1968 but eerily prophetic given the later election of John Paul II in 1978. The portrayal of the conclave itself, including the votes and the ceremonial presentation of the new pope to the public, is largely accurate.
Where it stretches the truth:
The idea that a newly elected pope would immediately intervene in international diplomacy and potentially give away Church wealth to solve global hunger is aspirational—but not realistic within the real structure of the Vatican. While popes do wield influence, they don’t singlehandedly manage global geopolitics. Still, the film beautifully imagines a pontiff using his platform for radical compassion.
How Popes Are Actually Chosen: Fact Over Fiction
All these films—some dramatic, some meditative—lead to one key question: how does the Catholic Church actually choose a new pope?
Here’s the real deal:
Sede Vacante: The process begins when a pope dies or resigns. The papal seat is declared sede vacante (“the seat being vacant”), and the camerlengo (a senior cardinal) oversees the day-to-day affairs of the Vatican until a new pope is chosen.
Conclave: Cardinals under the age of 80 are called to Rome. They gather in the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave officially begins. The doors are locked, and they are not allowed to have contact with the outside world until a pope is chosen.
Voting: The cardinals vote up to four times a day (twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon) until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. After each vote, the ballots are burned with chemicals to produce black smoke (no pope) or white smoke (a pope has been elected).
Acceptance and Announcement: Once a candidate accepts the election, he chooses a papal name. The new pope is then presented to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica with the words “Habemus Papam!”—“We have a pope!”
Inauguration: A few days later, the new pope is formally inaugurated in a public Mass