‘Conclave’ movie viewership explodes following the death of Pope Francis

The Oscar-winning film Conclave has surged in viewership following the pope’s death, as global fascination with the secretive process of electing his successor surges.

The world’s eyes are on “Conclave.”

That includes both the secretive process to pick a new pope, which will begin sometime between May 5 and 10, following the death of Pope Francis, and the Oscar-winning movie about the centuries-old Catholic ritual starring Ralph Fiennes.

Viewership of the 2024 film, which was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Adapted Screenplay, boomed 283 per cent following news the pope had died from a stroke and heart failure at age 88.

According to streaming tracker Luminate, “Conclave” generated 6.9 million minutes viewed on April 21 — the day the pontiff died — up from 1.8 million on April 20.

The movie, which won the BAFTA for Best Film, is also billed as “No. 2 in the US” on Prime Video, where it has been free for members to watch since Tuesday.

Viewership of the 2024 film, which was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Adapted Screenplay, boomed 283 per cent following news the pope had died from a stroke and heart failure at age 88.

“Conclave” has been lauded for its focus on details and accuracy surrounding the papal election. But, once the Sistine Chapel is locked with the 252 cardinals inside, nobody else knows everything that goes on,” the film’s director Edward Berger told The New York Post.

“They won’t tell you what happens behind closed doors in the conclave. And there are certain things you have to take license with.”

As of April, 120 cardinals are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope, out of a total of 252 cardinals in the Catholic Church. (Only cardinals under 80 can cast a vote for a new pope.)

Conclave — from the Latin for “with a key” — is a historic term that refers to the fact that the cardinals responsible for electing the top man do so locked down within the Vatican. And the process has been around for a while – eight centuries, in fact.

Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini in Conclave, the movie which was a hit with movie fans and critics alike. Picture: Supplied

The concept of the conclave is believed to date back 780 years ago, when the papacy was vacant for 18 months because no one in Rome could agree on a suitable candidate. Eventually, the Romans became so fed up with the stalemate they locked up the cardinals until they reached an agreement.

In the eight centuries since, little has changed.

Throughout the papal conclave, cardinals stay locked in at the Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City, a five-storey building next to St Peter’s Basilica.

And it’s not a luxury resort. Yes, despite their elaborate outfits, slippers and robes, the cardinals are housed in austere two-room suites overseen by nuns until a vote is reached.

Room inside the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence at the Vatican which Pope John Paul II had built to provide comfort for cardinals in conclave who will be electing the next pope.

They will be served by a team of cooks, doctors (the average age of this group of cardinals is 72), priests (to take confession) and technicians to enforce a communications blackout, both in the guesthouse and the Sistine Chapel, where the balloting takes place. The Vatican is determined to prevent any outside interference — or news leaking out from a social media-posting cleric.

The cardinals assemble in the Sistine Chapel where they sit in silence with Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement surrounding them.

After the cardinals swear oaths to observe the rules and maintain secrecy, everyone who is not part of the conclave is ordered out with the announcement “Extra omnes!” or “Everybody out!”.

The cardinals assemble in the Sistine Chapel where they sit in silence with Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement surrounding them.

The cardinals vote once on the first day. After the first day, there are two ballots each morning and two each afternoon until a pope is elected.

“The cardinals recognise this is the most important thing they will ever do in their lives. This is the high point of being a cardinal,” Rev Thomas J Reese told the National Catholic Reporter in the US.

Ballot papers are burned in a stove inside the Sistine Chapel connected to a chimney on the roof.

If there is no defining vote, the smoke — with the help of chemicals — comes out black. White smoke signals a new pope has been chosen.

White smoke signals a new pope has been chosen. Picture: AP

The elected candidate will be asked if he accepts the job. He can refuse, although this is extremely unlikely. Pope John Paul I is said to have come close to turning it down, answering, “No, oh, please no,” when he was elected.

Next up, the new pope will choose the name he will forever be known as, the cardinals pledge obedience, and the new pontiff is then dressed in his white robes with the help of a tailor. A cardinal announces the decision, and the new pope makes his first appearance to the masses on a balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square.

Over the centuries, some conclaves have lasted months but that has not happened in recent times.

So keep your eyes out for the white smoke.

Originally published as ‘Conclave’ movie viewership explodes following the death of Pope Francis