Released at the end of 2024, the film Conclave, a Vatican thriller by Robert Harris adapted for the screen by Edward Berger, is experiencing a resurgence in spring 2025 due to current Vatican events. But is the depiction of the behind-the-scenes papal election in this work of fiction faithful to reality, as the real conclave opens on Wednesday, May 7, to choose Pope Francis's successor? If this gripping film has sparked in you an unexpected curiosity about the intricacies of this unique and the little-known election, and if you don't have a degree in canon law, here are some answers to questions you are bound to wonder about.

For the most part, the organization of the process depicted in the film corresponds to the procedure outlined in canon law.

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