Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is

A view of the Sistine Chapel, where electors choose the new pope, on March 9, 2013, before the start of the conclave that resulted in the election of Pope Francis. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

I’m a historian of the medieval papacy and editor of the forthcoming three volumes of the Cambridge History of the Papacy. So it was more or less mandatory for me to see the new movie “Conclave.”

Based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, the film shows the politics behind electing a pope to lead the world’s 1.36 billion Catholics. Any researcher who has spent some time at the Vatican will find familiarity in the characters’ speeches and behaviors, which are acted spot-on.