Happy conclave day to all who celebrate! On Wednesday, 133 cardinals who are gathered in the Vatican are expected to begin the process of electing the next pope. It’s a tradition that dates back nearly 1,000 years, but this time it’s particularly exciting because everyone actually knows how a conclave works after watching Conclave. It’s the titular role.
Apparently, us literal laymen aren’t the only ones turning to Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci in preparation for the pontifical kiki. According to Politico, actual cardinals are watching the movie to learn about how the whole process goes down. “Some have watched it in the cinema,” an anonymous cleric told the outlet.
Cardinals — they’re just like us! Apparently, conclave protocol is new territory even for the guys about to take part, because most of the cardinals were appointed by the late Pope Francis and have, therefore, never been to a conclave. Fortunately, according to the anonymous cleric quoted in Politico’s story, the movie is surprisingly realistic, so it’s actually not a bad research strategy.
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Let’s hope everyone takes away a lot of good lessons from the movie: Stairwells are the best place for a gossip sesh, trust no one who claims they don’t want to be the pope, and whatever you do, don’t cross Isabella Rossellini.
