In a fascinating new documentary, a senior cardinal has revealed a surprising error in the Hollywood depiction of the secretive process to elect a new Pope. Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, an 80-year-old English Dominican friar, took part in the BBC Two programme Secrets of the Conclave, which explored the events of April last year when 133 cardinals gathered following the death of Pope Francis.
A Keen-Eyed Cardinal Spots a Hollywood Mistake
Cardinal Radcliffe, who was among the electors in the Sistine Chapel, confirmed he had seen the film Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes. He gleefully pointed out a significant factual inaccuracy concerning a crucial piece of conclave furniture. The ballot box, a silver and gilded bronze urn, was in the wrong place in the movie. "You place the ballot in the urn and shut the lid," the cardinal explained. "And the urn is on the altar. This is very important. That was a detail that the film Conclave got wrong. It had the urn on a table."
Such tantalising snippets were among the few genuine secrets the documentary could unveil, as all participants are bound by a solemn oath of secrecy. The programme offered no insights into the cardinals' private deliberations or how votes were cast, though it did name the frontrunners.
The Delicate Dance of Papal Politics
Vatican correspondent Philip Pullella shed some light on the tactical nature of the early voting. He suggested the first ballot often acts as a polite dry run, where some cardinals may vote for a candidate with no real chance of election, simply as a mark of gratitude for their service to the Church. Once the crowds gather in St Peter's Square to watch for the famous smoke signals, the process becomes intensely serious.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines, himself an early favourite, insisted the discussions remained amiable throughout. His beatific smile was a constant feature. He made it clear he felt relief at not being chosen, citing the sudden loss of privacy. "Once the Press had named him as a possible Pope-in-waiting, people would stop you and say, 'Oh, let us have a selfie!' It was not pleasant at all," he revealed.
The Tailor's Intuition and the Chapel's Unaware Residents
Perhaps the most accurate prediction came from an unexpected source. The papal tailor, Raniero Mancinelli, was busy preparing three white cassocks in different sizes. He alone correctly intuited that Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago would be the successor, a choice that surprised many observers when the white smoke finally billowed.
The only other beings who appeared entirely unfazed by the historic decision were a family of seagulls, nesting with their chick on the chapel roof, blissfully unaware they were perched above Michelangelo's world-famous ceiling and the epicentre of a global religious event.
The documentary Secrets of the Conclave ultimately confirmed that while films may take creative licence, the profound mystery and solemn ritual of electing a Pope remains closely guarded by those who swear to protect it.
