Quiz: How much do you know about real and fictional conclaves?

The Journal

05-05-2025

IT WAS ANNOUNCED last week that the conclave to elect a new pope to succeed the late Pope Francis
will begin on 7 May.
Between the recent death of Pope Francis, and a certain film adaptation of Robert Harris's 2016 novel, many people are more informed on the behind-the-scenes of one of the world's most ancient and secretive events – at least fictionally.
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See how much you know about conclaves (real), conclaves (fictional), Conclave (the novel), and Conclave (the film).
Ralph Fiennes plays the lead role of a cardinal in the film Conclave. He has had an incredibly varied career: which of these roles has he NOT played?
Alamy
Heathcliff in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights
Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter
Bruce Wayne in The Lego Batman Movie
James Moriarty in Holmes & Watson
In the film, the Sistine Chapel is swept for electronic bugs before the cardinals enter the conclave. Is this fictional or does it occur in real life?
Alamy
Fictional
True
The death of Pope Francis resulted in a massive spike in people streaming the film. What was the increase in the first week?
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283%
177%
412%
202%
When the pope is found deceased in the film, he is asked three times if he is dead, and an item is tapped on his head before the "sede vacante" is declared. What is the item?
Alamy
The papal ring
A small wooden cross kept in the papal apartments
A sterling silver hammer
A bronze hand modelled on the hand of Saint Peter, the first pope
Ralph Fiennes is the Dean of the College of Cardinals in the film, and presides over the conclave. Who is the Dean in real life?
Alamy
Giovanni Battista Re
It's actually Ralph Fiennes in real life too
Cardinal Kevin Farrell
Robbie Coltrane, now best known for his role as Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series, played a parish priest that was accidentally elected as pope due to a ballot error in which 1991 film?
Alamy
The Two Popes
The Pope Must Die(t)
Clerical Errors
The Papacy
The last two conclaves took 2 days to elect a pope. The papal election of Pope Benedict XV in 1740 was the longest in modern history. How long was it?
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24 days
78 days
135 days
181 days
What does white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel during a conclave indicate?
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Another round of voting has concluded
The Sistine Chapel is preparing for its annual chimney cleaning
The pope-elect has refused to take the position
A pope has been elected
Author Robert Harris based much of his characters and the conclave processes on their real life equivalents. What was one source Harris publicly stated using when writing his novel?
Alamy
A collection of letters written by Pope Benedict XVI describing his election process
A group of informant cardinals
His own experience of once being a cardinal
A diary allegedly released by a cardinal in 2005
The election of a pope features as a storyline in which Al Pacino film?
Alamy
Dog Day Afternoon
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part III
Devil's Advocate
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