Speculation surrounding a conclave to elect a pope is a time-honored tradition. But for the impending conclave following the death of Pope Francis, the ranks of armchair Vatican experts have swelled thanks to Hollywood.

Speculation surrounding a conclave to elect a pope is a time-honored tradition. But for the impending conclave following the death of Pope Francis, the ranks of armchair Vatican experts have swelled thanks to Hollywood.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell confirmed Pope Francis' death at the age of 88 early in the morning in a statement from the Vatican. There will be a period of mourning before the selection process involving the governing body of the Vatican and the 135 cardinals eligible to participate in the conclave begins.

We asked two experts on the Roman Catholic church who have seen the movie whether it accurately depicts what will take place in Rome over the coming days.

As the Vatican prepares for the secret meeting of cardinals who will pick a successor to Pope Francis, forget - to some extent - what you may have learned from "Conclave", last year's hit movie depicting high-level power games and backstabbing among the red-robed clerics.

In light of Pope Francis’s death on Monday, April 21, many people have been wondering how the Catholic Church picks the next pope and if the process is really as dramatic and prolonged as the 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave,