In the pre-conclave process, cardinals – played by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow in the film – gather to elect Pope Francis’ s successor, and engage in a discreet dance of dinner parties, coffee meet-ups, and private conversations, all aimed at discerning who possesses the qualities to lead the Catholic Church.

The forthcoming conclave to select the new Pope has gained a whole new group of interested observers, following the success of Oscar-nominated film Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes. Based on the bestselling 2016 novel by Robert Harris,

Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, the former archbishop of Philadelphia, is outside the age cutoff for the conclave to select Pope Francis' successor.