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Art imitates life and life imitates art as Oscar-winning movie Conclave is reportedly becoming a useful resource for cardinals in the Vatican during the real-life proceedings to elect the next pope.
"Some have watched it in the cinema," a cleric told POLITICO. According to the cleric, the movie is seen as remarkably accurate even by cardinals, making it a helpful research tool. This is many of the participants' first conclave, as they were only appointed by the late Pope Francis during his papacy, and so have little experience with Vatican politics and protocol.
As for the movie, Conclave was released last fall and follows Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes, as he organizes the conclave to elect the next pope – and deals with the secrets and scandals that come to light in the process as the candidates descend on the Vatican from countries around the world. The cast also includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.
