By Trisha Thomas, Associated Press

ROME – A few weeks before Pope Francis’ 88th birthday, the conspiracy for his successor is in full swing at the Vatican.

How timely, then, right across town in Rome.” conclave A thriller full of back-stabbing, manipulative cardinals, quick to throw morality out the window when introducing its nominees, it’s a top draw at the Rome Film Festival.

This may be a little too close to home, literally and figuratively, for Pope Francis.

Austrian-Swiss Director Edward Berger, who directed the movie “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022), adapted the film from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel “Conclave”. Berger casts an outstanding Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, dean of the College of Cardinals responsible for organizing the conclave.

The conclave is a centuries-old tradition in which cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican upon the death of a pope to participate in rounds of voting until they elect a new pope. Conclave comes from the Latin word “cumclave,” meaning “with a key,” to indicate that the Cardinals remain locked up until they choose the new leader for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

The whole process is carried out under a magnificent frescoed ceiling painted by Michelangelo, and his masterpiece “The Last Judgment”, depicting the fate of people going to heaven or hell, covers the wall behind the altar. During the entire process, the bishops’ communication with the outside world is cut off and they are forced to retreat into seclusion in the Vatican.

The conclaves are known as a competition without limits, as the cardinals make secret agreements to choose their favorites through secret ballots.

At the end of each voting round, ballots are thrown into a specially constructed stove in the Sistine Chapel, to which a chemical is added to color the smoke.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square and waiting for the result will understand from the smoke coming out of the chimney whether the new pope has been elected or not. Black means the cardinals have not yet chosen a pope, while white means a new pope has been chosen.

Inside ” conclave Stanley Tucci plays Aldo Bellini, a progressive American cardinal who struggles against powerful conservative Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco, played by Sergio Castellitto, and Canadian Cardinal Joseph Tremblay, played by John Lithgow. Nigerian Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi, played by Lucian Msamati, may be the first Black pope, but his homophobic views clash with progressives.

While women remain outside the Vatican conclave and the highest circles of power, they help fulfill modest roles serving the cardinals during the conclave period. Isabella Rossellini plays a nun who surprises with her role as the silent observer who never misses a trick.

Although it is a thriller, the film often comes close to the actual workings and current debates in the Vatican. While the stars of the movie walked the red carpet, some wondered how the movie would be watched in the Vatican.

“Interesting. “Are they sitting in the Vatican watching the ‘Conclave’ news?” actor Fiennes said. “I’m sure there are a few people in the Vatican who will be curious about what the movie is about.”

Despite his age and serious health problems, including a bad knee that forces him to use a wheelchair, Pope Francis shows no sign of slowing down. In August, he undertook his longest and most challenging journey yet, traveling by air to four countries in the Asia-Pacific. This month, he presided over the synod, a three-week meeting of more than 360 bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the church.

But Francis is not immortal. Discussions have already begun about who his successor might be, but we don’t yet know if the next real conclave will be as exciting as the movie.