New video footage from the Vatican shows the sealing of the papal apartments after the death of Pope Francis. The first pope from Latin America died on Monday, April 21 at 88.
The video is all too familiar to anyone who saw Conclave, which starred Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence, who managed a fictional version of the real-life papal election process.
Unlike the fictional deceased pope in Conclave, Pope Francis did not reside in the papal apartments, known as the Apostolic Palace. Instead, he chose to live in the apartment of the Casa Santa Marta, a smaller, dorm-like dwelling in the Vatican guest house, per CBS News. Both apartments have been sealed, as is consistent with the traditional proceedings of a pope’s death.
“He lives in a small room.” Lucas Schaerer, a Vatican insider who befriended Pope Francis in 2008, told PEOPLE in 2015.
The upcoming papal election, known as a conclave, was documented in Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris. The process dates to the 13th century.
The first conclave is believed to have been held in 1276, per The Conversation. The sequestered voting process was initially held where the former pope died, though since 1492, the conclave has primarily been held at the Sistine Chapel.
Among the rituals associated with the electoral process are the burning of colored smoke from the Vatican to indicate where the cardinals are in the process. White smoke signals that the new pope has been selected, while black smoke signals that they need to vote again, per NPR. A two-thirds majority among the College of Cardinals is required to elect the next pope.
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The conclave typically begins 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope, and takes as long as needed. Cardinals took three years to elect Pope Gregory X in the 13th century, per USA Today. Pope Francis was elected after only one day of voting. He was the first Latin American pope and held openly progressive views on immigration and the LGBTQ+ community.
The pope’s body will be blessed and available for public viewing at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, according to Politico. Francis’ funeral will take place at St. Peter’s Square between the fourth and sixth day after his death, to account for a large crowd of mourners. He will be buried at St. Mary Major, a Roman basilica, instead of at the Vatican, breaking from centuries of tradition.
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