We discuss the voting process depicted in the new papal thriller “Conclave” (in theaters now). Mild spoilers ahead!

Twice in the past years I jumped on a plane to Rome To tackle one of the most mysterious, storied and secret events in human history: the election of a new pope.

This event is also known as the conclave; This term gives its name to Robert Harris’s book, which was turned into a movie in 2016. “Conclave” takes place during a fictional convention of red-cloaked cardinals who flock to the Eternal City to vote. will lead the world’s approximately 1.4 billion Catholics.

Many people are familiar with the final moments of the conclave; The famous white smoke billowing from the chimney just outside the Sistine Chapel sends the assembled faithful into a frenzy of cheering, followed by the appearance of the newly elected priest on the center balcony. St. Peter’s Basilica.

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But given that the Vatican doesn’t actually do this To do In Hollywood, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow as oddball cardinals and Isabella Rossellini as curious cardinals, one wonders how the filmmakers were able to capture the subtle details, from flashy outfits to Latino voting oaths. nun.

“We were given a private tour of the Vatican and were made very welcome, quite helpful even,” says “Conclave” screenwriter Peter Straughan. “So it was a really big research project. It’s a fascinating, theatrical world, so you want to get those details right. It’s a very grand thing.”

Straughan adds that Vatican officials seem pleased with the film’s shocking premise and its depiction of the political machinations of a conclave of cardinals. “We didn’t want to be toothless in our approach to the church, which has many flaws, but we wanted to be respectful of the heart of the Catholic Church,” he says.

Straughan walks USA TODAY through questions that arise while watching “Conclave.”

How much of ‘Conclave’ was filmed in the Vatican?

None. “You could never shoot in the Vatican,” says Straughan. “We had to find alternatives.”

Most of these alternatives were actually in Rome, which was filled with centuries-old marble-clad buildings that doubled as many of the rooms, staircases, and corridors featured in the “Conclave.” (One notable exception: The Sistine Chapel’s instantly recognizable interiors were recreated on a soundstage, and Michelangelo’s famous ceiling was a computer-generated replica of the real thing.)

Are the 235 Roman Catholic cardinals really segregated like juries until they elect a pope?

Yes. As shown in “Conclave,” when a Vatican official turns to the assembled cardinals and says the words “extra omnes” (or “all out”), the cardinals are only allowed to interact with each other. “There shouldn’t be any information coming from the outside world that could influence the election in any way,” says Straughan.

However, although cardinals cannot leave until a successful vote is held, meaning that a cardinal receives two-thirds of the votes and is elected pope, there are some officials who can act as envoys if necessary. “While some people can go back and forth, I’m not sure they’re used as detectives the way they are in our story,” Straughan says.

Do the cardinals gathered for the conclave sleep on the premises?

The cardinals stay at Casa Santa Marta, a rather spartan dormitory on Vatican grounds. They are allowed to mingle in nearby buildings and courtyards and to eat together in a cafeteria staffed by nuns.

“Visually, you get a strange mix of absolute ancient beauty and massive scale that contrasts with this almost business conference center feel,” says Straughan. “You get this big stage feel and then almost a low-key backstage feel with the Sistine Chapel and these guys deciding who’s going to represent the Catholics of the world. It’s quite a contrast, which creates a great environment.”

Is the voting process in the papal conclave as formal as portrayed in the ‘Conclave’?

When cardinals meet to elect a pope, they vote up to four times a day, especially in the first day or two, to determine which candidates are more likely to receive a majority vote. As shown in “Conclave,” the voting process is not a noisy affair but is solemn and full of rituals. “When every cardinal casts his vote, he must walk up to the bowl where the written ballot will be placed and take an oath (in Latin),” Straughan says.

The cardinals place the folded ballots one by one on a round plate and slide it into an oval chest while reciting the oath. As seen in “Conclave,” these ballots are stitched together with a needle and thread and then burned with a chemical to send out either black smoke, meaning deadlock, or white smoke, meaning “habemus papam,” meaning “we have a pope.”

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Is ‘Conclave’ a true story? We are checking that the book has been turned into a movie