The papal conclave to elect a new Pope is expected to begin between May 6th and May 11th, 2025, after Pope Francis's funeral and general consultations among cardinals. This process, which involves cardinals voting in secret to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church, is a significant event following the death of a Pope. This highly secretive event takes place in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, and only cardinals under 80 years old are eligible to vote. Were you aware of the procedure to elect the new Pope?

The 2024 film "Conclave" came to Prime Video April 22, and many are questioning the timing, just one day after the Pope died. The launch of the political thriller onto the platform immediately had social media users pointing out the 'awkward' timing – although some praised the move as 'marketing genius.' "Conclave" is based on Robert Harris's 2016 book of the same name, and won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, and is a fairly accurate account of the Papal conclave due to start shortly in the Vatican. Have you seen the movie, or read the book?

The movie performed well at the box office, grossing over $115 million worldwide, when it hit theaters in the fall 2024, but the death of Pope Francis on April 21 resulted in an increase of 3,200% in people watching the film from home. However, other movies on this subject, or related to it, are also available to watch. Have you seen any of these other films?

The papal conclave takes as long as needed − in the 13th century, it took cardinals three years to elect Pope Gregory X. But in modern times, papal conclaves have been shorter. The longest conclave in the 20th century lasted five days, and in 2013, Pope Francis was elected in a little over 24 hours. With 80% of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis himself, they are not only electing a pope for the first time, but will offer a broad global perspective. The candidates are varied, with a possible first ever Black Pope, as two potential leading candidates are Cardinal Ambongo from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah from Ghana. Of course, the real question for Catholics and the world, is will the new Pope carry on the more progressive, modern approach that made Pope Francis so popular and respected. Do you think the new Pope will be...