After Pope Francis died on 21 April 2025, Vatican officials sealed two residences: the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace and the apartment in Casa Santa Marta where Francis had lived. The sealing followed a separate rite in which his death was formally ascertained and his body placed in a coffin. The procedure echoes a scene in the 2024 film Conclave, though the real event does not make the film’s broader story documentary fact.
What the footage shows
Vatican News reported that Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, presided over the rite of ascertainment of death and placement of Francis’s body in a coffin on the evening of 21 April 2025. The rite took place in the ground-floor chapel of Casa Santa Marta. Afterward, seals were placed on two residences: the papal apartment on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace and the apartment on the second floor of Casa Santa Marta, where Francis had lived. Vatican News’ report and video describe the sequence and locations.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Conclave - Blu-ray + Digital | $10.04 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Top Gun (4K Ultra-HD + BD) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41mCl0b+vqL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Top Gun (4K Ultra-HD + BD) [Blu-ray] | $51.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Conclave Blu-ray | Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow | Region B (Australia) | $20.87 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Robe, The | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Stigmata | Buy on Amazon |
The distinction between the two apartments matters: Francis lived at Casa Santa Marta, not in the Apostolic Palace apartment. The official report says both were sealed.
What happened, and when
- 7:35 a.m., 21 April 2025: Francis died, according to the Holy See’s announcement reproduced in the Vatican’s 2025 vacancy archive.
- 9:47 a.m.: Farrell publicly announced the death, as recorded in that archive.
- 8:00 p.m.: Farrell presided over the rite of ascertainment of death and placement of the body in the coffin at Casa Santa Marta, according to the Vatican Media caption published by L’Osservatore Romano. The caption gives the time and place.
- After the rite: Seals were placed on the two apartments, as reported by Vatican News.
- 11 May 2025: Pope Leo XIV reopened the Apostolic Palace apartment and had the seals placed after Francis’s death removed, according to Vatican reporting. Vatican News reported the reopening.
Why the sealing resembles *Conclave*
The 2024 Vatican thriller Conclave, adapted for the screen by Edward Berger from Robert Harris’s work, includes a sealed papal apartment. In a May 2025 explainer, Le Monde explicitly connected that film scene with Vatican News footage of the real sealing after Francis’s death. The parallel is procedural: the real Vatican account confirms that apartments were sealed after the pope’s death and that the successor later reopened the Apostolic Palace apartment. Le Monde’s explainer makes the comparison.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Genre: Mystery / Suspense
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 121
- Rating: PG
The comparison should stay narrow. The official reports document the real rite, the two sealed residences, and the later reopening; they do not establish that every detail in the film’s plot or setting reflects Vatican practice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the purpose
The Vatican accounts cited here establish that the apartments were sealed and that the Apostolic Palace apartment remained sealed until Leo XIV reopened it. They do not give an official explanation of the measure’s purpose. Le Monde quotes canon-law professor Cédric Burgun describing the sealing as protection for confidential, unfinished files; that is expert commentary, not a stated Vatican rationale.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Blu-ray Movies, Blu-ray TV Shows
Rank #2
- Top Gun (Idolos del aire)
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
