Prodcos Wag Entertainment and Stand By Me were granted access to the Vatican for one-off doc

BBC Two has commissioned Secrets of the Conclave, an hour-long documentary that goes behind the scenes of the conclave held at the Vatican earlier this year, following the death of Pope Francis.

The extraordinary access to one of the most closely-guarded processes in the Catholic Church was granted to the production teams at Wag Entertainment and Stand By Me, resulting in exclusive footage from the Vatican and interviews with the voting cardinals.

Secrets of the Conclave was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, head of commissioning, religion and ethics. The executive producers for Wag Entertainment are Eliya Arman and Steven Green, with Riccardo Chiattelli and Simona Ercolani for Stand By Me.

Scalchi said: “Whether you loved the book, the movie or neither, this insight into the process of a conclave promises to be an eye-opening, world-first glimpse into one of the most important religious rituals on earth.”

Arman added: “As filmmakers, we felt it was an extraordinary privilege to hear from the cardinals themselves about what truly happened inside the Sistine Chapel.

“Their openness allowed us to illuminate the humanity behind a moment of immense historic and spiritual importance, giving audiences a glimpse into a world usually hidden from view.”

Stand by Me’s Ercolani stated: “It was a great honour to recount the Conclave through the voices of the Cardinals. Thanks to our collaboration with Vatican Media, we were able to discover how 133 cardinals from around the world, guided by faith and common sense, gathered to elect the new Pope: a moment very different from how one might imagine it.

“Thanks to the BBC, this story will reach a new audience and offer them an authentic glimpse into a historic event in which the sacred and the human are at the centre.”