Academy Awards hopeful "Conclave" reveals system behind selecting a new pontiff, as Pope Francis remains hospitalized, battling pneumonia. (Feb. 27)

There has long been a Vatican taboo against openly talking about a conclave when a pope is sick: It’s considered gauche to speculate about the election of a new pope while the current one is fighting for his life.

Conclave — which stars Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini — tells the story of a papal conclave, a meeting where dozens of Catholic priests gather at the Vatican to select a new pope. In recent days, headlines surrounding Pope Francis’ health have led many online to point out the eerie timing of the medical episode.

While Pope Francis battles pneumonia in a Rome hospital, a curious juxtaposition has emerged: the Academy Awards buzz around the film Conclave.The Vatican traditionally avoids discussing papal succession while the current pontiff is ill,