Amazon Prime Video subscribers have been left speechless after seeing the arrival of Conclave onto the platform – hours after the death of Pope Francis.

Francis died on April 21 aged 88 after suffering a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia.

Conclave – directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci – follows a conclave to elect the next pope after the incumbent leader dies of a heart attack.

And so, the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of its dean, Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom (Fiennes), convenes to elect his successor.

The four leading candidates are American liberal Aldo Bellini of the United States (played by Tucci), conservative Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria (Lucian Msamati), Joseph Tremblay of Canada (John Lithgow), and staunch traditionalist Goffredo Tedesco of Italy (Sergio Castellitto).

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.’

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one simply wrote: ‘Well, that’s awkward.’

‘Bro the timing was just on point omg,’ another said, while a third echoed a similar sentiment: ‘The timing is impeccable.’

Conclave is now streaming on Prime Video – hours after the death of Pope Francis 

Amazon Prime Video subscribers have been left speechless after seeing the arrival of the thriller onto the platform 

Another exclaimed: ‘Amazon team is a marketing genius.’

‘Sometimes capitalism is fun because you get peak marketing moves like this,’ a fifth continued.

‘Impeccably timed,’ said a sixth. ‘God truly works in mysterious ways.’

Conclave arrived in theaters on October 25 and grossed $32.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $83.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $116.4 million.

The film received eight Academy Awards nominations, including a Lead Actor nod for Brit actor Fiennes, after he transformed into Cardinal Lomeli for Conclave.

British writer Peter Straughan scooped the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, beating A Complete Unknown, Sing Sing, Emilia Pérez and Nickel Boys to the gong.

Amazon had previously announced at the beginning of the month that Conclave was to be added to its library.

Prime Video is also now streaming Gladiator II, and is expected to host Nickel Boys in the next coming days.

Francis died on April 21 aged 88 after suffering a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure

Ralph Fiennes plays lead character Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom in Conclave 

The film follows a conclave to elect the next pope after the initial pope dies of a heart attack

The release of Conclave to Prime Video has left many pointing out the ‘awkward’ timing

Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff.

The Congregation of Cardinals met in the Vatican’s synod hall for the first time today to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor.

The cardinals set his funeral for Saturday at 10am local time in St. Peter’s Square, outside St Peter’s Basilica, which can fit about 300,000 people.

The funeral mass will be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

The ordinary faithful will have an opportunity to pay their respects beginning tomorrow morning when Francis’ casket is moved into St. Peter’s Basilica.