Pope Secret — Conclave

When it comes to organized religion, I know I can be something of a contradiction. I don’t particularly believe in the existence of any deity, nor do I approve of people using the construct of faith as a means to denigrate, persecute, or otherwise infringe on the civil and human rights of others. At the same time, I’ve always been fascinated by the history and ritual of it all. There’s an odd sort of harmony to the organization that I find strangely comforting, more so than I ever have the idea of divine intervention. It’s like a form of theatre to me, a well-oiled dramatic machine where everyone involved knows their role and how to play it. And every so often, even skeptics can be momentarily moved, if not outright converted.

This admittedly batshit romanticism can sometimes apply to the Catholic Church. I would never be a Catholic, what with all the child rape, suppression of women’s rights, and the fact that when I was in high school, one of my former teachers killed himself, and at the memorial service the presiding priest all but told the entire group of grieving students that the man we came to mourn was in Hell for committing a mortal sin and that he had no right to our pity. But that doesn’t prevent me from finding a great deal of intrigue in the inner workings of the Church, particularly the hierarchy and the selection of the Pontiff. No matter how we come to judge the Church as an institution, the fact remains that about 1/8 of the world’s population subscribes to the faith, and in choosing a Pope, the Church is not only determining the direction of itself for likely decades to come, but also telling that sizable chunk of the planet that the single man they select is the next closest thing to God on Earth.

The papacy is a powerful symbol, and one that’s shrouded in secrecy and mystery, even in the modern age of information and disinformation. I’ve lived through two papal conclaves so far, and the fact that both of them were still able to be conducted in such an insular manner where puffs of colored smoke were our only clue to the proceedings was alluring in the extreme. What went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel? What sort of political jockeying could take place for the spiritual control of a billion souls? What promises were made, and broken, to arrive at the necessary 2/3 consensus that saw Benedict XVI and Francis ascend to the throne of the Holy See? And more to the point in a modern context, is there a way to make this decision in a way that genuinely gives hope to the world, whether they belong to the faith or not?

Those are the questions that Edward Berger (director of Germany’s All Quiet on the Western Front remake from a couple years ago) seeks to answer in Conclave. Based on the novel by Robert Harris, the film is a thrilling political procedural using the election of the next Pope as an ideal backdrop for an exchange of heavy moral, ethical, and philosophical ideas. Depicting the Church as somewhat akin to an organized crime outlet or corrupt political machine, Berger uses this supremely clandestine custom to both spotlight the myriad problems with the institution and remind those who might feel conflicted that there is still a chance for salvation, provided one is willing to look outside their own personal bubble.

Ralph Fiennes gives one of the finest performances of his career as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, the body that elects the Pontiff. Summoned to the Vatican upon the current Pope’s death, Lawrence now has the unenviable task of moderating and facilitating the next election, even though he’s had a recent crisis of faith. He even attempted to resign from his post, but the now late Pope refused to accept it. With the conclave set to take place in a few days, four leading candidates have emerged. The first is Cardinal Aldo Bellini (an excellent Stanley Tucci), an American progressive who makes all the performative gestures to say he doesn’t want the job. He would continue the more liberal policies of his predecessor, including allowing for an increased role for women and gays, and he has Lawrence’s support. Next is Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), a Canadian Cardinal who favors more center-right policies (bearing in mind that all of these leanings are to be taken within the context of the historical socially conservative Church). Joshua Adeyemi from Nigeria (Lucien Msamati) would presumably be the first black African Pope, which could expand Church influence on the continent, but he’s also an extremist who favors the imprisonment and even execution of homosexuals. Finally, there’s Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), a hardline Italian traditionalist who believes that progressives and moderates are responsible for all the Church’s problems and historical schisms. Regularly seen smoking cigars and holding court over his fellow Italian Cardinals like a combination of a mafia don and the popular mean girl in high school, he’s one of the more fun characters of the lot.

Before the College is officially sequestered, the first of many dramatic twists is thrown into the mix, with the last-minute arrival of Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz). A young Mexican missionary who has preached the Gospel and set up numerous small diocese in war-torn areas with very small Christian populations, it is revealed that Benitez was secretly named by the late Pope as Archbishop of Kabul shortly before his death, granting him a seat and a vote in the conclave. This is but the first suspicious turn in the ceremony, as in pectore appointments are somewhat uncommon, and while there’s no accusation of foul play in the Pope’s death, there is much speculation that wheels were in motion — including from the late Pontiff himself — before he passed.

The first vote is largely uneventful, with no candidate receiving the requisite number of votes to attain the office. However, Benitez’s presence is enough to cause a stir, as he’s one of a handful to support Lawrence, much to Bellini’s chagrin. Not only does he feel betrayed, thinking that Lawrence himself now seeks the papacy — revealing some truer colors than his outwardly diplomatic and conciliatory air would suggest — but their shared pragmatism recognizes the threat that a split in the progressive wing would represent. If Lawrence and Bellini receive mixed support, neither will be seen as a viable candidate, and someone much more dangerous like Adeyemi or Tedesco will win, undoing all of the previous Pope’s reforms and potentially sending the Church back into the Dark Ages.

As the conclave wears on, the secrets and lies of the various candidates are exposed. Outside of the confines of institutional leadership and the united front the Church is meant to present, these sins could be forgiven, or even considered innocuous by some. But when it comes to choosing someone to be declared as close to infallible as mortal man is able to be, they are beyond damning. Through it all, Lawrence has to conduct these very sensitive investigations, perform his ceremonial duties as Dean, oversee the votes, and attempt to get Benitez to support Bellini instead, begging the new Cardinal not to foist such a responsibility on him when he isn’t even sure of his own faith anymore.

However, it’s that very doubt that solidifies Benitez’s endorsement. Before the conclave began, Lawrence gave an invocation speech where he talked about the necessity for faith and trust in God in the absence of certainty, and how a lack of assuredness provides the very mystery of existence that makes life worth living. Each of the four major candidates has a plan for what direction he wants to take the Church, and by extension, the world. Lawrence has no such ambitions, but even Bellini is realistic enough to call him out on it, noting that every man of the cloth likely chose a papal name for himself the moment he became a priest. No matter how much one may protest, it’s always at least in the back of their minds, so it’s pointless to pretend that Lawrence — or any of the Cardinals for that matter — doesn’t know what he’d do if he got the pointy hat. In the end, the life they’ve chosen demands that they put their faith in someone, so it might as well be a person that will work to do the most good.

Meanwhile, the goings on are observed and maintained from the sidelines by a group of nuns led by Sister Agnes, played by the incomparable Isabella Rossellini. While all the men are literally attempting to pontificate, both in private and out in the open (or at least as open as the sequester can be), Agnes sits back in her support role, but it’s clear she’s more in the know than anyone else. Through the most subtle of body language and only the most utilitarian of dialogue, she’s able to convey to Lawrence all the crucial information she uncovers about the candidates and their various machinations, truly speaking up only when the moment is right. The Church has traditionally not been amenable to the idea of assertive women, but Agnes is able to pick her battles with precision, daring the College to punish her and the other sisters for standing up to their lack of righteous behavior. I will be genuinely upset if there’s not a Supporting Actress nod for Rossellini come January.

The overall plot structure is fairly predictable, as you can tell which candidates will fall by the wayside, and even who will ultimately be elected. Where Berger really succeeds is in how he guides us through these beats. The cinematography from Stéphane Fontaine is absolutely gorgeous, making tremendous use of light and shadow and giving the viewer a slow-moving visual tour of the Vatican that makes each ballot feel like a war of attrition, not unlike the trench battles of All Quiet. Similarly, Oscar-winner Volker Bertelmann provides another killer orchestral score that needles you just enough to make the mundane aspects of the voting and information gathering feel that right amount of uneasy. For a process that’s so confined and cut off from the outside world, the few times that Berger lets it intrude on the proceedings provide an excellent degree of dramatic tension, completely making up for the more orderly plot beats and knowingly pompous dialogue (for example, late in the film a crisis prompts one of the Cardinals to give “the big speech” that sets the final events in motion). These superlative elements, along with the absolutely grand ensemble, combine to give us a film that’s meant for the most mature of audiences despite a PG rating, and it culminates in one of the most shocking twist endings I’ve ever seen.

I mean it. My jaw was on the floor. It is rare when I can be legitimately shocked by a story’s resolution anymore, and even though the film’s been out for more than a month, I wouldn’t dare spoil it in case you haven’t had an opportunity to see it yet (the movie is considered a major Best Picture contender, and is both available to stream and still in theatres). And to be fair, this particular curveball has been done before in other contexts. It’s just so well done here that I had no chance to see it coming, and it will stun you as well, assuming you haven’t read the book. There are some who’ve derided the twist as being too far out of left field, unnecessarily preachy (ironic), woke posturing, and even insulting to the Church. To all that, I say, GOOD!

The Catholic Church — and religion in general — needs to be challenged. I’m not a man of faith, but I’ll also never close the door on the possibility that I might find it in some form. While I am enthralled with ritual, I have little room for rigidness, and that’s a distinction that Berger highlights with this film, including its conclusion. A large part of why the Church has hemorrhaged membership over the years is because of how slow it is to accept change, with many of its practices having no real application in the 21st Century. When an institution is willing to condemn women for figuratively “killing babies” through abortion but unwilling to condemn its own for doing the same thing via the systemic rape of children, the problem is with the shepherd, not the flock. Hell, the reason we even have Protestantism and all of its various sects and denominations is because Martin Luther and other reformers were excommunicated, rather than the Church actually examining itself and fixing its problems. It’s a disease that infects so many areas of society, from business to politics to media. If reality doesn’t conform to the narrative, don’t change the narrative, change reality. When you’re that set in your ways, you need a shock to the system.

With this ending, Berger offers a solution to those willing to entertain it. In a story filled with uncertainty, personal doubt, and ironclad secrecy, perhaps grace is found in working within that framework rather than revolting against it. Maybe a lie can be used to protect something rather than exploit it. Maybe the key to renewing faith is to place it in the hands of someone who shows their worth with actions rather than words. Maybe the very people you would ignore and consign to the background are the ones who will ultimately save you. Most importantly, if someone is truly devoted to God, there shouldn’t be any problem believing that His will may manifest itself in such a way. If He really did create everyone and everything, surely this is just another way He shows us His love… right? Just like with Lawrence’s opening prayer, the key is an open mind. Those who say that the ending is an endorsement of toppling the traditions of the Church are completely missing the point. It’s not about forcing through an agenda, but about recognizing the value of a different perspective and deciding whether the institution or the message matters more. What you do with that information is what determines your fate, but you can’t go anywhere but backwards if you refuse to even listen. Regardless of where you stand on the issue or institution of religion, that is a very solid moral.

Grade: A

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Originally published at http://actuallypaid.com on December 16, 2024.