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The Vatican has officially declared the throne of the Holy See vacant
When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, the election of a new pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundations of the Catholic Church. Many of the actions that Cardinal Lawrence takes during the conclave in the film are true and accurate to the Catholic faith and centuries of tradition. After the death of the pope, his ring (called the Fisherman’s Ring) is removed and destroyed; this is to prevent it from being used to forge the papal seal on documents. The papal apartment is closed with a scarlet ribbon and sealed with a papal wax seal.
Ayendi will be the first African pope
The College of Cardinals is confined to their apartments (Domus Sanctae Marthae, House of Saint Martha) to eat and sleep between votes. Finally, the windows and doors of the Sistine Chapel, where the actual elections and voting take place, are blacked out, shuttered, and locked to maintain the secrecy of the conclave. Some of the more recent security measures taken in real life are also shown, when the Sistine Chapel was searched for wiretaps and other electronic listening devices, identity cards were issued to all conclave officials because A reporter disguised as a servant was discovered during the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, all members of the College of Cardinals were asked to surrender their cell phones and other electronic devices, the Vatican’s Wi-Fi network was temporarily shut down, and wireless signal jammers were installed in the Sistine Chapel. The Roman Catholic Church has had three African popes: Victor I (189-199 AD), Miltiades (also known as Melchias, 311-314 AD), and Gelasius I (492-496 AD).
And therefore there is no need for faith
Lawrence: Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there were only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery. Let us pray that God will give us a Pope who doubts. And may He give us a Pope who sins and seeks forgiveness and who moves on..
This is a political thriller
Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode of December 10, 2024 (2024). Allegri: MisererePerformed by Capella Musicale Pontificia Sistine, Massimo Palombella Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GMBHLicensed to Universal Music Operations Ltd. With a little tweaking, this kind of vaguely labyrinthine plot unfolds wherever there is a quest for power and control. The lead actors – Fiennes, Tucci, Lithgow, Rossellini and Msamati – give strong performances, and the film is worth watching for them alone.
The script is well-written, if clichéd in parts, but it provides tension, momentum and intrigue
The settings play their part equally and, given the scale, add gravitas and authenticity, rather than just background. Having said all that, and without giving anything away, the ending felt added on and didn’t integrate properly with the rest of the film. While the message was well-intentioned, it did somewhat undermine the build-up to the rest of the film – it felt simple and fashionable – unnecessary. It’s a shame, because if this part of the film had been given as much attention as the rest, it would have been a better film.