Conclave 2024

 

Conclave

"This is a conclave Aldo, not a war."

“It is a war, and you have to commit to a side."

"I think again of your sermon, I know what it is to exist between two uncertainties".

-Conclave

If you are Catholic this presentation of the election to the chair of St. Peter should give you pause. It is an election filled with political maneuvering and back alley deals for control of the College of Cardinals. In short, Conclave represents the Catholic Church at its worst and most human. Though it is through this human mess that Conclave is able to show its true Catholic core. A Pope is not elected by any political maneuvering nor corrupt committee. A Pope is elected by God, He alone has the final say. If we take this truth into account we will begin to realize that Conclave understands its subject far better than you may think. This film is a political thriller built not on the choices of men, but on the decisions of God.
From its opening moments to its final probing conversation, Conclave embeds that truth into your mind with grace and accuracy. It does it so well I almost forgot its presence until the final striking statement. "I know what it is to exist between two uncertainties.”
Perhaps this is where clarity should come in. At the end of Conclave God elects a biological man, who physically presents as a man as well. If the intent was otherwise the script did not indicate it. What the script offers is a measured, thoughtful question: What if you were born with both sets of reproductive organs, would you be male or female? To my knowledge this is a real prognosis. It is a rare birth abnormality to be sure, but a possibility nonetheless. Conclave does not use this reveal for shock value or subversion. It is an honest question. To my filmic eye and ear there are too many conversational and visual checks and balances in the film to suggest anything other than that truth. Especially when considering the final conversation between Cardinal Lawrence and Pope elect Cardinal Benitez.
It is there, in moments like the end of Conclave, that Catholics often fail to have answers for those who are seeking them. Either that or we become so haunted by the possibility of the snowball effect that we do not answer the question, even if we have the answer. As a result we, as Catholics, consistently misrepresent films like Conclave. Using them as vehicles for our derision rather than channels for a meaningful dialogue. Though, fear of misuse or misinterpretation of the truth should not be a prerequisite for not answering an honest question. Didn't Jesus say, "You must forgive 70×7"? If that is true, shouldn't questions be given the same treatment? Especially when they relate to the truth that is the bedrock of the Catholic faith. I certainly do not have all the answers, but I know they are out there ready to be found. We just need to be willing to lead people to them.
    In that Spirit, let's answer one of the film's most entangled questions. Will women ever become Catholic priests? In the words of our current Pope Francis, "No." This stance is not some arbitrary rule. It is taken directly from Jesus when he declares, "This is my body" during the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. God does not contradict himself, so the logistics follow the prescribed course. If Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the true body and blood, soul and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, which we do. Then it follows that the priest is in persona Christie (in the person of Christ) as he re-presents the singular sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, God was a man and he offered the Eucharistic sacrifice as a man. So it is fitting and right for that singular event to remain the same throughout all time. There are volumes that have been written about the legitimacy of the Mass, but here the key word is sacrifice. The Catholic Priesthood is not a vehicle for power. A priest's main goal is to be like Christ, to sacrifice his life for those he loves. Let's be honest here, it is every man's duty to do the same, to lay down their life in sacrificial acts of service for those they love.
Powerful, thematically resident and intellectually honest, Conclave subverts its perceived subversion. Director Edward Berger and his team open the doors of the Vatican to reveal an ancient truth, God is in control, even when we think he isn't. Do not think of this as predestination, our will is our own. Though God is with us on the journey of choice, guiding us down the paths open to us.
    Perhaps that is the deeper truth Conclave seeks. In terms of gender, male and female, God is the determining factor. He and he alone may grant us a choice at birth as represented in Conclave, but once the corresponding decision is made it cannot be undone. If this truth seems harsh, it's not intended to be. With the body we are given and the soul that corresponds to that body, we are meant to find wholeness in our journey towards and with God. That wholeness may be out of your grasp at the moment. Though it will come, because a journey with the God who loves you will ensure that fact. Be confident, we are all who God made us to be. As Cardinal Benitez puts it at the end of Conclave, "I am who God made me”.

Rated PG for thematic material and smoking.

I found Conclave to be visually enthralling, thought-provoking and meaningful. I hope in some way you do too.

Conclave won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Conclave is available to stream on NBC Peacock with a subscription. It is also available to purchase on any digital video streaming service. It is
available physically on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc.


If you are interested here are two great Catholic resources:

Shameless Popery YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@shamelesspopery


The Council of Trent YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheCounselofTrent

Shameless Popery, focuses mainly on exploring the core tenants of the Catholic faith. The Council Of Trent is focused on how those tenants are applied in our world today. Both YouTube channels are extremely well researched and cited using history, Catholic and otherwise as their bases.