Hope
in the Pope: The Middle Path in The Conclave
Dr Sonya J. Nair,
Associate Professor,
Department of English,
All Saints’ College,
University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Abstract: Cinema has the potential to bring
narratives to life and to ensure their longevity in public memory. If art was
the visual medium of memory making in the pre-cinematic days, the voluble,
animated, audible medium of cinema has captured the imagination of human beings
world-wide. The soft power that cinema exudes has ensured that it wields
social-political-economic agency and carries the responsibility of
disseminating a certain point of view. The magic of cinema is such that it can
be used to tell a story from any angle and with the right techniques of
narration, music, characterization, the viewers also become partisan to the
stated views. The paper seeks to discuss the film The Conclave in the light of
the gendered notion of religion. Released in 2024, The Conclave presents the
intricacies of the Vatican as they set out to elect a new pope. The Cardinals
present a cross-section of the world as we know it today, hypermasculine,
conservatives jostling for space alongside vacillating moderates and ‘woke’ individuals
who look for diversity and inclusivity. As war and violence rages all over the
world, what sort of a voice is needed to head one of the most powerful and
influential institutions in the world? The Conclave presents a resolution that
is bold and visionary- it brings forth the idea of an individual who
encompasses a deep understanding of humanity from living in the most troubled
areas in the world but also from a lived reality. The Conclave presents a
perspective that is revolutionary, healing and androgynous- much like Christ.
Keywords:
The Conclave, Pope, Vatican,
Intersex, Woke politics, Critical Gender and Race studies
The paper examines the
film The Conclave closely and looks
into elements that align with the current policy of the church as led by Pope
Francis. It examines policy documents to understand the influences that shape
perceptions surrounding Intersex people, including their depiction in media.
The Pope is the spiritual leader of more than 1.3 billion followers around the
world and they regard him as the vicar of Christ. He is also the leader of the
Vatican- which has an independent government. According to Eugene V. Rostow in
the article the Role of The Vatican in
the Modern World, It has unrivaled sources of information through church
universities, schools, monasteries, convents, and other institutions. It deals
directly with the most fundamental elements in the life of many communities:
the protection of the clergy in their mission and the faithful in their
education and worship involve the Church in highly practical diplomatic matters
throughout the world. The Vatican maintains formal relations with over 50
nations1. This means that the potential of the Vatican to influence
policy, create knowledge, raise consciousness, harness soft-power and create
dialogues is immense. It is in every sense of the term, a government and one of
the most diverse countries in terms of the nationalities of the followers. In
the medieval times, the powerful houses of Italy vied with each other to
install one of their scions on the papal seat and thus influence the course of
history and also create immense wealth for the familial beneficiaries. The
Vatican has mounted campaigns, waged wars and engaged in serious lobbying in
order to turn the course of history to suit its needs. However, in the
twentieth century, a reformist zeal led to the Vatican reaching out to more
people, recognizing the intrinsic value and contribution of its non-Caucasian
followers and re-positioning itself as the spiritual centre of Christendom and
as an active advocate for peace. There were various initiatives towards
bringing a sceptic flock back in. The last century also saw Pope Benedict
stepping down and making way for Pope Francis. While ill-health was cited as
the reason for this, unconfirmed sources spoke in the media about the sense of
rigidity and conservatism pervading the Vatican on account of the orthodox
beliefs the former Pope harboured. The transition of power is pictured in the
film The Two Popes. (2019)
The Church, especially
the Vatican, holds a special fascination for film-makers. The rituals, the
chanting, the prayers in Latin, the grandeur of the spectacle of the priests
and the nuns dressed somberly and the sermon that is delivered, all make for
some excellent shots. The gloomy interiors of some of the older churches invite
stories of ghosts and mysterious hallways- like in the Da Vinci Code (2006).
Other films such as Doubt (2008) about the church in general
and the lives of clergy are also rather interesting as they provide an insight
into the ways those religious institutions that are struggling to keep their
followers, deal with existential crises. There are also horror films such as The Exorcist (1973), Annabelle (2014), The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) where the Vatican is a distant presence
but which has a controlling grip over its parishes and the flock. The Vatican
here is seen as a conduit to God and its rituals are perceived as what keeps
evil at bay.
Today the Catholic
Church is led by a figure who is quite polarizing. Pope Francis is now known
for his liberal views on homosexuality, on sex and on the rights of the gender
and sexuality divergent. This has won many young people over to the church
while also alienating the more traditional of the believers. During his recent
trip to Sudan, the Pope denounced laws against homosexuality and remarked that
“are children of God and God loves them.”2
The Pope delivered a
speech in Bolivia in 2015 where he protested against the harm being done to the
environment. The speech was widely carried and established the Pope as a
progressive figure who was a new age warrior of the faith- one that believed
that all living and non-living entities are partners of the Earth.
Once capital becomes an
idol and guides people’s decisions, once greed for money presides over the
entire socio-economic system, it ruins society, it sets people against one
another, it even puts at risk our common home, our sister mother Earth.3
He protested against
the wall that America was building in Mexico and has tried to decentralize the
Vatican. These progressive moves do not hide his rather ambivalent stand on
child abuse and the corruption going on in the financial dealings of the
churches. Yet, there is a strong sense of positivity regarding the Church and the
ways that it has welcomed diversity an inclusivity measures, especially through
ordaining cardinals from Africa and Asia. The vernacularisation of the litany,
the adoption of indigenous colours in the vestments of the cardinals- all have
created the image of the Church now as an open, democratic space that aspires
to modernity and inclusivity.
It is this emerging
image of the Vatican that the 2024 film The
Conclave directed by Edward Berger relies on for credibility as it narrates
one of the most secretive, most complicated processes of election in the free
world- the election of a new Pope. At the death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawence
is charged with holding the Conclave to elect a new Pope. There are already
frontrunners to the position starting with Tremblay and Tedesco. These
cardinals are quite the opposite to each other. While Tremblay is quite
liberal, Tedesco represents the more orthodox elements of the Church. He is
against Gay marriages and wants the litany to go back to being in Latin.
Lawrence roots for Bellini, yet another candidate to become the Pope. Just
before the conclave settles down to vote, one more cardinal makes an
appearance- Benitez was the Archbishop of Kabul and had been ordained in pectore meaning in secret or in private.
The now-deceased Pope had ordained Benitez in secret and this is why there had
been no mention of him. There is a calmness about the new cardinal. He does not
seem intimidated by the pomp and ritual of the Vatican and he settles down
immediately. Lawrence understands that Benitez had been serving in some of the
most conflict-ridden areas of the world and had been quietly serving humanity
and God. he understands that the Pope trusted Benitez and saw something special
in him
The voting throws up
more front runners including Bellini whom Lawrence roots for and Adeyemi-an
African Cardinal, who if elected, would become the first Pope from Africa. The
inclusive result leads to yet another round of voting where Lawrence finds that
someone has voted for him as well. This greatly surprises him as he had clearly
stated that he did not want the position. Meanwhile Adeyemi’s rising popularity
does not go down well with Tremblay and Tedesco and soon a young African nun
walks up to him and enters into an argument with him. Lawrence investigates and
finds that some years ago, Adeyemi had had an affair with the nun who was then
a mere girl and has a child by her who was then given for adoption. While
Adeyemi requests that all this be not revealed, Lawrence has no choice but to
ensure that Adeyemi’s campaign ends there.
Bellini who is the
voice of liberalism in the Church wonders if Lawrence is really on his side and
if the votes that Lawrence got were n making him ambitious. Lawrence meanwhile
finds out that Tremblay had brought the nun in especially here to irritate
Adeyemi and that the Pope before passing away had caught some of the corrupt
practices of Tremblay. This ends Tremblay’s campaign as well leaving Bellini
and Lawrence in the fray.
Tedesco had already
made his belligerent views clear on the liberal practices of the church and how
he intends to shut them down, all of which fills Lawrence with disappointment.
Bellini is advised by his supporters not to be very vocal about women’s rights,
divorce or homosexuality. He is advised to be a moderate so as to appeal to all
sections of the electoral collegiums. However, the conclave in Rome is
concurrent with mass protests over various issues in Italy and the protests
spread to Rome as well and one day there is a severe explosion quite near where
the Cardinals stay to vote. This causes them to be moved to a secure location
where a debate breaks out between Tedesco and Bellini. Tedesco roars about how
Islamist hardliners have made life difficult and that the soft approach of the
church has been its undoing.
The firm voice of
Benitez interjects and he gives a strong message on the importance of conflict
resolution. He asks that the hardline positions everywhere in the world be
dropped as violence only begets more violence. The cycle never ends. The next
round of voting sees Benitez as the front runner and the final winner. He is
elected Pope and takes on the name Innocent.
There is celebration in
Rome at the forthcoming ordination. However, Lawrence is given more information
by his investigators regarding Benitez and when he goes to seek clarification
from Benitez, he is told by the priests waiting to dress Benitez that he would
not undress before them. Lawrence rushes into the room and on finding
themselves completely lone, asks him for the truth of his story. Benitez admits
without any guile that he had indeed been financed by the Pope to go to a
clinic in Switzerland but it was not to seek treatment, rather to provide a
solution to Benitez’s situation. During an appendectomy during his time as a
Cardinal, Benitez is informed by doctors that he is actually a hermaphrodite or
an intersex individual- he carried the sexual organs of both sexes. The Pope
sent him to Switzerland for corrective surgery that was purely elective. But
Benitez considered the matter very seriously and then decided not to go ahead
with the surgery. He tells Lawrence that he is as God made him. Innocent then
goes forth to receive the acclaim of the people.
While there is a
proliferation of films on erotic minorities, there are quite few films on
intersex people. Often the term intersex is confused with terms such as Hijras and Transgender. Intersex
individuals are born with the sexual characteristics of both sexes and are
often subjected to corrective surgeries, especially during infancy. In recent
times, more and more governments have banned this practice and the child is
allowed to decide if any surgery is needed at all.
Films such as Everybody (2023) discusses this very
issue and the possible aftermath. No Box
for Me (2018) and Who I Am Not
(2023) are documentaries that examine intersex connectivities in colonized
nations. These films place an emphasis on the way that Intersex individuals
have to deal with biases and misconceptions about them. In India, there have
been films on Intersex people, but like Maharani in Sadak (1991), many portrayals could turn out to be rather negative.
There are very few sensitive portrayals such as in Darmiyaan (1997), Shabnam
Mausi (2005), Tamanna (1998), Eka (2018) which look at the very core of
these individuals and examine the nuances of their lives.
Intersex people are
defined by the United Nations as “born with sex characteristics that do not fit
typical definitions for male or female bodies, including sexual anatomy,
reproductive organs, hormonal patterns, and/or chromosome patterns. [...]
According to experts, between 0.05 per cent and 1.7 per cent of the population
is born with intersex traits.” (UNOHCHR, 2019: 2)
In India, they are
often blanketed under the terms Hijra and Kinnars. As per the Transgender
Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 as well, the intersex people are
subcategorized under transgender. This shows the lack of awareness or indeed
the willingness to learn about the spaces occupied by intersex people in the
social spectrum.
What The Conclave tries to portray is that in
a world that is growing increasingly growing rigid and binary- where violence
begets more violence, the middle path is the true and actual solution. The
intersex body is a perfect metaphor for what the world needs-the acceptance of
its diversities, and moreover, respecting these diversities rather than seeking
to conform. This idea is something that has been variously spoken by all those
have actually worked for peace and reconciliation in the world- from Buddha to
Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr to Bishop Desmond Tutu to the Dalai Lama- the
age of intolerance is the age of the Binary. Rather, we must look for the age
of diversity and inclusivity and thus learn to make space for everyone- this is
the message Benitez or Pope Innocent also gives through his work and indeed
through the acceptance of his body.
The
Conclave places hope for a more peaceful world through
acceptance- of oneself and of others. The liminality of the Pope -and of the
Church by extension- paves the way for the possibility of a new world order of
understanding and cooperation.
Notes
1.
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/role-of-the-vatican-in-the-modern-world-4155
2.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/13/1162954465/after-10-years-as-pope-francis-continues-to-reshape-the-catholic-church
3.
https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-criticizes-unfettered-pursuit-money-bolivia-speech-352259
Works
Cited
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Sylvia. “After 10 Years as Pope, Francis Continues to Reshape the Catholic
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Accessed 15 June 2025.
Rostow,
Eugene V. “The Role of the Vatican in the Modern World: EWTN.” EWTN Global Catholic Television Network,
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Accessed 10 June 2025.
United
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