18/25
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. The actions that Cardinal Lawrence takes during the film’s conclave are real and accurate to the Catholic faith and centuries of tradition. When the pope dies, his ring (called the Fisherman’s Ring) is removed and destroyed; the aim is to prevent it from being used to forge the papal seal on documents. The Vatican has officially declared the throne of the Holy See vacant. The papal apartment is closed with a dark red ribbon and sealed with the papal seal. The College of Cardinals is housed in apartments (Domus Sanctae Marthae, Saint Martha’s House) to eat and sleep between votes. Finally, the Sistine Chapel, where the actual election and voting takes place, has its windows and doors blacked out, covered, and locked to maintain the secrecy of the conclave. Some of the newer, more sophisticated security measures that were also taken in real life are also shown: when the conclave that elected Pope Francis I was held in the Sistine Chapel in 2013 against bugs and other electronic listening devices, all conclave officials were issued identity cards, because during the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, a reporter disguised as a servant was found, all members of the college. Cardinals had to hand over their cell phones and other electronic devices, Vatican City’s Wi-Fi network was temporarily turned off, and wireless jammers were installed in the Sistine Chapel. Ayendi is said to be the first African pope. . . . . The Roman Catholic Church has had three African popes: Victor I (189–199 CE), Miltiades (also known as Melchias, 311–314 CE), and Gelasius I (492–496 CE). 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. And therefore there is no need for faith. Let us pray that God will give us a doubting pope. And may he give us a pope who sins and asks for forgiveness and moves on.. Featured on the 7PM Project: Episode 10, December 2024 (2024). Allegri: Miserere Performed by the Pontifical Sistine Musical Capella, Massimo Palombella Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH. I am licensed by Universal Music Operations Ltd. I’ve just returned from the theater after seeing "Conclave" which I thoroughly enjoyed and thoroughly enjoyed. I was so captivated by the beautiful cinematography, fantastic performances, great score and quality costume and production design for most of the film that I was convinced it had to be a 10/10 film. But then unfortunately came the ending. I think the ending of a film is the most important part. What do you leave the audience with? What is your final statement to them? Well, in this film it is so contrived, confusing and absurd that any final statement becomes confusing and I left the theater with a bad taste in my mouth. The ending is so unrealistic that it threatens to ruin every frame of what came before. It is done purely to make a point about the church and shock the audience. Now this doesn’t ruin the whole film (not for me anyway), but unfortunately it ruins an otherwise great film.
