Conclave

The fact that the Pope is elected through an election has always been a mystery to me—how does the process preserve the sanctity of the office?

To be fair, there have been numerous popes who used extreme forms of corruption to win the election. But what about the cases where a decent candidate seems to have been elected? How does that happen?

Conclave is a 2024 movie with a stellar cast, ranging from Ralph Fiennes to Stanley Tucci to John Lithgow.

The screenplay often smuggles a fair bit of secular liberal thought into the Catholic Church, but if you can look past that, it delves into a central question of power: the people best suited to hold power are often the ones who never sought it. The movie explores this premise while also portraying candidates canvassing for themselves.

A less obvious aspect—one the movie doesn’t explicitly focus on—is the internal dialogue of decent candidates: those who don’t want to admit they seek power, but who have quietly contemplated having it for a long time. I found this element utterly fascinating.

Overall, an entertaining movie—especially if the papal election and the internal workings of the Church fascinate you.