48/17
When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secret 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 and the rest of the cardinals perform during the conclave process in the film are true and accurate to the Catholic faith and centuries of tradition. After the Pope’s death, his ring (called the Fisherman’s Ring) is removed and destroyed; this prevents it from being used to forge the Pope’s seal on documents. The Vatican makes an official announcement that the throne of the Holy See (the governing body of the Catholic Church) is vacant. The papal apartment is closed with a crimson ribbon and sealed with a papal wax seal. The College of Cardinals is secluded in apartments (the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the House of Saint Martha) to eat and sleep between votes. Finally, the windows and doors of the Sistine Chapel, where the election takes place and votes are cast, are darkened, closed and locked to maintain the secrecy of the conclave. Some of the most recent security measures adopted in real life are also shown: When the conclave that elected Pope Francis I met in 2013, the Sistine Chapel was searched for hidden microphones and other electronic listening devices, identification cards were issued to all conclave servants because a reporter was discovered disguised as a servant during the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, all members of the College of Cardinals were ordered to hand over their cell phones and other electronic devices, Vatican City’s Wi-Fi network was temporarily shut down and wireless signal jammers were installed in the Sistine Chapel. It is claimed that Ayendi would be the first African pope. The Roman Catholic Church has had three African Popes: Victor I (189-199 AD), Miltiades (also known as Melchiades, 311-314 AD), and Gelasius I (492-496 AD). Lawrence: Our faith is alive precisely because it goes hand in hand with doubt. If there were only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery. And therefore there would be no need for faith. Let us pray that God will grant us a Pope who doubts. And that he will grant us a Pope who sins and asks for forgiveness and who moves on. Featured in the 7PM Project: Episode of December 10, 2024 (2024). Allegri: Miserere Performed by Capella Musicale Pontificia Sistina, Massimo Palombella Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GMBH or licensed by Universal Music Operations Ltd. I just came back from the cinema after seeing “Conclave,” a film that moved me deeply and I really enjoyed it. For most of the film I was so enthralled by the gorgeous cinematography, the fantastic performances, the beautiful soundtrack, and the quality of the costumes and production design that I was convinced that this should be a 10/10 film. But then, unfortunately, the end came. I think the ending of a film is the most important part. What are you going to leave the audience with? What is your final message to them? Well, this film is so contrived, confusing, and absurd that any final message becomes confusing, and I left the theater with a bad taste in my mouth. The ending is so unrealistic that it threatens to destroy every frame of what came before. It is done solely to make a statement about the church and to shock the audience. Now, this doesn’t ruin the film as a whole (at least for me), but unfortunately it does ruin an otherwise magnificent film.