Until a few months ago, if you asked someone what a “conclave” was, they’d probably have no idea. Now, all of a sudden, it’s a catch-word. And that’s mostly thanks to the movie of the same name.
I’m not much of a film expert, but I do know that “Conclave” won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and that Ralph Fiennes was nominated Best Actor for his role as a progressively-minded prelate who’s, well, not everything he appears to be.
Unfortunately, to tell you any more would be to spoil the ending and the plot. Which actually spoils itself because of its absurd and abysmal construction… But that’s another story.
I’m not here to critique “Conclave”. I’m here to consider context.
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve probably seen previews and posters – all of which display scarlet-robed, lace-lined, Princes of the Church intent on scheming and power-bargaining their way to electing a new Successor of Peter.
In fact, if the film had simply been a fictional costume-drama set in the 16th century it might even have worked. But this is the 21st Century and the Church is definitely not cloak-and-dagger fiction.
Just over 150 years ago, the Italian State was born and the papacy lost all temporal power. The pope literally became a “prisoner of the Vatican” – an area that’s smaller than most public parks, and with an annual budget that’s less than that of many American universities.
Being a pope today isn’t about power. It’s about service. It means washing the feet of criminals in a Rome prison, or kneeling before Sudanese warlords, pleading with them to stop fighting each other.
Being a pope today means being ready to go where other world leaders haven’t the courage to go, like war-ravaged Iraq or the Central African Republic.
It’s no longer pomp and circumstance that makes a pope. It’s spending time with the sick and suffering, with the homeless and refugees, offering comfort and consolation in a world that too often forgets how to hope.
What “Conclave” the movie doesn’t get is how hard the Church and her representatives really work to fill the gaps left by society and politicians. The image of slandering, scheming, backstabbing, power-hungry cardinals may provide an evening’s cheap entertainment, but it hardly reflects the harsh reality that present-day popes, together with their closest collaborators, are called to face – all over the world, all of the time.
“Conclave” the movie is about political power. The papacy is about moral authority. And moral authority is about speaking wisely and acting virtuously – not for personal gain, but to promote the Common Good.
Maybe we should award the Pope an Oscar for “Best Outstanding Achievements”…
SPL
