By Margot Dragos
Since the Catholic Church just underwent a conclave of its own, the 2024 film “Conclave” has resurged in popularity. Because of its controversial ending, the film has been met with backlash from certain Catholics, citing it as disrespectful and anti-Catholic. However, “Conclave” simply points out issues in the Catholic Church in a thoughtful, respectful way, and its ending is no exception.
If you haven’t seen the film yet, I’d strongly recommend watching it before reading the rest of this article. I knew the ending of the movie because of the controversy surrounding it, and although it was still worth watching, it made it much more predictable. So, this is your spoiler alert!
A conclave is a process where the College of Cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. The cardinals are secluded from the outside world as they cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. “Conclave,” the film, starring Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence, is a fictionalized version of this process and is based on the book of the same name. Fiennes’ character is the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and is therefore responsible for overseeing the conclave. Fueled by drama involving the cardinals’ secrets, “Conclave” leaves audiences on the edge of their seats as the stakes heighten and these secrets are revealed.
However, the biggest plot twist comes at the end of the film after the cardinals elect a new pope. Cardinal Lawrence is informed that Pope-elect Cardinal Benitez had almost undergone a medical procedure called a laparoscopic hysterectomy, a surgery meant to remove one’s uterus.
This reveals that Benitez is intersex, meaning he was born with a reproductive system that doesn’t match the female or male binary. This is especially shocking because only men can become priests in the Catholic Church. Despite the fact that Benitez’s appointment is a breach of canon law since he is not fully male, Lawrence decides to keep his secret and allows him to become pope in spite of their differences.
This sparked outrage amongst certain conservative-leaning Catholics. Megyn Kelly, a conservative journalist and ex-FOX News talk show host, and other Catholics have argued that the film’s intention was to put Catholics in a negative light and disrespect their religion. Kelly went on X to describe the movie as a “disgusting anti-Catholic film” because of its ending and that “Christians/Catholics are always fair game to mock/belittle/smear.”
While it is true that Christians and Catholics have been unfairly mocked in the past, “Conclave” did not do such a thing. The filmmakers did research into the process and even discussed the film’s controversial ending with Vatican officials, who accepted it.
Peter Straughan, the film’s screenwriter, told USA Today that he and the film’s developers were welcomed into the Vatican for a private tour that helped them make their portrayal of the space more accurate.
Straughan explained, “We didn’t want to be toothless in our approach to the church, which has many faults, but we wanted to be respectful of the heart of the Catholic Church.”
The purpose of their film was not to make a mockery of the Catholic tradition, but to respect it while pointing out certain hypocrisies of the Church.
One of these hypocrisies is the fact that women have such a small role in the Church’s hierarchy. Throughout “Conclave,” the female nuns are seen preparing meals, setting tables, and putting toiletries in bags for the priests’ bedrooms, yet they have no say in who will become the next pope and cannot vote in the conclave.
Isabella Rossellini’s character, Sister Agnes, is even seen listening to the cardinal’s mass through the wall since she is not allowed in the chapel. Despite the fact that their absence would prevent the conclave from running smoothly, the nuns are kept out of the critical decision-making process and have little to no authority in the Church itself.
The fact that Benitez possesses certain traits associated with the female sex and has risen to the highest office in the Church despite this symbolizes how women play a larger role in the Church than they appear to. Although they’re forced to remain in the background, nuns are the backbone of the Catholic Church and are essential to it. Benitez appears to be fully male, just as the Church appears to be fully run by men, but the reality is that women will always be large contributors to the Church, despite how it may look from the outside. The final shot of the film emphasizes this by showing a group of nuns walking excitedly out of the Vatican to hear the announcement of the new pope, highlighting their central role in the Church.
Others have argued that the film’s ending is inappropriate because of how uncommon it is to be born intersex. While it is estimated that only 2% of the world population is intersex, the film’s ending is meant to be more symbolic than it is literal.
At the opening mass of the conclave, Lawrence states in his sermon that “Certainty is the great enemy of unity…If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery and, therefore, no need for faith.” He finishes this sentiment, “Let us pray that God grants us a pope who doubts.”
This is granted at the end of the film. Benitez tells Lawrence that when he discovered he was intersex, he felt like his whole priesthood had been sinful. He even offered his resignation to the pope at the time after explaining his situation, but he denied it and made him an archbishop instead. The pope helped him arrange to have the procedure to remove his uterus, but Benitez ultimately decided against this after praying on the matter. Benitez says he felt it would be more of a sin to change God’s handiwork than to remain as he was born.
The whole essence of Benitez’s sex is uncertain, and he has doubted himself and his priesthood because of it. This echoes Lawrence’s sermon and symbolizes the uncertainty that comes with believing in God.
In arguably the most important line of the film, Benitez says to Lawrence, “I am what God made me, and perhaps it is my difference that will make me more useful.”
The unique perspective he’s gained because of his sex is meant to aid his role as the Church’s leader and allow him to bring the Church forward in accepting all people. A break from Catholic tradition is seen as an asset to the Church rather than a hindrance.
While viewers like Kelly may disagree with a break from Catholic tradition, the film is not meant to belittle the Catholic faith. The ending of the film highlights the Catholic belief that humans are made in the image of God and should not seek to change that. The film’s portrayal of the voting process was so similar to the actual event that cardinals watched the film to prepare for the conclave that occurred last week, citing it as a “helpful research tool.” Since the process is so secretive, the film was useful for cardinals who were unfamiliar with the Vatican’s politics and procedures.
The filmmakers put thought and effort into making the film a respectful yet accurate portrayal of the conclave and the Church’s structure. Just because “Conclave” challenges certain aspects of the Church does not mean it should be dismissed by Catholics. Instead, it should be embraced as a thought-provoking example of what aspects of the Church may need to change.