Thoughts on Conclave

The "Chekov’s Gun" moment in the movie is early when all the cardinals are about to eat, and the new Cardinal Vincent Benitéz is introduced by Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as being made a cardinal "in pectore", (Latin for "in the heart") meaning the late pope did it without anyone else knowing.

This practice of making cardinals in pectore goes back to 1423, when Pope Martin V named two cardinals secretly and then revealed their names seven years later in 1430. This practice started shortly after the Western Schism, where in 1378-1417, there were multiple claimants to the papacy. Martin was elected at the Council of Constance in 1417, and that ended the schism. During this time, the church’s authority was significantly weakened.

One of the reasons for the schism was because the papacy had moved to Avignon, France* in 1309. The reason was because Rome had gotten so violent that the papacy was not safe. But once Rome’s security situation settled down, both the papal claimants, the one in Rome and the one in Avignon, both vied for power.

• Footnote: France is known as the "eldest daughter of the church" because the Frankish King, Clovis I, converted to Catholicism in 496 AD. This was a time when the Western Roman empire had collapsed and the Frankish kingdom was rising in power. The Frankish kings protected the Vatican after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Back to Pope Martin V, why did he name cardinals secretly? In the early 1400s, the Catholic Church was in a very weakened state. The Pope of the recently reunified church had an interest in avoiding stirring up regional and factional rivalries after the schism. The whole point of in pectore was to reduce the risk of schism.

Pope Martin named Domingo Ram y Lanaja, a Spaniard from Aragón, who came from a region where the Antipope Benedict XIII still had supporters until his death in 1423. Announcing his elevation to the college of cardinals immediately would have risked alienating other factions. This was to prevent another schism.

Since then, all the examples of cardinals being elevated in pectore had to do with protecting them from the dangers of war or communist revolutions, and to avoid the risk of another schism. So the application in the movie, to hide the true sex of a cardinal who intends to resign and seeks guidance from the pope, seems unlikely.

Now, suppose the pope issues this Motu Proprio, then what?

Let’s set the scene: A private chamber in the Vatican, shortly after the issuance of the Motu Proprio, Omnes Homines, which amends Canon Law 351 §1, changing "viri" (men) to "homines" (humans), allowing non-male cardinals. The air is thick with tension as Cardinal Tedesco confronts the Pope and Vincent Benitéz.

• Cardinal Tedesco: "Your Holiness, this Omnes Homines is a betrayal of the Church’s sacred order! Scripture is clear—‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she must remain quiet’ (1 Timothy 2:12). You’ve declared a heresy, elevating Vincent Benitéz despite this revelation of their nature. The college of cardinals cannot stand for it!"
• Pope: "Cardinal Tedesco, I do not take this step lightly. The Church is not a museum of rigid customs, but a living body guided by the Spirit. Our Lord Himself said, ‘The Spirit blows where it wills’ (John 3:8), and we see its work in Vincent Benitéz. For decades, Vincent served in the jungles of the Amazon, baptizing thousands, building churches with their own hands, risking death to bring the Gospel to the forgotten. Is this not the fruit of a true shepherd? Tradition honors such service—think of St. Paul, who called Phoebe a ‘deacon of the church’ (Romans 16:1), or St. Catherine of Siena, whose counsel shaped popes."
• Cardinal Tedesco: "Phoebe carried letters, not authority! And Catherine was no priest! This is different—this is a cardinal, one step from Peter’s chair! You twist scripture to fit this… this aberration!"
• Vincent Benitéz: "Cardinal Tedesco, I did not seek this. When I learned my body was not as I believed, I offered my resignation. But if I may—Galatians 3:28 says, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ I’ve lived my life for Christ, not for my flesh. In the missions, I taught men and women alike, and they saw Christ in me. Should that end because of a truth I never knew?"
• Cardinal Tedesco: "That’s spiritual unity, not a license to govern! The Church has stood for two thousand years on the rock of male priesthood. You’d have us crumble it for your sake?"
• Pope: "Enough. The rock is Peter, and I am his successor. Canon Law bends to the keys of the kingdom (Matthew 16:19), and I wield them to bind and loose. Vincent’s work mirrors the apostles—risking all for the flock. When I named them cardinal, it was for their deeds, not their form. Omnes Homines does not discard tradition; it fulfills it. The Didache, our earliest teaching, speaks of prophets chosen by their fruits, not their sex. Vincent’s fruits are undeniable. Will you deny the Spirit’s harvest?"
• Cardinal Tedesco: "This will split the Church, Your Holiness. Bishops will rise against you. The faithful will see weakness, not strength."
• Pope: "Then let them rise. The Church has weathered schisms before—Avignon, Constance—and emerged whole. I fear God’s judgment more than man’s. Vincent Benitéz will serve, not as a symbol, but as a shepherd proven in fire. The matter is closed."
• Vincent Benitéz: "Your Holiness, I only pray I am worthy of this cross."
• Cardinal Tedesco: "You’ll see the cost of this, both of you. The faithful will not forget." (Tedesco storms out, leaving a heavy silence.)

(Reminder: this is an exercise in fiction, responding to fictional movie. Any mistakes or blasphemies you find will be swiftly corrected, send them to mail@tobilehman.com)

This has to do with where the Anglosphere is at, politically. The philosophy of liberalism was developed by the English people in the 18th century. It spread to the new world through the United States. What makes the Catholic Church different is that it's global, and includes 1.4 billion people. By comparison, there are close to 0.1 billion Anglicans. The risk of schism is much more acute in a global church that has a claim to be the One, holy, Catholic and apostolic church. There can be only one!

This article takes a different angle, instead of talking about whether the pope could/would/should choose a non-male cardinal, it focuses on another conversation in the history of the church at the Council of Trent that deals with "bodily perfection" and it's possible interaction with the ability to administer the sacraments.

One major issue is the movie’s misrepresentation of the papal election process. It presents a narrative that undermines the sanctity and solemnity of the papal conclave. By dramatizing internal conflicts and depicting the Church as politically motivated, the film misleads audiences about the true spirit that guides the election of a new Pope by the College of Cardinals, which is the Holy Ghost. A movie that distorts the truth in this way can create scandal for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The Church is not simply an institution but a vessel of truth that holds the entirety of Divine Revelation.

There's an epistemological problem with trying to portay the insular Papal Conclave process. Only the Cardinals and the Swiss Guard are allowed into the space where this election happens, so the ignorance of everyone outside makes it easy to fill in the details with your own narrative. Therefore, moviemakers can give the false impression that you have come to understand more about what a papal election is like.

"It does seem odd that the church sticks so forcefully to its tradition of male celebrants," said "Conclave" star Ralph Fiennes. "I think the Church of England has proven that (having) women as priests is very effective."

My take on the Mr. Fiennes' quote here is that it is predictably English, as discussed in our exploration of Anglicanism and philosophical liberalism above. I also grew up in a related culture and can empathize with this sentiment, but the Catholic Church should be understood on her own terms.