In the movie “Conclave”, there’s a particular aspect regarding a secret cardinal that has drawn the attention of David Gibson, the Director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University. The narrative of “Conclave” centers around Cardinal Lawrence, who has the responsibility of organizing a conclave of cardinals to elect a new pope. Just as the cardinals are about to be secluded for the process, Cardinal Benitez arrives and discloses that the previous pope had secretly named him a cardinal. The movie features a star-studded cast including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, and Carlos Diehz.
During an interview, Gibson elaborated on the realism and the one flaw in this aspect of the story. He explained that in real life, popes indeed have the ability to secretly name someone a cardinal, especially when they fear that the person would face persecution if their status were made public. In this regard, “Conclave” gets it right. However, Gibson pointed out a key technicality. If the pope passes away, that secretly named cardinal would, technically speaking, no longer hold the status of a cardinal and wouldn’t be eligible to enter the conclave, even with a permission slip. Here’s what Gibson said:
“There is a real custom by which a pope can name a cardinal ‘in pectore,’ which is Latin for ‘in his heart’ or ‘in his breast.’ The name is known only to the pope usually, because the bishop would face persecution if his status were known. This is never explained in the film for reasons of time, I’m sure. One technical problem is that as soon as a pope dies, if he has not revealed this name, that secret cardinal would not be a cardinal and would not be able to enter a conclave even with a permission slip, as Cardinal Benitez does.”
What Gibson’s comments about the secret cardinal mean for “Conclave’s” story is quite significant. In the movie, Cardinal Benitez shows up with a permission slip from the previous pope, which leads Cardinal Lawrence to allow him to join the conclave. But according to Gibson’s explanation, Cardinal Benitez shouldn’t have been able to participate in the conclave since he ceased to be a cardinal upon the death of the previous pope. This has a huge impact on the ending of “Conclave” as Cardinal Benitez is ultimately voted to become the next pope.
Moreover, Cardinal Benitez is central to a major twist at the end of the movie. It’s revealed that Cardinal Benitez is intersex, which was a shocking revelation. The previous pope was aware of Cardinal Benitez’s secret and had arranged for him to undergo a hysterectomy. However, Cardinal Benitez decided against the procedure, choosing to remain as God created him. His being the first intersex pope, known only to Cardinal Lawrence, represents a significant step forward for the Catholic Church within the context of the story.
Gibson’s comments about the secret cardinal in “Conclave” is a crucial character in the movie. He was one of the most captivating characters in “Conclave”, and it’s a pity to discover that, technically, he shouldn’t have been part of the process of electing a new pope. Nevertheless, it would have been extremely challenging for “Conclave” to adhere strictly to the real-life procedures. Hence, overlooking this one flaw that Gibson identified is understandable, especially considering how much the character of Cardinal Benitez enhanced the overall story of “Conclave”.
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