16/02/2025
"Conclave": A Mockery of the Papacy & Betrayal of Catholic Teaching
(Every Catholic should read this before seeing the movie)
1. Lately, my attention was drawn to the 2024 movie titled "Conclave," released in theaters on October 25, 2024. Although, I hardly spend time seeing movies, but when a colleague Fada Mentor drew my attention to it on his page, together with another friend who encouraged me to watch it, I decided to give it a try.
2. Unfortunately, this 2024 movie distorts Catholic teaching and misrepresents the sacred process of electing a pope. While cinema often takes creative liberties, the film introduces problematic elements that fundamentally contradict the Church’s magisterium and mislead viewers about the nature of the Catholic faith.
3. The false impression it gives about the election of a new Pope paints the Catholic Conclave as some Machiavellian power struggle driven by secret ambitions, as Hollywood often portrays it, instead of a solemn gathering in which cardinals seek to discern the will of the Holy Spirit (CCC 882-884). The film indulges in the tired trope of the Church being filled with corruption and secrecy, rather than highlighting the genuine devotion and prayerful discernment that guides the conclave. While human ambition certainly exists, the narrative promotes the secularist view that papal elections are merely political rather than divine influence.
4. One of the most egregious violations of Catholic doctrine is the scene where a Cardinal Lawrence asks a Nigerian nun to confess her sins to him so he can hear her secret and possibly use it as a guide during the conclave activities. This is completely against Catholic teaching. The Seal of Confession is absolute - no priest, bishop, or even the pope himself can use or reveal anything they hear in confession (CCC 1467, Code of Canon Law 983 §1). A priest cannot ask someone to confess just to gain secret information. This scene creates the false impression that the sacrament of confession can be used for manipulation, which is completely untrue!
5. The most controversial part of the film is the revelation that Cardinal Vincent Benitez, who is elected as Pope Innocent XIV, is inters*x (also known as hermaphrodite). The movie presents this as a secret only the late pope knew, and Benitez supposedly chose to accept it as part of God’s design. While every human being deserves respect, a person’s biological s*x is not something the Church considers optional or changeable. The issue is not about discrimination, but about whether someone with an unclear biological identity could be validly ordained as a priest in the first place. Church law requires that a man must be suitable for ordination, both biologically and psychologically (CIC 1026-1029). If Benitez had undergone medical or hormonal treatments that conflicted with natural law, his ordination - and therefore his election as pope - would have been invalid. The film, however, conveniently ignores these theological complexities in favour of pushing an agenda that seeks to challenge traditional teachings on s*x and gender.
6. A deeper problem with Conclave is that it suggests the Catholic Church needs to "evolve" by adopting modern views on gender and inclusion. This is a common mistake made by secular media. The Church does not change its teachings based on social trends or the influence of woke culture because its doctrine is based on divine revelation and sacred tradition (Dei Verbum 10). The film’s ending implies that the Church should abandon its long-held beliefs to fit in with today’s cultural movements, which goes against the Catholic understanding of truth.
7. Another serious issue is the film’s portrayal of secrecy and deception in the Vatican. It is unrealistic to think that a newly elected pope could keep such a major biological fact hidden from the Church. Before someone becomes a Priest, their background, health, and fitness for ordination are carefully considered, talk less of even ascending to the rank of a Cardinal. The idea that a person with such a unique condition could have remained undetected or that a previous pope alone knew about it is highly unlikely. The Church has clear rules and a structured process for vetting candidates for priesthood and higher offices. The Church values transparency in canonical matters, and while personal struggles and past histories exist among clergy, the scenario presented in Conclave is an artificial fabrication designed to provoke controversy rather than offer an authentic reflection of Catholic life.
8. Lastly, it is clear that Conclave was influenced by woke culture, which often seeks to challenge traditional beliefs by pushing modern ideologies on gender and inclusion. The film’s focus on electing an inters*x (hermaphrodite) pope, the misuse of the sacrament of confession, and its portrayal of the Church as a political battlefield rather than a sacred institution all point to an agenda that relates with contemporary liberal narratives rather than authentic Catholic teaching. Instead of respecting the Church’s doctrinal integrity, the movie distorts fundamental truths to fit a secular worldview that prioritizes ideological messaging over faithfulness to tradition.
You're free to share with others.
Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
