Conclave (2024, dir. Edward Berger) is the Oscar-winning thriller about the secret election of a new Pope following the death of the previous pontiff. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, it was one of 2024's most acclaimed films.
Taking Faith Seriously
Conclave is notable for making the inner life of faith its subject matter. Ralph Fiennes' Cardinal Lawrence is a man of genuine faith wrestling with genuine doubt — not a hypocrite or a villain, but someone who has given his life to the Church and questions whether that was right. The film treats this as a serious moral and spiritual question, not a crisis to be resolved cheaply.
The film's central theological tension — between institutional authority and individual conscience, between certainty and doubt as the foundation of faith — is one Christians across denominations will recognize. Hebrews 11:1's definition of faith as 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' is the framework Conclave's protagonist lives within.
The Ending Controversy
Conclave's final revelation (which this review will not spoil) is genuinely controversial among Catholic and Protestant viewers. It introduces a concept that many Christians will find theologically problematic. The film presents it positively. This is worth knowing before viewing and engaging critically rather than passively.
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