Cardinal democracy: Conclave and the politics of the election of the Pope

Indian Express

10-05-2025

Imagine writing a book on the process of selecting a new Pope that not only becomes a bestseller, but is so close to reality that many Cardinals are believed to have seen a film based on it for reference before they chose the new Pope, Leo XIV, following the demise of Pope Francis? Robert Harris did just that with Conclave in 2016. The book won wide critical and popular acclaim and has been made into a film starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, which has won multiple awards, including an Oscar—very appropriately for Best Adapted Screenplay. Almost a decade after it was written, Conclave remains 'the' book to read for those who want to know more about the election of a new Pope in particular and the working of the Vatican in general. And it is no academic essay, but a full-fledged, elegantly written thriller in its own right, its fiction woven with threads of fact.
Mention thrillers and the politics of the Pope and many will immediately think you are referring to Angels & Demons by Dan 'Da Vinci Code' Brown, which—like Conclave—was given an extra dollop of publicity by a Hollywood film avatar starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. But while that book/film did make millions of people realize the importance of the color of smoke coming out of a chimney in the Sistine Chapel, it was really more about suspense and drama. Conclave is a very different book—the equivalent of a five-course meal to a McDonald's burger.
Harris' gift lies in making history interesting without being cumbersome, something he has displayed in his books on Pompeii and Cicero. Conclave is not an overly long book. It is about 400 pages in length and can be easily read in 3–4 days. It revolves around the three days that follow the death of a Pope, and how the College of Cardinals selects his successor through a meeting known as a Conclave. The story is told mainly from the perspective of the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Jacopo Lomelli (who is made British in the film, renamed Thomas Lawrence, and is played memorably by Ralph Fiennes). Entrusted with the task of organizing the election of the new Pope, Lomelli finds himself having to deal with 117 Cardinals from different parts of the world, each with their own agendas and ambitions. Things are not helped when a 118th Cardinal turns up at the last minute, claiming to have been made a Cardinal in pectore ('in the heart') by the recently deceased Pope.
'I would say that this is a pretty fair vision of hell,' the secretary of the College says, looking at the hectic preparations for the selection. 'Don't be blasphemous,' Lomelli rebukes him, and then adds, 'Hell arrives tomorrow, when we bring in the cardinals.' He is proved right.
As the Cardinals arrive at a special building, the Casa Santa Marta, that is totally sequestered from the rest of the world to discuss candidates, different groups and cliques form. The elite collection of deeply religious people begins to argue and lobby. Prejudices surface even among the pious—some believe women should never be ordained, others insist on Latin being used more frequently, and still others believe it is time the Pope was an Italian. And even as this is going on, Lomelli gets disturbing information about one of the frontrunners for the post.
Tension builds up as one round of ballots follows another, and candidates campaign—subtly and brazenly—for votes, and cardinals no one had considered suddenly emerge as contenders. And at the cost of being spoilsports, we need to add that there is a twist at the end. Harris narrates it all brilliantly, without ever being overdramatic, proving that you don't need puzzles, violence, or sex to keep a reader riveted. And he garnishes the story with Biblical references and some treasures of trivia—the papal robes are made by Gammarelli and the cassocks worn by the Cardinals have 33 buttons, each representing a year in the life of Christ.
There are intense debates between the Cardinals on issues of personal and spiritual integrity and also on theological issues, but Harris' simple, smooth narration ensures that the reading never gets too heavy. There is also an undercurrent of wry, often dark humour which lightens matters when the mood gets too somber—Lomelli tries to go to sleep trying to count the snores of a Cardinal in the next room and gives up after reaching five hundred! There are flashes of wit too: 'His beliefs are sincere. But they are sincere nonsense,' a Papal candidate snaps about another.
At the end of it all, you will find yourself shaking your head in amazement, and understanding why Cardinal Aldo Bellini, one of the favourites to become Pope, says at the beginning of the book:
'No sane man could possibly want the papacy.'
Every sane person, however, would love reading Conclave. To know more about the Pope and his election. Or about the politics of faith. Or simply to be enthralled by an amazing tale, narrated by a master. Yes, it is better than the film. In spite of Ralph Fiennes. Books almost always are, aren't they?
(Conclave By Robert Harris, 400 pages, Penguin, Rs 599)