Conclave «Editor's Choice»

Lomeli’s genius as a protagonist is his passivity. Unlike a traditional thriller hero, he does not want to expose the truth; he wants the Holy Spirit to guide the electors. Fiennes plays him as a man in permanent mourning, his face a map of suppressed agony. His great soliloquy, delivered in a quiet chapel, reveals the film’s theological core: “Certainty is the enemy of faith. To have faith is to doubt.” In an era of social media dogmatism and political absolutism, Lomeli embodies a radical humility. He is the voice of the film’s central thesis—that the health of any ideology lies not in its rigidity, but in its capacity for self-interrogation.

This period usually lasts between 15 to 20 days, allowing cardinals from around the world time to travel to Rome. It is a time of "General Congregations," where the cardinals meet daily to discuss the needs of the Church and the qualities required in the next pontiff. This is where the "campaigning" subtly occurs, as cardinals size up potential candidates, known in Italian as papabili . Conclave

History’s fastest in the modern era elected Pius XII in 1939 (one day). The longest in the 20th century lasted five days. The Conclave of 2013 that elected Pope Francis took five ballots over two days. Lomeli’s genius as a protagonist is his passivity