Seda Vacante

On a recent work trip I scrolled my e-reader for unread books, I opened several and read the first paragraph to see what would grip me and match my travelling mood. When I came across Robert Harris' Conclave (2016), I could not stop at the first paragraph; I was immediately enthralled and rapidly read this book in a few short sittings.

Conclave starts with the death of the Pope, who passed that evening from a heart attack. Late at night, a handful of Cardinals gather round the deceased Pope's bedside to pray and immediately the machinations begin as to who will replace him. Cardinal Lomeli, Dean of the College of Cardinals, is tasked with facilitating the conclave in which Cardinals from around the world gather to determine who will be the next Pope. The elderly men are sequestered in the Vatican, the windows of their rooms boarded up to prevent external influences. The men will remain isolated together during the papal interregnum, until they can agree on who will serve as the global head of the Catholic Church.

Unable to connect with God, Lomeli is greatly troubled by the disconnect he is experiencing with his faith. Lomeli wants Cardinal Bellini, Secretary of State, to take the papacy as he shares the former Pope's desire for reform. Bellini humbly claims to let God's will determine the outcome and refuses to actively seek the role. Unlike Bellini, Canadian Cardinal Tremblay, the Camerlengo, is overtly vying for the top job and lobbying Cardinals from the developing world to rally behind him. The top ranked African Cardinal Adeyemi, formerly Archbishop of Lagos, is also in the running and could become the first black Pope. Amidst all these front runners, factions have formed.  The Italians want it the Pope to be from Italy, like Cardinal Tedesco, who reflect traditional, conservative values. They fear the papacy will go to someone in Asia or South America where Catholicism is on the rise.

Each day the Cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel and vote as per their ritual. The world's media and the faithful masses gather outside awaiting a plume of white smoke emerging from the chimney to signal a new Pope. But the Cardinals cannot decide and each ballot ends with black smoke instead. Meanwhile Lomeli is conflicted as to whether he should reveal what he learns about the skeletons in various Cardinals' closets as it may impact conclave.

This could have been a fairly pedestrian depiction of what happens behind closed doors. But Harris has added so many intriguing subplots - political manoeuvring, modern issues facing a tradition-bound church, a surprise candidate -  that the reader cannot help but be gripped. As the votes tighten and candidates fall off the ballot, the action quickens. 

I had not expected to enjoy this book quite so much. Having visited the Vatican, I reminisced about my travels to Rome when reading about the Sistine Chapel and the various places I had seen. I learned a lot about the Catholic Church and the papacy from this novel, which is surprisingly filled with rich detail from Harris' meticulous research. The author also subtly infuses his novel with deep questions about faith, power and the role of women in the church and society. Overall, a greatly enjoyable read. 

A film version of Conclave premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2024 and will have wider release in late 2024.  The film stars Ralph Fiennes as the troubled Lomeli (renamed Lawrence in the film), Stanley Tucci as Bellini, John Lithgow as Tremblay and Isabella Rosellini as Sister Agnes. The film was directed by Edward Berger, best known for his 2022 remake of All Quiet on the Western Front.  I look forward to seeing this film when it is available in Australia. The trailer is below.