Ralph Fiennes navigates ambition and deception as the Catholic Church elects a new pope in “Conclave”

If fiction depicts reality, then the papal election can be brutal. At least that’s how it’s portrayed in the new movie Conclave.

In the first scene, the pope is dead. His room is sealed. Cardinals from around the world come to the Vatican to isolate themselves until the next one is chosen.

Ralph Fiennes plays Thomas Lawrence, Dean of the College of Cardinals. He is responsible for managing the vote, as well as the cardinals’ strong and diverse opinions on the future of the church. They indulge, strategize, and reveal cursed secrets as they reason.

“Cardinals, priests – they are people. They may have ambitions,” Fiennes said Morning release host Martinez. “When ambition becomes self-centered and self-serving, it is one thing; they may have ambitions to succeed in the church. I think it’s okay to be ambitious about something.”

Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence claims that he does not want the papacy for himself, but that he is in league with Cardinal Aldo Bellini (played by Stanley Tucci), a reform-minded American. Bellini lobbies for office mostly to oppose Italian Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (whose role is a scene-stealer Sergio Castellitto), which represents the conservative wing of Catholicism. His ambitions are undeniable. Tedesco wants to return the church to its pre-Vatican II days with Latin liturgies and an unchallenged patriarchy.

“It’s not just about stopping Tedesco,” explains Fiennes. “It’s also about advancing the church on issues of sexual orientation, gender, women — key liberal issues.”

Ralph Fiennes grew up with his own experience in the Catholic Church. “My mother was a devout Catholic,” he says. He spent part of his youth at an all-boys Catholic school in Kilkenny, Ireland, “until I was 13 when I rebelled. I told my mother, “I don’t want to go to mass anymore.” I don’t understand that. I don’t feel it. I don’t believe it.”

Still, the script for Conclave talked to him “Throughout my adult life, I’ve always had a real curiosity about faith – and a real interest in people who are committed to church life.”

Fiennes explored his role by speaking with Vatican insiders. At first, he was confused about how this work would be received. “I met several priests who were incredibly helpful,” he recalls. “They think a lot philosophically about these big questions. I haven’t met anyone who I think is defensive about “Here’s an actor playing a cardinal.” I felt that I met open and kind people who said, “Yes, these are challenges.” They are aware and sensitive to all things concerning the role of the church. I found it inspiring.”

Conclave Opens in US theaters nationwide on Friday, October 25.