I finally took some time to watch the "Conclave" movie on Prime Video. True to the hype, the movie is a brilliant masterpiece with key roles well interpreted by Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci. Conclave is a 2024 film based on the 2016 political thriller novel by Robert Harris, directed by Edward Berger, and written by Peter Straughan. I recommend it.
My initial question while watching the movie was why the character of Adeyemi had to be Black and Nigerian. I had been rooting for him to become the first fictional Black Pope of the Catholic Church—a promising development until the story took a dark turn. It felt, to me, like yet another reinforcement of existing stereotypes about certain groups. That said, such portrayals will continue to appear, making it all the more important for Black creators to invest in telling their own stories and reshaping narratives.
The script serves as a reminder of the current statistics on femicide and the extent to which patriarchy is deeply embedded in many African cultures and religions. It highlights how systemic structures continue to silence women and subject them to public shame, particularly regarding matters related to sexual intercourse. There is also no denying that even in the church, there is politics. It is a literal war zone!
Both realities can coexist. While certain elements of stereotyping may be present in this work of fiction, which may distort some aspects of reality, it also brings to light the lived experiences of women in Africa that remain undeniable. There are also controversial scenes from the movie with cigarettes, which have raised some conversation on social media.
As the Dean pointed out, this was never about how she got there. Cardinal Adeyemi completely missed the point—and perhaps he should have reconsidered pursuing the papacy, given that he had fathered a child with a 19-year-old when he was 30. Shanumi has endured immense suffering; her body language alone reveals the weight of that experience.
He also tried to deny it at first, saying, “I am a victim of a disgraceful plot to destroy my reputation...someone brought that woman here and staged a melodrama…she left Nigeria before and suddenly she's here in the Casa Santa Marta.” He was even playing it down as a "lapse" and saying he felt "the Holy Spirit" this morning. That is laughable and pathetic. First, you wanted to deny it, then you are now saying a mistake from 30 years ago should not destroy you and that the child grew up in a Christian home.
This is the usual ploy, trying to deal with his bruised ego in what would have been a life-changing moment and knowing that his sins have finally caught up with him and his attempt at making the Shanumi look bad.
Meanwhile, Sister Agnes attempted to shield Adeyemi, insisting that the sister’s well-being was her responsibility. Even when Cardinal Lawrence (The Dean) sought to understand the true issue, Sister Agnes did everything she could to silence Shanumi, preventing her from speaking—even from saying her name.
She reminds me of women gatekeepers who would rather cover things up in the guise of hoping to save the situation while the victim suffers. Like those women in churches who would rather cover up for an abusive leader on the pulpit, rather use their exalted position to speak truth to power because they could only see the part of a "minority" rising to a powerful position and "making history" than dealing with the elephant in the room. Covering up is always an easier path to choose.
I understand why everyone, like many of us watching, was rooting for Cardinal Adeyemi. However, perhaps he should have come clean sooner rather than burying this secret.
Credit to Cardinal Lawrence for not only believing Shanumi but also truly listening to her in a way that made a difference—that the story was important at such a crucial decision-making juncture—unlike Sister Agnes, who acted like she was more interested in covering it up considering how many votes Cardinal Adeyemi already had. Nothing was stopping him from becoming the next Pope if the scene in the dining hall never happened or the previous night.
The film also explores forgiveness, not as mere absolution but as a means of reckoning with one’s mistakes and carrying them forward in a way that fosters growth rather than destruction. Perhaps Cardinal Adeyemi has nothing else to lose at this point than to go back home and sit in this truth because the dream of becoming a Pope is now dead. Maybe find the child or find some peace with himself.
I cannot say for sure if this would have been different if this was someone from a different race, and I try to avoid my emotional Nigerian attachment blurring my sense of judgment. The painful truth is that he sabotaged himself. Someone somewhere just waited for the right opportunity to blow his cover and air his dirty laundry on a very big stage.
There should have been more screen time and storyline for that backup story between the Cardinal and the Sister added to that movie. I felt so bad for him because somehow the secret would have sipped out like gossip and a big scandal after he became pope. The "skeleton in his cupboard" would also have given ammunition to those who were already looking for the slightest excuse to justify their narrative, that he was given the position because of "his race or being part of a minority group," not because he was duly qualified.
The complexity of life. The mistakes in the past just popped up at such an important moment in his life. Even though every other candidacy for the position had dirt because the late Pope did not even trust anyone, Cardinal Adeyemi's case would be far more damaging to better manage compared to the rest; too many things were already against him. A whole human being was flown across the Atlantic as proof of his mess, and Shanumi was gone before anyone blinked.
A very unfortunate situation for anyone to be in, but again, our choices matter.