Is a real Conclave so political?

Matthew Neugebauer

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Statue of St. Peter holding a key and pointing forward.

Statue of St. Peter in the square that bears his name. iStock photo.

When we were putting together our Q and A about the upcoming Conclave, I wondered if folks might have a few deeper, more complicated questions as well:

The film CONCLAVE depicted a lot of politicking and maneuvering. Is a real Conclave so political? What is the role of spiritual discernment in the process?

These are complex and important questions! They're so important that both Deacon Pedro bookended his latest Deacon-structing post about them, and I’ve devoted this reflection to at least starting to head toward an answer.

I happened to find CONCLAVE to be a deeply prayerful and spiritual film, even if the Holy Spirit’s presence on the screen is more implied than explicit, more a matter of “show” than “tell.” I think the film reminds us that spiritual discernment is always a both-and between the direction of the Holy Spirit and the (sometimes strong, sometimes weakened) powers of reason and passions that he has given us.

God uses the everyday material of our lives all the time: how we spend our money, what we want to study in university, how a newly married couple divides up household chores. If we offer these prayerfully to God, then God can use these decisions as ways to form us in love and holiness. For example, a healthy pair of newlyweds dividing up chores will learn deeply relational values of fairness and compromise: how much time the other person has available, what the other person expects of them, and more.

To take an example closer to the question at hand: a bishop or parish pastor has a constant stream of decisions to make that are both practical and pastoral at the same time: budgets, staffing, rules and procedures, goals and benchmarks for diocesan and parish health, discipline, financial cutbacks, and investments in new initiatives for ministry and mission. In every diocese, and especially in large and complex archdioceses, there are likely multiple groups of people, especially clergy but also lay faithful, with different perspectives, hopes, and concerns about what shape the direction of the diocese or parish takes. That will likely cause some tensions and headaches: no wonder clergy are required to pray seven times each day!

However, in a synodal Church, these differing perspectives are encouraged. Synodally-minded Church leaders want their people to take the mission and ministry of the Church seriously enough to have formed ideas and hopes about it. Pastors and bishops will value the input of assisting clergy, lay staff, parishioners, and others on all of these matters. Those who actively contribute their effort and resources to the Church’s work will especially have some meaningful things to say about it. It's also true that consulting people is a prudent way to encourage them to contribute their effort and resources.

More importantly, we all have blind spots, so there is a deep wisdom that can be gained from differing perspectives and experiences. This isn’t just about getting more people involved, or primarily about democratic rights and norms, but about forming a more virtuous community. As the Synod on Synodality so consistently preached, increasing the active participation of all the baptized in the Church’s mission is essential to fostering a deeper communion of love and truth.

Navigating differences

A Papal Conclave is at heart a synodal act. In our Q and A, we noted that at least nominally, the principal clergy of the City of Rome are gathering to elect their next bishop. More tangibly, Pope Francis made a point of making the College as representative of the Catholic world as possible, such as by elevating bishops and archbishops from dioceses that had never had a cardinal before. This will be the first time that the Apostolic Prefect of Mongolia; the Archbishop of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; the Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina (which Francis elevated to an archdiocese and made the primatial see of his homeland); and the Ukrainian Eparch of Melbourne, Australia will vote in a Conclave. That rich infusion of diverse locations and contexts is bound to stir up differing perspectives and priorities, all of which find their place in groupings of like-minded cardinals as they encounter each other in the General Congregations and through informal conversations.

Those Congregations and conversations have their share of challenges. Daily updates from the Holy See Press Office have offered information on the weighty topics that the General Congregations are taking up. These include: the Church’s relationship with the contemporary world; evangelization and dialogue in a wide range of contexts across the world; the type of personality and leadership style the next pope should have; continued efforts to eliminate abuse; the role of new vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the renewal of the Church; and the financial situation of the Holy See and connected institutions.

In these conversations, there are likely a few strong voices with voting blocs rallying behind them. Here is where I think the rubber meets the road: any maneuvering, debating, and positioning that might be happening are expressions of how seriously the cardinals take the issues at-hand, and how important they are in the life of the Church now and in the years to come. Only the most serious matters are worth all the stress and effort that goes into debating, planning, and working to find compromises that enough electors can accept.

Whoever he is, the next pope already has a clear set of convictions about what the Holy Spirit might be saying to the people of our time, how God wants his followers to act and respond, and what we shouldn’t say or do. The future pope’s and his like-minded colleagues’ vision will be brought forward when they choose him, and he consents. Only one pope is elected; any others who received votes will continue to serve God and the Church in other ways.

This is part of how a pope is chosen: in order to uphold what you believe is best for the Church, you need to have the votes. I hope, pray, and trust that the strongest voices in the Conclave – the papabile, are acting out of a genuine confidence that they are following a God-given vocation and vision for the Church. Anyone who takes on a leadership position in the Christian community is required to cultivate a level of confident self-belief, not only for themselves but primarily for others. We need them to put themselves out there, to make decisions with clarity and conviction in order to inspire confidence in those who follow them that they are on the right path.

Pope Francis devoted his pontificate to speaking boldly and profoundly on all of the issues now taken up by the General Congregations, and often faced strong disagreement and opposition. At the same time, he persistently reminded us that in the midst of such challenges, God continues to come close to all of us, offering his unquenchable joy, mercy, love, and hope. His successor will inherit the weighty obligation to proclaim and embody the Good News of Christ to the world today, above and in everything else he does.

At the end of the day, charity will continue to be the preeminent virtue (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:13). The cardinals will likely choose a pope who can build consensus, welcome different perspectives, and genuinely listen to those who disagree. These are essential leadership qualities in our time, and requirements of charity and unity. Thankfully, we also pray and trust that all 133 cardinal-electors are driven to serve God in holiness and humility. Their vocation has required them to frame their boldness and decisiveness as part of their humble service to God and the Church.

The next pope will be the first Successor of St. Peter since the Synod on Synodality declared with magisterial weight that the Church involves the full participation of all the baptized in its mission, and that this full participation is an essential, "constitutive" part of what the Church is (Final Document #28). I for one hope, trust, and pray that this next pope unites all the baptized in this mission, and does so with courage, confidence, and joy.

Visit slmedia.org/papacy for all of our coverage from Rome, including preparations for the Conclave and the Inauguration Mass for the new pope.