Conclave (Robert Harris), though initially published in 2016, seems rather current given the recent election of Pope Leo as the first American Pope and the ongoing war of words between that institution and the current US Administration.
A Conclave is the gathering of Roman Catholic Cardinals to elect a new Pope upon the passing of the old. The Robert Harris book covers a 72-hour-period between the death of a fictional Pope and the election of a successor after eight rounds of balloting.
The story is told from the perspective of the Dean of the College of Cardinals, an individual who, according to Wikipedia, is “first among equals.” This particular Dean is beset by doubts of religious adequacy and that colors his actions throughout. He is the person who is constitutionally tasked with assembling and managing the Conclave.
This is a deeply researched piece which provides the reader with great insight into the procedures and working of a Conclave, the geography and structure of the Vatican, the bureaucracy of the Vatican, the history of the Papacy, and facets of both Papal and Conclave constitutions.
We are introduced to a series of candidates for the Papal position, some willing, some unwilling, and the machineries utilized to advance their candidacies. One by one leading candidates are brought down to earth by revelations arising from the past and there is the constant battle between no one being without sin and the risks to the Papacy of things coming to the fore after an election. Our protagonist is constantly in a battle as to what is right for the church versus what is right for the lord (in some cases they are not the same thing). The Cardinals are exhorted to pray and understand that with fervent prayer the Lord’s will would be revealed; but sometimes hard politics trumps prayers.
Even though dealing with a weighty topic, the book is light on its feet. It moves along at a good clip except when it gets into the sequence of events around the multiple ballots. There are a series of plot twists, with the final one being especially unexpected. The Dean finally comes to terms with his demons. A good read.
