51 pages • 1 hour read
Robert HarrisConclave
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 5 Summary: “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice”
That night, Lomeli contemplates his life’s lack of meaning. When he was younger, his vow of celibacy made him feel noble, but now he feels like he is just waiting for the end of his life. The following morning, he takes a hot shower and skips breakfast, only going down to prepare for the opening mass of the conclave. He continues to wrestle with his inner turmoil during the mass.
After the Gospel reading, Lomeli delivers his sermon. He reads a single page of meaningless platitudes before abandoning his prepared sermon to speak extemporaneously. He recalls St. Paul the Apostle’s revolutionary life, then reflects on St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians to argue that the Church gains strength from its diversity. He asks the congregation for tolerance, suggesting that all Catholics are needed on the journey to become more Christlike. Finally, he argues against the sin of certainty, suggesting that doubt is necessary to have faith. He prays that the next pope is capable of doubt. Through the humility of doubt, the pope can inspire and lead the Church to greater strength.
Lomeli believes he has surprised the cardinals with his homily. Speaking from the heart, however, has helped to quell his anxieties. He feels closer to God than ever.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Sistine Chapel”
The initial reaction to Lomeli’s homily is subdued. O’Malley consults Lomeli on the press announcement about Benítez’s admission to the conclave, and Lomeli asks for a copy of Benítez’s biographical note. He also instructs O’Malley to confirm Tremblay’s claims with Monsignor Morales. Finally, he asks O’Malley how people are reacting to his sermon. O’Malley reports that some suspect that he is trying to influence the forthcoming vote, which upsets the characteristically neutral Lomeli.
On his way back to his room, Lomeli encounters Tedesco, who criticizes his interpretation of Ephesians. Lomeli has accidentally locked himself out of his room, so he asks for help from the nun in charge of reception, Sister Agnes. Later, during lunch, Bellini insinuates that Lomeli is making a play for his own election, which Lomeli denies.
Lomeli dons his choir dress for the conclave. At 2:30 pm, buses shuttle the cardinals to the Pauline Chapel. Lomeli leads the college in the celebration of “The Approach to the Conclave” ritual. As the cardinals move to the Sistine Chapel, Lomeli’s gaze is fixed upon a fresco by Michelangelo depicting the crucifixion of St. Peter. He feels that his worthiness as a manager is being questioned by the first pope. In the Sistine Chapel, his gaze turns to the portion of The Last Judgment that depicts the damned being taken to Hell. He leads the college in reciting their oaths.
Chapter 7 Summary: “The First Ballot”
Cardinal Scavizzi, an elderly cardinal no longer eligible to vote, delivers a meditation before the first ballot. He criticizes the dean’s homily, suggesting that unity is key to resisting the influence of secular forces, most of all relativism. Lomeli suspects that Tedesco might have written Scavizzi’s meditation.
The conclave begins with the first ballot. After giving the instructions, Lomeli takes his seat and casts a vote for Bellini. He announces an oath standing by his choice, which all the cardinals recite whenever they cast a vote. Lomeli watches the various frontrunners cast their votes and quietly predicts whom they might have voted for. The three scrutineers tasked with counting the votes announce the results of the ballot: Tedesco leads, closely followed by Adeyemi, Bellini, and finally Tremblay. Lomeli himself receives five votes from the college. Since none of the candidates have received the two-thirds majority required to elect the new pope, the conclave adjourns. All records of the conclave are collected for burning.
O’Malley reports his conversation with Morales to Lomeli. Although Morales denied that the pope dismissed Tremblay, he inadvertently revealed the existence of a report on the matter. Unable to discern the report’s nature, Lomeli lets the issue go in the meantime.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Momentum”
Back at the Casa Santa Marta, Lomeli hears several voices coming from Adeyemi’s room, likely a meeting of his supporters. Lomeli reviews Benítez’s biographical note and is surprised by the speed of his appointment to archbishop. He also learns that Benítez was injured in a car-bomb attack in Baghdad, after which he attempted to resign, but he withdrew his resignation after a private audience with the late pope.
At dinner, the frontrunners campaign to various groups of cardinals. Lomeli reasserts that he should not be considered a viable candidate for the papacy, redirecting his votes to Bellini. Throughout the evening, it becomes clear that general sentiment is shifting in favor of Adeyemi. His Nigerian heritage gives his election a novel appeal while also aligning with the ultraconservative views that resonate with Tedesco’s supporters.
Lomeli asks after Benítez’s health but then realizes that the question exposes his knowledge of the car-bomb attack in Baghdad. He reframes the question to refer to Benítez’s travel from the Middle East. Benítez surprises Lomeli by revealing that he voted for him. Lomeli advises him to vote for Bellini in the next round. Benítez recalls the late pope’s assessment of Bellini as a “brilliant but neurotic” man (134), insisting that he believes Lomeli is the right choice.
Lomeli speaks to each of the frontrunners next. Tedesco is pleased that Lomeli’s homily split the liberal faction’s vote. Tremblay accuses Lomeli of using modesty to gain votes, but Adeyemi respects Lomeli’s decision to reject his votes. Bellini expresses relief at the possibility that Lomeli could take his lead position from him, and Lomeli recalls Benítez’s evaluation of Bellini.
Unable to sleep that night, Lomeli hears a woman’s voice coming from Adeyemi’s room. He investigates and glimpses a nun turning around a corner. Lomeli supposes that the nun had visited Adeyemi to seek pastoral guidance.
Chapters 5-8 Analysis
The conclave begins not with the first ballot, but with Lomeli’s decision to speak to his personal issues before the college. This is portrayed as an uncharacteristic move on his part, given his tendency for neutrality and impartiality. Lomeli cannot help it, however, in the context of his crisis and his rising suspicion that the late pope may have felt the same way.
Lomeli’s desire to pursue his faith has the unintended effect of setting the tone for the conclave, leaning into The Challenge of Faith and The Politics of Religion as themes. This raises the personal stakes for Lomeli, who is confused that his crisis of faith could have been so wildly misinterpreted. By expressing himself, he may have already decided the outcome of the conclave. However, regardless of what Lomeli would have said, the frontrunners would have each found a way to spin the first words of the conclave in their favor. It is no surprise that the scathing tenor of Scavizzi’s responsive meditation helps Tedesco to emerge at the lead in the first ballot. His political stance was simply the one that conflicted most strongly with Lomeli’s message.
Immediately after the first ballot, the frontrunners jockey for better positions, making their advantages and disadvantages clearer to both Lomeli and the reader. For instance, since Adeyemi and Tedesco are both conservative, they will have to compete directly to gain an advantage. As a Black man, Adeyemi has an advantage over Tedesco—his candidacy appeals to the liberals calling for diversity despite his political views. Bellini, on the other hand, favors the possibility of splitting his vote with Lomeli because he sees Lomeli as a good alternative to himself.
Lomeli tries to reaffirm his neutrality and lower his personal stakes in the conclave. Lomeli’s stakes should be tied to his personal crisis and his insecurity over managing the conclave’s procedures rather than a particular candidate or faction. Because he is the main character whose perspective the reader follows throughout the narrative, his perspective needs to remain grounded in the election process. The assurance that he doesn’t stand to gain any kind of temporal power from the election allows for a neutral perspective and clear judgment calls of the conflicting sides of the college.
These chapters also reveal Benítez’s perspective. Despite being a relative newcomer to the college, he has access to some of the late pope’s secrets, which could impact the result of the conclave. Benítez sees Lomeli as the ideal candidate, citing his modesty and managerial prowess as reasons to elect him pope. When Lomeli suggests Bellini, Benítez subtly exposes his intimacy with the late pope by echoing his criticism of the Secretary of State. With the late pope’s insight, Benítez can see how Bellini’s modesty and anxiety are façades that hide his flaws as a leader, thus advancing Human Ambition and Divine Providence as a theme.
These chapters also offer multiple clues that could influence the frontrunners’ performances in the forthcoming ballots, from the discovery of a report that could damage Tremblay’s chances of election to the conspicuous meeting between Adeyemi and one of the nuns. Lomeli also registers Benítez’s rapid ascent to his pastoral office, which increases the suspicion around the late pope’s motivations for entering him into the college. The ambiguity around the late pope’s intentions could be conflated with divine providence and during the conclave, the cardinals try to discern God’s choice from their own individual wills. Lomeli similarly tries to discern what the late pope intended for him, despite his wishes to leave the Vatican.
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By Robert Harris
