The Conclave (2006) Movie Script
1
(music)
(V.O.): Rome, the year of our
Lord Fourteen Hundred and
Fifty- Eight.
Seven hundred and thirty three
years after the Moors invaded
Spain.
Two hundred and seventy one
years since the Muslims
recaptured Jerusalem.
And five years after the fall
of Constantinople to the Turk.
(gasping)
Il Papa!
Salva me!! Salva me!!
Dios salvame!!
(bell tolling)
(knocking on door)
I'm sorry signora! It's
important!
I have been sent by Cardinal
Orsini to fetch
'your excellency'.
Who are you?
Bishop Giuliano della Rovere.
That's good for you.
And you can go now, bishop.
I am sorry, you must go now.
Must I?
Yes.
You must go directly to the
Vatican Palace.
Now.
Not that I intend to go
anywhere,
but can you please explain
exactly why 'must I'?
Cardinal Orsini wants to
discuss a matter..
in regards to your uncle's
'health'.
You'll stand by me, won't you?
If..
If what?
If my world changes.
And not for the better.
You speak as if I am obligated
to you.
I am obligated to you.
I am not your wife.
Yes you are, in effect.
You are a cardinal of the Holy
Catholic Church
and cardinals are not permitted
to marry.
Vannozza, don't play with me!
You have to stay by my side.
I need you!
I need to know that you are
there for me!
I have to go.
Rodrigo, wait.
If they kill you, I will light
a candle
in San Giacomo degli Spagnoli,
and pray for your soul.
And if you flee to Spain I will
write letters to you
and sign them 'your devoted
Vannozza'.
And if you stay in Rome, I will
wait for you here in my bed.
Our bed.
Farewell!
I will!
He is a fool.
A well established one.
And that makes you a fool's
woman.
I am that.
You don't have to be.
Are you trying to tempt me,
Signor Della Rovere?
Bishop Della Rovere.
Shall we send all the gold and
silver in the Chancellery to
safety?
And where would that be?
Tell the Captain of the Guard
to engage every Spanish fighter
he can find in Rome..
Pedro!
Brother!
Is Don Alonso..
.. dead? No.
.. Not yet.
I want ten thousand gold ducats
put traveling chests! Now.
Holy Father.
Pedro Luis..
Rodrigo!
(Gasping and struggling for
breath)
We must re-take the City!
Cardinal Orsini.
Seeing that our beloved Holy
Father Calixtus will not be
tormenting us with his mortal
presence much longer,
I am interested to hear your
plans, Cardinal 'Vice-
Chancellor'?
I don't know,. exactly.
Surely even you have given some
thought to your uncle's demise.
Yes.
But whatever I do is dependent
on the actions of the other
cardinals.
Not the 'other' cardinals.
The 'real' cardinals.
I am a real cardinal.
D'Estouteville is a real
cardinal.
He has the King of France
behind him.
Pietro Barbo is a real cardinal.
He has the support of the
Venetian Senate.
My family have five thousand
men-at-arms within a day's ride
of Rome.
And I am the Captain General of
the Church's army!
Cardinal Borgia, you have never
acted directly against my
interests,
so I will give you some advice.
Flee to safety in Spain, now.
I can hardly remember Spain.
I'm sure you could work your
way back to the Holy See some
day.
Once you have made the right
friends at court.
Or whatever they call it in
Catalonia.
We are not going anywhere!
Your brother's decision to
remain in the city will please
the many Romans anxious for
revenge after three years of
Catalan repression.
Adios Capitan General!
This could be our last chance.
Do we try to stay in Rome or
go, right now?
We are staying.
I think that too much hate has
built up against all things
Spanish, Pedro.
The Italians don't hate us so
much as envy us.
The Orsini are mobilizing every
man they've got in the Campagna.
That's it.
What?
Holy Father Calixtus the Third
of Blessed Memory is in the
hands of his Lord.
(music and prayer)
(horses galloping)
Vannozza! Vannozza, I am
leaving!
Vannozza, Rome has become too
dangerous for me and I am on my
way to Spain!
Vannozza! Please answer me!
Vannozza! I need to talk to you!
We have to go. Now.
(screams)
And I will always love you too,
Rodrigo.
(yelling and swords clashing)
What was that about?
The Lord has decided.
My future is here, in Rome.
And what do you plan to do
between now and the start of
the conclave?
Sit in your garden and read
poetry?
It's her isn't it?
(arrows fly through the air)
Quick Rodrigo! To the boat!
I must stay! My fate is here in
Rome!
Don't be a fool! The Italians
will betray you at every turn
just like they betrayed me!
Rome calls me!
My brother, Spain calls me.
Farewell.
Farwell brother, farewell.
(coins clanging)
Your Lordship.
Have you found him?
Yes, Your Excellency.
He escaped Rome, but is in
Ostia awaiting ship for Spain.
Suffering from a fever.
Have you lost your red hat?
I thought it best to keep it
hidden until the conclave.
For safety.
Mind if I join you?
Please.
We'll let the conclave
determine his fate.
And his brother?
I expect Pedro Luis to succumb
to his malady in Ostia.
But be discreet.
We do not know who the next
pope will be.
(hammering)
Rodrigo!
Welcome to your first conclave.
You are a fortunate man,
Cardinal Borgia.
How so, Cardinal Orsini?
You're alive.
And why should being alive be
considered a matter of good
fortune?
Ask your brother.
I'm sorry?
Take care how you vote in this
conclave, Vice-Chancellor.
The future depends on it.
Particularly yours.
Vice-Chancellor Borgia.
May I have a private word with
you?
Of course.
Your uncle, Calixtus of Blessed
Memory, chose,
in a typical display of his
wisdom, to make you, his nephew,
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor of the
Roman Catholic Church
throughout the world.
That makes you the highest
ranking cardinal
in this Conclave of the Sacred
College,
and therefore, technically
speaking, it is your
responsibility
to take charge of these
proceedings.
Go on.
I have nothing more to add.
The Lords of the Church
gathered here to select God's
High Priest
of the Christian faithful await
your instruction.
Cardinal d'Estouteville.
I accept that I lack experience
in certain ecclesiastical
matters
such as the direction of a
conclave attended by so many
cardinals superior to me in
every way
except official rank.
Therefore, even though I hold
the office of Cardinal Vice-
Chancellor,
I request that you, the senior
cardinal
in terms of years of service
direct the proceedings of this
conclave in a manner consistent
with its rules and traditions.
(groans and murmurs)
Lord Calixtus the Third,
Pontifex Maximus,
Jesus Christ Our Savior's Vicar
on Earth, Ruler of the World,
Father of Princes and Kings,
Shepherd of the Holy Roman
Church and leader of all
Christendom
has been delivered from this
temporal life and is now
in the hands of the Lord.
May God have mercy upon his
soul and see fit to welcome him
into
the company of the saints and
angels in heaven as he has
welcomed so many
other souls who before Calixtus
shouldered
the earthly burden of the keys
of Saint Peter.
Please join me in a silent
prayer for our father Calixtus
of blessed memory.
There are five ways a new pope
may be chosen.
The first is by 'Committee'
meaning that the Sacred College
does not
directly choose the new Pope
but instead appoints a
committee of cardinals
with the power to name the new
pope.
The second way is known as
Inspiration.
If any man amongst us is
inspired by God to shout out
the name of the new pope,
then that man will become pope,
as long as the required
majority of two thirds
also feel so inspired to shout
out that man's name.
The third method of selecting
the new pope is called
'Adoration'.
That is when a cardinal amongst
us sees the light of the Lord
appear in
another cardinal and falls at
that man's feet in adoration.
If a required majority of two
thirds also sees that light,
then he who is so adored
becomes Christ's Vicar on Earth.
The fourth, and most common,
method of selecting
the new pope is by Scrutiny.
Scrutiny is when each cardinal
names his chosen candidate on a
piece of paper.
That ballot must clearly state
the name of each cardinal's
choice for pope
as well as the name of the
cardinal who is making the
choice for example,
'I Guillaume d'Estouteville of
Rouen name Alain d'Avignon
as Holy Father of the Church'.
Once everyone has written down
the name of his preferred
candidate,
the ballots are deposited in a
chalice.
And the teller, in this case
me, counts the votes.
If no man achieves the required
majority,
there is a second or a third
ballot or as many as are
necessary.
The fifth and last method of
electing the new Father of the
Church is by Accession.
Accession takes place when the
voting continuously fails to
reach
the required majority and the
deadlock is broken by a cardinal
or cardinals proclaiming out
loud that they 'accede' to a
cardinal other
than the man they voted for,
which normally means switching
their support to the cardinal
with the most votes.
If enough additional cardinals
also accede to a cardinal to
allow him
to reach the required majority,
that man will become pope.
I have not seen it happen
before and nor do I expect that
this
time we will make our selection
either by a Committee,
by Inspiration or by Adoration.
I suggest that we proceed
forthwith to make our choice by
scrutiny
and I recommend that we hold
the first and hopefully only
ballot one hour after midday
repast.
and I pray that we all accept
Jesus Christ Our Lord's guidance
in our selection of his Vicar
on Earth.
(knocking on the door)
Is this the patient?
The linens, the knife and the
jar.
Fill the bucket with water.
What are his prospects?
Not good.
Holy Mary, mother of God
I pray that my brother Pedro
has returned safely to Spain.
And I pray that you bless my
beloved Vannozza
and help her understand that I
am, and will always be, her one
and only true love.
I pray that you guide me in
this conclave by helping me
elect the candidate..
.. who will keep you alive.
Yesterday you were trying to
kill my brother and I,
and today you are looking for
my vote.
I am not looking for your vote.
What then?
Much more than that.
I want you to be my man of
mouth and hands.
Your future will be secure.
No matter what the outcome of
this conclave.
Rodrigo, what are you doing?!
He has become my vassal.
Borgia will love and serve no
other and will forever have my
protection.
Is this true Rodrigo? Have you
done homage to Latino Orsini?
Betrayal is death.
Becoming Latino Orsini's man is
death too, at the hands of my
family.
I have said nothing.
I am the man of King Juan of
Aragon and no other.
Very well.
You had your chance.
(cutlery and dishes clanking)
(muffled sounds from outside)
Listen.
I believe we can hear men-at-
arms.
I wonder whose they could be?
Could they be Spanish? No.
Spain is very far away and I am
sure I would already have
fainted from the stink if they
were Catalans.
(laughter)
There are four Spanish
cardinals in this room.
How can you hope for their
support if you slander them so?
I don't hope for their support.
I know I will not be made pope
so I can talk as I want
which is why I am the only one
talking.
(laughter)
We will never again make the
mistake of electing a Spanish
pope.
And I know the next Holy Father
will not be me
but let's be realistic
the tiara will only be won with
either the support of the
Orsini faction..
.. or the backing of my family.
There is no other possibility.
Unless he is a Greek!
I am sad to say that this
college is unlikely to elect a
Greek
even one long converted to the
Latin Rite.
And you will never elect a
Russian.
So, who will it be? Let us
begin the dialogue.
The next pope will be French.
Do you propose that we make you
pope, Alain of Avignon?
Of course not.
And we will not vote for a
Spaniard.
The Orsini here expect us to
elect one of their party.
The Colonna equally believe
that their house will deliver
the new Holy Father.
The losing family will go to
war if we choose a partisan of
the other.
Possibly destroying the Church.
These two noble Italian
families,
although important here in the
Patrimony of Saint Peter,
they pale in the shadow of the
greatest power in the world.
A power that commands respect
and fear.
To secure its future the Holy
See must ally itself to France
by electing
Cardinal Guillaume
d'Estouteville of Rouen as the
next Pontifex Maximus.
Gentlemen!! Gentlemen!!!
Cardinal d'Estouteville! What
say you?
Cardinal Alain d'Avignon is
correct, in one respect at
least.
It has been just forty years
since the dark days when our
beloved Church
was divided under two popes,
both claiming to be the true
heir of Saint Peter.
The power and prestige of the
Papacy has only recently
recovered
from this schism and still
rests on a weak foundation.
Therefore the very survival of
the Church weighs heavily
on the shoulders of the
cardinals gathered here in
conclave today.
It is an evident truth that my
good friend the King of France
is essential to the Church's
future.
It is also true that I am the
longest serving cardinal
with the most experience in the
complex politics of the Holy
See.
But I cannot claim that to be
the best man to lead the
Christian flock.
That is a decision that we,
with God's guidance, must make
together.
I agree with the two cardinals
from France.
We will not elect a Spaniard, a
Greek or the Bishop of Kiev
and we're always under pressure
to crown an Orsini or Colonna
partisan.
And the Holy See's relationship
with the King of France
is certainly of great
importance.
Therefore it is only logical
that we elect a Frenchman.
So let's choose Alain of
Avignon and be done with it.
(laughter)
But..
I do not believe that Alain
d'Avignon desires
to put himself forward as a
candidate.
Am I correct?
I cannot put my name forward
when one man amongst us
is so clearly superior in
education, in royal
connections,
experience, family grace and,
and...wealth.
How does wealth matter?
It does not matter at all.
Though I have been blessed by
great wealth..
I will, if elected, of course
'dispose' of all my earthly
possessions and benefices
with the help and advice of the
Sacred College.
I agree that Cardinal
d'Estouteville is superior
to any of us in education,
experience, family, connections
and wealth.
And very blue blood does indeed
flow through his thick veins.
I am not sure about his having
much grace but I am quite
certain
he is far superior to any of us
in the enormity of his
arrogance.
He also wears more rings on his
fingers and dresses in finer
cloth.
His farts smell like perfume
and I hear that his sweat
would make the finest of wines,
only no one has ever sampled it
because Cardinal
d'Estouteville has never
sweated.
(laughter)
I can assume from your tone,
Cardinal Piccolomini,
that you do not support my
candidacy.
Which faction do you suggest
then, Colonna or Orsini?
Neither.
I suggest we choose a man who
believes in God.
Someone who is will do Jesus
Christ Our Savior's work
and not the King of France's or
the King of Spain's.
I suggest we choose Silvius
Aeneas Piccolomini of Siena
to be the Holy Father of the
Roman Catholic Church.
(loud murmurs)
But that is you. You are
nominating yourself!
I am putting my name forward,
yes.
Not because I am the best
possible choice in all
Christendom.
I can think of many better men,
but none of them happen to be
sitting in this room right now.
And you know very well that if
you elect me,
I will devote myself to the
task of shepherding the
Christian flock and nothing
more.
I will try to be fair and I
will always be direct.
I will never play political
games and feign false humility
while a venomous puppet speaks
for me.
I thank you for your bluntness,
Cardinal Piccolomini.
A quality typical of a man of
your 'rustic' background
and limited experience in the
complex politics of the Holy
See.
But are a humble origin and an
uncontrolled tongue the right
credentials
to be made the Holy Father of
Kings and Princes?
That, we will decide in one
hour.
Look at what you've started.
Thank you.
But who will you support?
I will support the man who will
best lead the Church.
A very political answer.
It is a very political moment.
I will support the man who will
pay me the most!!
You don't mean that!
Of course not.
I'm just having a little fun.
Come my friend.
Let us see if we can find
ourselves a generous share of
the 'grace'
needed to guide us in our
choice.
(dog barking)
Who are they?
I don't know.
Cardinal d'Estouteville would
like to have
a private word with Cardinal
Borgia.
And me?
With you as well. In a moment
But first His Excellency will
complete his 'business' with
the Cardinal Nephew.
My title is Cardinal
Vice-Chancellor,
not 'Cardinal Nephew'.
Forgive me for my simple-minded
error,
but you know I am not as sharp
as the rest of you.
Am I?
Shall I kiss your ring or your
foot?
After the scrutiny, you will
kiss my foot, my knee and my
hand
as will the others.
Borgia, I will be direct.
If Piccolomini is made pope you
will lose your cardinal's hat.
At best.
How can you say that?
Because he knows exactly what
kind of man you are.
What kind of man am I?
An ambitious one.
But this morning you gave some
indication
the first I have seen that you
may be gifted with some
practical sense.
And I am thinking that you can
be of use to me
in the great task that lies
ahead.
So I shall say this to you once.
If you vote for me at the
scrutiny,
I will allow you to remain
Vice- Chancellor of the Church
until such time as you betray
my trust.
And you should know that
attending to his family's
financial health,
within reason, will not put my
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in any
disfavour.
I am very happy to hear you
express such confidence in me,
but how can I know for sure
that once you are made pope
that you
will not change your mind and
award the Vice-Chancellorship
to another?
Do not insult me, Borgia.
I am not a pig farmer from
Siena.
I am a man of my word.
And I intentionally held back
the decision as to whom I would
make
Vice-Chancellor as a bargaining
instrument.
You speak as if the Vice-
Chancellorship was a payment
for my vote.
Would it be right for me to
support a candidate who attempts
to acquire the keys of Saint
Peter through simony?
Borgia, I am going to assume
that you are 'one who
understands'
as opposed to 'one of the
multitude' and expose myself by
revealing my true thinking.
This Sacred College is made up
of a few practical men like you
and me,
and a large number of fools
like Prospero Colonna and
Calandrini of Bologna.
Prospero is a fool because
everyone knows that he will be
bought
by the richest cardinal, namely
me.
But when I buy him it will be
with the knowledge that his
loyalty
will always be to the man with
the fattest purse.
And there is always someone
with a fatter purse.
Calandrini is a fool because he
is handicapped by the
simplistic idea
that that the best man to sit
on the throne of Saint Peter is
the cardinal
who most outwardly demonstrates
sanctimonious piety.
Calandrini and your cousin Juan
de Mella would blissfully drag
the Church
backwards into the dark and
primitive swamp of superstition
from which we have only
recently emerged.
The Church is the most powerful
force for good in this world.
It needs to be led by a strong
and practical man who
understands politics
at the highest level, a man
who, with the help of powerful
monarchs and potentates,
will fortify our Church against
the forces of evil that
threaten us from every
direction.
I am that man.
Do I have your vote?
And you understand..
that I cannot, of course, allow
someone who does not fully
support me
to keep the office of Vice-
Chancellor.
So do I have your vote, yes or
no?
Latino Orsini says that my
future, if I have one,
depends on how I vote.
Is he in your camp?
No.
The Orsini have been seeking
their revenge since the day my
uncle
broke tradition by making Pedro
Captain General instead of one
of them.
Any Orsini who dares to even
think of murdering one of my
cardinals
will quickly find his castle
besieged by a French army
a prospect we both know grips
the never-very-brave Italian
heart with mortal fear.
You have my vote.
Thank you.
Borgia, I know that you have no
love for me and likely never
will,
but I sincerely do believe that
we have a common
'understanding' of how things
get done.
We will work well together.
How much did you get?!
Are you accusing me of simony?
Essentially, if not precisely,
yes.
Cardinal D'Estouteville
believes that a practical man
is best suited to lead the
Church.
A practical man in the King of
France's pocket, he means.
I think you are going to lose.
I see and who will you support.
I will support the man who will
make the best pope.
Have you agreed to vote for him?
As I said..
Have you agreed to vote for
that perfumed Parisien?
Yes.
Good.
Now I know that you are at
least capable of telling the
truth!!
The pompous ass of a Frenchman
does indeed appear to be the
'practical' choice
for a man in your precarious
position and he is right
we do need practical men at the
top of the Church.
But not as pope!
Has he got it?
I don't know.
No he has not and he never will.
Because I know there are at
least eight men in this room
who,
like me, really do fear their
God.
Men who would roast at the
stake before selling their vote
to the King of France's lap dog!
(knocking)
I remind everyone that to win,
a cardinal must be named on
twelve ballots.
I must relay a message of
utmost importance to Cardinal
Borgia.
You know that conclaves cannot
be interrupted by anyone
for any reason, on pain of
death.
I know I could never speak to
the cardinal directly,
but I hoped that there was some
way that someone could relay
some information.
What 'information'?
About his brother, the Captain
General.
You're a Catalan pig yourself,
aren't you?
And you were a Captain of the
City Guard.
(muffled screams from outdoors)
The result is nine votes for
Cardinal d'Estouteville of
Rouen,
six for Cardinal Piccolomini of
Siena,
two for Cardinal Orsini of Rome
and one that is difficult to
read,
but appears to say Cardinal
Calandrini of Bologna.
I am lame with gout, so I
shouldn't be too harsh on the
Frenchman!
But he is getting so frail his
eyesight is failing!
Cardinal d'Estouteville of
Rouen has received the largest
number of votes,
but he has not yet reached the
required majority.
Any cardinal who voted against
Cardinal d'Estouteville of Rouen
may now accede to him now.
We have not yet reached the
required majority.
I suggest that we seek God's
guidance and hold a second
ballot
one hour after our evening meal.
He's the captain of the city
guard.
(yelling)
This has been going on for days
now.
Someone should put a stop to it.
It will continue to go on like
this until a new pope is
elected.
And then it will end.
Or get worse.
(laughter and shouting)
I hope they save some rope for
your Spanish cardinal.
So we six voted for Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
Plus Luis and one..
Hmm what do we have here?
I'm sorry to interrupt your
'conference'.
But I have some foul business
of my own to conduct here.
(grunting and groaning)
So again it is us six plus Luis
plus one of the two other
Spanish cardinals.
And the Greek but not the
Bishop of Kiev.
They are splitting their vote
as a stratagem
until someone comes forward
with a convincing plan
to retake the City of
Constantinople.
Do that and we have ten.
Another two and you've got the
tiara.
Piccolomini seems to have made
good on some old friendships
and surprisingly for a man who
joined the Church so late in
life
he has successfully pulled most
of the old fashioned cardinals
onto his team,
including.. your countryman..
Juan de Mella.
Bring him in.
What about Cardinal Orsini?
Latino Orsini is biding his time
before delivering himself to
Piccolomini.
And the saintly Cardinal of
Siena is going to pay very
dearly for his vote.
But you can deliver me your
countryman.
How?
You are not a Cardinal Nephew
anymore.
Your uncle can no longer open
doors for you.
You have to open them yourself.
Use your wits. Use your brains.
Prove yourself.
I will try.
You will not try. You will
succeed.
That adds up to eleven.
Pietro Barbo voted for
Piccolomini.
And he is about as much a man
of God as my chamber pot.
He is a merchant cardinal, a
spider waiting for the next
piece
of succulent prey to land in
his net.
He deserves nothing.
So what will we give him then?
Whatever it takes.
I should have held out longer.
You will enjoy living in my
house.
It is the finest palace in Rome.
Other than the Vatican.
And Barbo makes twelve.
Gentlemen, let us get to work.
You will not fail me.
I will have all four Spanish
votes.
Or ?
The wind will start to blow in
an unfavourable direction.
For you.
So Cardinal d'Estouteville sent
you to fetch my vote.
May I walk with you?
He suspects that you are
backing Cardinal Piccolomini
but would like to know if he
has any chance of your support.
Cardinal Piccolomini is vain,
short tempered, rough-mannered
and impetuous.
But he is intelligent, well
read and a man of God.
And what about Cardinal
d'Estouteville?
Cardinal d'Estouteville is a
very capable man.
Dear cousin,I consider a vote
for Piccolomini
to be a vote for the Orsini
clan,
who hate all things Spanish.
Silvius Aeneas Piccolomini of
Siena is not an enemy of Spain.
I see in this conclave the
perfect opportunity end the
dispute
between France and Spain over
the crown of Naples.
And you think making Cardinal
d'Estouteville pope will improve
Spain's position in Naples?
Yes, as long as we get him to
commit to something now.
Our making the right choice
today can prevent a war between
France and Spain.
A war that could lead to untold
misery.
A war that must weigh heavily
on our consciences when we cast
our ballots.
This sacred college is
assembled to express Gods will
in choosing Christ's vicar on
earth.
Our actions here will weigh
heavily on our day of judgment.
What type of specific promise
could we get from the Frenchman?
I can ask him to guarantee in
writing that the right to the
Crown of Naples remains in the
Spanish Royal line.
Rodrigo Borgia, you will die
either a notorious criminal
or seated on the throne of
Saint Peter.
Perhaps they are one and the
same thing.
They are not.
Do we have his vote?
I think so, but I am not
certain.
Why are you not certain?
My cousin cannot be bought.
He believes that Piccolomini is
closer to his God than you are
and will not be persuaded
otherwise.
But he is also deeply devoted
to his royal patrons in Spain.
I believe you will have his
vote if you can make the King
of France
quit his claim to the crown of
Naples.
Then that we will promise.
I am not sure if he believes
you can deliver on such a
promise.
Make him believe it.
Then what should I tell him you
said to me?
Tell your cousin that as
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in
charge of the Church's
finances throughout the world,
you will be in a better position
than any man on this Earth to
bring benefit to Spain and
influence
the King of France though his
friend the pope.
And tell your cousin that the
Cardinal-Nephew will not remain
the Cardinal Vice-Chancellor
unless he writes my name on his
ballot.
My saying that will not secure
his vote.
The opposite I am sure.
Don't be simple.
I said that for your benefit,
not his.
Whatever is promised must come
directly from you,
not from me as your envoy.
I told you to secure his vote.
I did not tell you to ask me to
do it.
I have prepared the ground.
I can speak for you, but I
cannot be you, Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
Do not say a word unless I look
directly at you.
Please enter.
I am sorry Cardinal de Mella.
I apologize for my intrusion.
No, no. Please join me Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
I have been waiting for you.
Cardinal de Mella, I will be
direct with you.
France and Spain may dispute
the throne of Naples,
but it is a fief of the Holy
See and therefore its king
rules at the pope's pleasure.
We are both the sons of ancient
and noble families and I give
you my solemn oath
as a nobleman that I can and
will stay the King of France's
claim to the Kingdom of Naples
for my lifetime.
And this I shall do, not for
the friendship of Spanish
cardinals,
but because as pope, it is my
duty to prevent the bloodshed
of Christian by Christian.
I am sorry for disturbing you
and I apologize if my passion
has been too heated.
He talks as if he is already
pope.
He soon will be.
So, may I ask, does the
pope-to- be have your vote?
Orsini has finally declared
himself for Piccolomini,
but Calandrini has agreed to
vote for d'Estouteville!
Calandrini?! Why?
He may be a pious man, but like
any true Bolognese,
he would rather drink water
from Bologna than wine from
Siena.
He's a huge catch.
D'Estouteville has it then.
We made the right choice.
Cardinal d'Estouteville ten,
Cardinal Piccolomini eight.
No cardinal has reached the
required majority.
I, Cardinal d'Estouteville,
have received the greatest
number of votes.
Any man who wishes to accede to
me may do so now.
We will hold our next ballot
tomorrow morning immediately
after mass.
Any objections?
I had the same nine votes as
last time, plus Cardinal
Calandrini's.
But that Merchant Cardinal
Pietro Barbo..
and the Russian did not vote as
promised.
The beheaded cannot be trusted.
And nor did your cousin, de
Mella.
My cousin did not promise to
vote for you, just to consider
it.
I gave you the job of bringing
him in.
And you failed me!
Maybe De Mella made a previous
agreement to vote for
Piccolomini
in this round and we will pick
him up in the next.
We know the Russian and the
Greek will both vote for the man
who they think will launch a
crusade which means you have
yet to convince them.
Everything is all still up in
the air!
Anybody could change his vote
in the next ballot.
Even for all we know, Alain of
Avignon.
Now you listen don't be
ridiculous with me!
We need to ascertain exactly
who will vote for whom before
the next ballot.
There can be no more sitting on
the fence.
I want my enemies to seal their
fates now,
before they realize that I have
won the crown.
I hope, for your sake, that
Prospero is right,
and that de Mella does cast his
vote for me this time.
I will ask my cousin how he
will vote.
I will ask Pietro Barbo again,
but we cannot trust his answer.
Cardinal d'Estouteville?
Yes?
I am not confident that I can
deliver my cousin.
He is not a man whose
'convictions' are easily
changed.
But with your permission I will
try to deliver the vote of
another.
And who might that be?
Cardinal Piccolomini.
If I can persuade him that he
can never win, would it not
make sense for him to back you
instead of carrying on this
useless campaign to the end?
It's gone too far! He will not
support us!
The young Catalan may be right.
Piccolomini will never truly
support my candidacy, but,
in the past he has demonstrated
some signs of practicality,
and a practical man will always
try to lessen the sting of a
certain defeat.
I will accompany the Cardinal-
Nephew.
Piccolomini will not listen to
you Alain.
Cardinal Borgia is young and
has no history.
Good or bad.
Deliver me either your
countryman De Mella or
Piccolomini.
One or the other will do.
I will not vote for the
Frenchman.
You are not considering the
needs of Spain.
I am not voting on behalf of
Spain.
I am voting on behalf of God.
If Cardinal d'Estouteville was
the greatest enemy of Spain but
loved and feared his God,
I would vote for him.
What about fealty to your king?
Does your oath mean nothing?
My king swears an oath of
fealty to the same God as I do
each and every day.
Tell me honestly.
Am I wasting my time with you?
Yes.
You are a clever and ambitious
young man.
You will have an interesting
future.
But you will not change my vote.
Cardinal de Mella, can you do
me one favour?
What?
Keep your intentions secret.
Tell them that you will vote
according to your conscience
and that only god
and you are to know the name
you will place on your ballot.
They will easily deduce how I
am going to vote.
Of course.
But suspecting how you will
vote is quite different from
knowing.
I would like you to keep them
uncertain until you place your
ballot.
Will you do that? For me?
I will not tell you.
How I place my vote is a matter
between myself and my God.
Thank you.
You are a good man.
In the future I will try to
follow in your footsteps.
What have we here?!
A Cardinal-Nephew desperately
trying to preserve his wealth?
Or is it his hide?
May I discuss some
possibilities with you?
Possibilities. Impossibilities
Anything you want.
In private?
I hope you will not be offended
if remain stay seated.
Not at all.
Good come and sit down.
Many years ago on a diplomatic
mission to the king of Scotland
my ship was overcome by a
terrible tempest.
I prayed to the Virgin,
promising her that if I made
ever land again
I would walk barefoot directly
to her nearest shrine and pay
alms.
And, our Lady saw to it that
the ship was saved.
But unfortunately for me, the
nearest shrine was many miles
away through the snow.
I managed to get there
barefoot, but my feet developed
gout
and they have never regained
their full use.
Cardinal Piccolomini, I want
you to know that I am not here
on behalf of Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
I am here on behalf of myself.
I am listening.
What's to be gained by your
continued opposition to
Cardinal d'Estouteville's
candidacy if he is going to win
in the end anyway?
You will just succeed in making
the new ruler of the Church
your enemy.
But if you come to terms with
him now,
What terms?
I don't know.
Should that not come from you?
I could relay your conditions
to Cardinal d'Estouteville, if
you request.
That's very helpful of you.
Could you ask him to promise me
your job, the Vice-
Chancellorship?
I could ask him for that.
You can ask him, but he can't
give it to me.
That's because he's already
pledged it to another.
And I don't mean you.
That stung didn't it?
Whatever Cardinal Guillaume
d'Estouteville is, he is not
stupid.
He will not entrust the
treasury of the Roman Catholic
Church
throughout the world to a
twenty-seven year old Spaniard
of little reputation.
The Vice-Chancellorship will go
to his loyal poodle, Alain of
Avignon.
Pointing out the obvious to the
young and inexperienced
is one of the few pleasures of
growing old.
You've hitched your team to the
wrong wagon, Borgia,
I'm not doing very well for
myself am I?
About as well as could be
expected of a Cardinal-Nephew.
Or should I call you Cardinal-
Boy?
But we are stuck in a deadlock.
You cannot win and
d'Estouteville cannot lose.
Yes he can.
No he can't. His support is
solid.
No it is not.
And a conclave always goes
somewhere.
It can not last forever.
Are there no terms I can
propose to him?
You can propose that he take
confessions in the Abbey of San
Cristophoro
in the Brenner Pass and I take
the job of pope.
And tell him San Christophoro's
a grim and miserable tower at
the top
of a very high mountain and
that many a monk has been known
to freeze to death.
I could have snapped my fingers
any time in the last fifteen
years
and had that worm put to a
miserable death in the Castello!
So let's review.
Who do we have?!
Ten for sure.
Not including de Mella.
You may still have his vote.
He will not say.
That's correct.
I asked him myself and he told
me he would vote according to
his conscience,
and the man's name is a matter
between himself and his God.
Keep working on him.
And Barbo? Cardinal Calandrini
what of Barbo?
He says his 'intentions' are
favourable to you.
They better be! I just signed a
note on behalf of the King of
France
promising him two hundred
thousand golden ducats.
But that is simony!
The only language he
understands.
And in the technical, proper,
Canon Law sense, it was not
simony.
I agreed to help him with a
debt..
Owed to him for diplomatic
services he rendered some time
ago.
The Venetian spice trader is
what he is.
I cannot change his character.
But I can put a better man in
his place when I am made pope.
My reign will mark the end of
merchant-cardinals the likes of
Pietro Barbo.
The Greek and the Slav
cardinals hold the keys to
Saint Peter's.
Come.
Let us win them over to our
side.
(praying)
One or the other of you always
casts your vote for Piccolomini.
Why?
You would make a good father of
the Church, Guillaume.
As would Cardinal Piccolomini.
It is a difficult choice.
It is not a difficult choice!
Piccolomini is nothing more
than an ill-bred churl who has
read a few thick books!
Look at the ridiculous name his
parents gave him 'Silvius
Aeneas Piccolomini'.
As if naming him thus would
make their piglet son a modern
Virgil!
The man is lame in both legs
and handicapped between the
ears.
Driven by nothing more than a
bottomless well of personal
vanity.
If Piccolomini is made pope,
your crusade will be equipped
by little
more than a few injured ponies
left over from the Palio race
in Siena
and Constantinople will remain
in Moslem hands for the next
thousand years!
I can deliver you the army of
France!
So if you care anything
for your beloved
Constantinople, you will fall
down at my feet
as I am the only man in this
conclave who can hope to free
the City from the Turk!
(speaking foreign language)
Speaking frankly, neither
Isidore or myself have ever
seen the King of France
demonstrate any real interest
in launching a crusade
capable of freeing
Constantinople from the grip of
the Turk.
Under a Spanish pope.
That Spanish pope, Calixtus of
blessed memory, is deserving of
much criticism,
but he was deeply passionate
for a crusade to free the
Christian capital of the east.
But he did not achieve his
crusade because other men,
practical men,
like you and your king, always
stood in his way.
Recently it has been my good
luck to have gained possession
of a copy
of an oration given by
Demosthenes to the Athenians.
It was salvaged from wreckage
of Constantinople, whose new
Moslem rulers
care little for such things.
In his speech, Demosthenes
urged the Athenians to join
forces with their rival
Greek cities against Philip of
Macedon before Philip
became too powerful and
consumed them all.
We all know the outcome.
The Greeks did not join forces
and stand as one against the
common foe
and my homeland has not
regained true freedom for
almost two thousand years.
Guillaume, the city of
Constantine, the holy chalice
of all the accumulated
wisdom of Rome and Greece has
been under the heel of the Turk
for five years now.
If the City is not soon
recovered, the scourge of Islam
will flood deep into Europe
and our whole civilization will
be lost.
The re-taking of the City is
not an issue of concern in this
conclave,
it is the only issue that
matters for the future the
Christian world.
Let the cardinals of the Sacred
College bear witness as I swear
before God
that I will dedicate my life to
uniting Western Christianity in
a holy crusade
to free Constantinople from the
Turk.
And, further, I can tell you
that once the City is re-taken,
the King Charles I know will
not lay down his sword until
Jerusalem is back in Christian
hands.
My condolences, Cardinal Borgia.
Regarding what, Cardinal Orsini?
Regarding the death of your
brother.
What?
While awaiting ship in Ostia,
Pedro Luis passed away from
fever.
Liar.
Sadly--or perhaps happily--I
speak the truth.
Murderer! murder!
Cardinal Orsini has murdered no
one!
Cardinal Orsini has not been
out of the room since the start
of the conclave!
Cardinal Orsini has no more
knowledge of events outside
of this conclave than the rest
of us.
He says Pedro Luis has died in
Ostia.
Borgia!
I will speak with him.
(speaking foreign language)
Why are we dragging this out?
We all know Cardinal
d'Estouteville is going to win
in the end
so let's just get it over with.
And if it's not going to win,
let's get it over with anyway
so that I can go home and
RELIEVE MY ACHING BOLLOCKS!!
Do you think that the Orsinis
murdered my brother?
I would not put it past them.
May I speak my mind freely
Cardinal d'Estouteville.
Piccolomini says that you have
promised the Vice-Chancellery
to Alain of Avignon.
I have promised it only to you.
But how do I know that you will
not take it away from me after
a short while,
allowing you to technically
keep your word and at the same
time
put the Vice-Chancellorship in
more trusted hands.
Are you implying that you are
not trustworthy?
It is normal practice for a new
pontiff to make a loyal
countryman,
if not a blood relative,
cardinal vice-chancellor.
Neither of which describes me.
If my oath is not good enough
for you, perhaps my written
word will be.
Cardinal Borgia, be aware that
if you decide to betray me at
the last moment
and I am still elected pope,
you will lose my protection
against the Orsinis.
I am sure that you are capable
of imagining what will happen
to you very quickly after that.
Did you vote for me?
No.
Why not?
I will not be in the same party
as Cardinal Orsini.
When a conclave divides into
two factions, the Orsini go to
one side
the Colonna to the other.
Both are equally repellent,
and, in effect, cancel each
other out.
I would happily trade the
Orsini for the Colonna, but the
Orsini are on my side
because Prospero sold his vote
to d'Estouteville in exchange
for his palace.
There is no love involved, in
either case.
If Pietro Barbo and both
Bessarion and Isidore vote for
d'Estouteville
but your cousin de Mella does
not he'll still only have
eleven.
It'll take another round to get
his two thirds majority.
If he gets eleven votes, I am
sure the prevailing wind
will quickly blow the twelfth
cardinal his way.
The total is..
Cardinal d'Estouteville ten,
Cardinal Piccolomini eight.
If any man who voted against
the cardinal with the most votes
wishes to accede to him..
I never thought much of you
d'Estouteville
but I never suspected you were
a cheat!!
Let me see. let me see!
It's nine to nine!!
It has my name on it as any man
can read
who can see well enough to make
his way out the door of this
chapel,
which is exactly what you
should do right now!
I resent your tone, Cardinal
Piccolomini.
My eyesight is weak.
That is well known.
I have erred and I apologize to
you for any damage my error
might have caused.
I am not damaged!
You have been caught cheating
and you are the one who is
damaged!
Tell me!!
Can we make a cheat the new
Holy Father of the Church?!!
I swear before God that I did
not cheat.
I cannot see well in this light
and I read a ballot incorrectly!
A man will swear anything
before a God that he does not
fear!!
A God whose wrath has no
meaning for him!!
A God he does not believe in!!
Cardinal Piccolomini.
You can accuse me fairly of
many sins, but to accuse a
cardinal of the Catholic Church
of abandoning a God he has
devoted his life to is an
insult that lowers
this conclave to a new and
heretofore unknown level of
baseness.
It is not my accusation that
has brought us to this
level of baseness, it is your
actions!
Very well, Let us behave like
drunken peasants
brawling over a cut of meat.
It will be more comfortable for
you, I'm sure.
It will.
I prefer an honest fight to the
lies,
the cheating and the simony
that is your noble way!
How dare you accuse me of
simony!!
How dare I?
What about the paper you gave
Pietro Barbo.
promising to pay him 200,000
golden ducats! Yes!
But Cardinal Barbo, do not
forget the Florentine banking
houses
and they had the signature of
Edward, King of England.
Did he pay? No! And the
greatest banks in the world
came down in ruin!
How do you propose to collect
when the King of France chooses
not to cover d'Estouteville's
debt?
Would you go to Paris and seize
it from him?
Be careful before you reach too
far, friar from Siena.
If you make an enemy of me,
then you may also make the King
of France
an enemy of this 'Holy See'.
And how long has it been since
we had two popes,
simultaneously claiming the
throne of St. Peter?
Our divided Church just barely
escaped dangerous flood waters
that can easily rise another
day.
We are powerful men who
represent powerful interests
and we must weigh those
interests carefully when we
cast our votes.
Fine and slippery words.
But not an argument for making
a cheat the supreme pontiff of
the Catholic Church!
In reference to your accusation
of simony, it is beneath my
dignity
to respond to such a charge,
except to say that the King of
France
owed the cardinal from Venice
such a sum before we entered
this room.
And that I, as a gentleman of
honour, see no simony in
agreeing
to use my considerable
influence to help a friend
collect money fairly owed to
him.
And I need hardly point out
that the King of France
is the most honourable of men,
whereas I have never met an
honourable Englishman,
since such a man does not exist.
(laughter)
Gentlemen!
We have had three ballots now
and nothing much is changing.
Will we have four, five, six?
Or nineteen
all with the same result?
We can only proceed by
accession!
I agree to proceed by accession!
I agree also to accession.
We are in deadlock.
Two cardinals, d'Estouteville
of Rouen and Piccolomini of
Siena,
have both received the same
number of votes.
Any cardinal who wishes to
accede to the man
that he did not vote for may do
so until one man
receives the required majority
of two thirds
twelve votes
and becomes Christ's Vicar on
Earth.
(music)
I accede to the cardinal from
Siena.
I accede to the cardinal from
Siena.
I accede to the Cardinal of
Siena.
And I make him pope!
(music)
Holy Father.
Ha-be-mus Pap-am!
(cheering and bell tolling)
Congratulations.
What for cardinal Orsini?
For having survived your first
conclave.
We start a new chapter now.
(cheering)
It is done.
Piccolomini of Siena is Pope
Pius the Second
and I am his cardinal Vice-
Chancellor.
God is smiling on you, Rodrigo
Borgia.
Yes he is.. .Are you?
(music)
(music)
(V.O.): Rome, the year of our
Lord Fourteen Hundred and
Fifty- Eight.
Seven hundred and thirty three
years after the Moors invaded
Spain.
Two hundred and seventy one
years since the Muslims
recaptured Jerusalem.
And five years after the fall
of Constantinople to the Turk.
(gasping)
Il Papa!
Salva me!! Salva me!!
Dios salvame!!
(bell tolling)
(knocking on door)
I'm sorry signora! It's
important!
I have been sent by Cardinal
Orsini to fetch
'your excellency'.
Who are you?
Bishop Giuliano della Rovere.
That's good for you.
And you can go now, bishop.
I am sorry, you must go now.
Must I?
Yes.
You must go directly to the
Vatican Palace.
Now.
Not that I intend to go
anywhere,
but can you please explain
exactly why 'must I'?
Cardinal Orsini wants to
discuss a matter..
in regards to your uncle's
'health'.
You'll stand by me, won't you?
If..
If what?
If my world changes.
And not for the better.
You speak as if I am obligated
to you.
I am obligated to you.
I am not your wife.
Yes you are, in effect.
You are a cardinal of the Holy
Catholic Church
and cardinals are not permitted
to marry.
Vannozza, don't play with me!
You have to stay by my side.
I need you!
I need to know that you are
there for me!
I have to go.
Rodrigo, wait.
If they kill you, I will light
a candle
in San Giacomo degli Spagnoli,
and pray for your soul.
And if you flee to Spain I will
write letters to you
and sign them 'your devoted
Vannozza'.
And if you stay in Rome, I will
wait for you here in my bed.
Our bed.
Farewell!
I will!
He is a fool.
A well established one.
And that makes you a fool's
woman.
I am that.
You don't have to be.
Are you trying to tempt me,
Signor Della Rovere?
Bishop Della Rovere.
Shall we send all the gold and
silver in the Chancellery to
safety?
And where would that be?
Tell the Captain of the Guard
to engage every Spanish fighter
he can find in Rome..
Pedro!
Brother!
Is Don Alonso..
.. dead? No.
.. Not yet.
I want ten thousand gold ducats
put traveling chests! Now.
Holy Father.
Pedro Luis..
Rodrigo!
(Gasping and struggling for
breath)
We must re-take the City!
Cardinal Orsini.
Seeing that our beloved Holy
Father Calixtus will not be
tormenting us with his mortal
presence much longer,
I am interested to hear your
plans, Cardinal 'Vice-
Chancellor'?
I don't know,. exactly.
Surely even you have given some
thought to your uncle's demise.
Yes.
But whatever I do is dependent
on the actions of the other
cardinals.
Not the 'other' cardinals.
The 'real' cardinals.
I am a real cardinal.
D'Estouteville is a real
cardinal.
He has the King of France
behind him.
Pietro Barbo is a real cardinal.
He has the support of the
Venetian Senate.
My family have five thousand
men-at-arms within a day's ride
of Rome.
And I am the Captain General of
the Church's army!
Cardinal Borgia, you have never
acted directly against my
interests,
so I will give you some advice.
Flee to safety in Spain, now.
I can hardly remember Spain.
I'm sure you could work your
way back to the Holy See some
day.
Once you have made the right
friends at court.
Or whatever they call it in
Catalonia.
We are not going anywhere!
Your brother's decision to
remain in the city will please
the many Romans anxious for
revenge after three years of
Catalan repression.
Adios Capitan General!
This could be our last chance.
Do we try to stay in Rome or
go, right now?
We are staying.
I think that too much hate has
built up against all things
Spanish, Pedro.
The Italians don't hate us so
much as envy us.
The Orsini are mobilizing every
man they've got in the Campagna.
That's it.
What?
Holy Father Calixtus the Third
of Blessed Memory is in the
hands of his Lord.
(music and prayer)
(horses galloping)
Vannozza! Vannozza, I am
leaving!
Vannozza, Rome has become too
dangerous for me and I am on my
way to Spain!
Vannozza! Please answer me!
Vannozza! I need to talk to you!
We have to go. Now.
(screams)
And I will always love you too,
Rodrigo.
(yelling and swords clashing)
What was that about?
The Lord has decided.
My future is here, in Rome.
And what do you plan to do
between now and the start of
the conclave?
Sit in your garden and read
poetry?
It's her isn't it?
(arrows fly through the air)
Quick Rodrigo! To the boat!
I must stay! My fate is here in
Rome!
Don't be a fool! The Italians
will betray you at every turn
just like they betrayed me!
Rome calls me!
My brother, Spain calls me.
Farewell.
Farwell brother, farewell.
(coins clanging)
Your Lordship.
Have you found him?
Yes, Your Excellency.
He escaped Rome, but is in
Ostia awaiting ship for Spain.
Suffering from a fever.
Have you lost your red hat?
I thought it best to keep it
hidden until the conclave.
For safety.
Mind if I join you?
Please.
We'll let the conclave
determine his fate.
And his brother?
I expect Pedro Luis to succumb
to his malady in Ostia.
But be discreet.
We do not know who the next
pope will be.
(hammering)
Rodrigo!
Welcome to your first conclave.
You are a fortunate man,
Cardinal Borgia.
How so, Cardinal Orsini?
You're alive.
And why should being alive be
considered a matter of good
fortune?
Ask your brother.
I'm sorry?
Take care how you vote in this
conclave, Vice-Chancellor.
The future depends on it.
Particularly yours.
Vice-Chancellor Borgia.
May I have a private word with
you?
Of course.
Your uncle, Calixtus of Blessed
Memory, chose,
in a typical display of his
wisdom, to make you, his nephew,
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor of the
Roman Catholic Church
throughout the world.
That makes you the highest
ranking cardinal
in this Conclave of the Sacred
College,
and therefore, technically
speaking, it is your
responsibility
to take charge of these
proceedings.
Go on.
I have nothing more to add.
The Lords of the Church
gathered here to select God's
High Priest
of the Christian faithful await
your instruction.
Cardinal d'Estouteville.
I accept that I lack experience
in certain ecclesiastical
matters
such as the direction of a
conclave attended by so many
cardinals superior to me in
every way
except official rank.
Therefore, even though I hold
the office of Cardinal Vice-
Chancellor,
I request that you, the senior
cardinal
in terms of years of service
direct the proceedings of this
conclave in a manner consistent
with its rules and traditions.
(groans and murmurs)
Lord Calixtus the Third,
Pontifex Maximus,
Jesus Christ Our Savior's Vicar
on Earth, Ruler of the World,
Father of Princes and Kings,
Shepherd of the Holy Roman
Church and leader of all
Christendom
has been delivered from this
temporal life and is now
in the hands of the Lord.
May God have mercy upon his
soul and see fit to welcome him
into
the company of the saints and
angels in heaven as he has
welcomed so many
other souls who before Calixtus
shouldered
the earthly burden of the keys
of Saint Peter.
Please join me in a silent
prayer for our father Calixtus
of blessed memory.
There are five ways a new pope
may be chosen.
The first is by 'Committee'
meaning that the Sacred College
does not
directly choose the new Pope
but instead appoints a
committee of cardinals
with the power to name the new
pope.
The second way is known as
Inspiration.
If any man amongst us is
inspired by God to shout out
the name of the new pope,
then that man will become pope,
as long as the required
majority of two thirds
also feel so inspired to shout
out that man's name.
The third method of selecting
the new pope is called
'Adoration'.
That is when a cardinal amongst
us sees the light of the Lord
appear in
another cardinal and falls at
that man's feet in adoration.
If a required majority of two
thirds also sees that light,
then he who is so adored
becomes Christ's Vicar on Earth.
The fourth, and most common,
method of selecting
the new pope is by Scrutiny.
Scrutiny is when each cardinal
names his chosen candidate on a
piece of paper.
That ballot must clearly state
the name of each cardinal's
choice for pope
as well as the name of the
cardinal who is making the
choice for example,
'I Guillaume d'Estouteville of
Rouen name Alain d'Avignon
as Holy Father of the Church'.
Once everyone has written down
the name of his preferred
candidate,
the ballots are deposited in a
chalice.
And the teller, in this case
me, counts the votes.
If no man achieves the required
majority,
there is a second or a third
ballot or as many as are
necessary.
The fifth and last method of
electing the new Father of the
Church is by Accession.
Accession takes place when the
voting continuously fails to
reach
the required majority and the
deadlock is broken by a cardinal
or cardinals proclaiming out
loud that they 'accede' to a
cardinal other
than the man they voted for,
which normally means switching
their support to the cardinal
with the most votes.
If enough additional cardinals
also accede to a cardinal to
allow him
to reach the required majority,
that man will become pope.
I have not seen it happen
before and nor do I expect that
this
time we will make our selection
either by a Committee,
by Inspiration or by Adoration.
I suggest that we proceed
forthwith to make our choice by
scrutiny
and I recommend that we hold
the first and hopefully only
ballot one hour after midday
repast.
and I pray that we all accept
Jesus Christ Our Lord's guidance
in our selection of his Vicar
on Earth.
(knocking on the door)
Is this the patient?
The linens, the knife and the
jar.
Fill the bucket with water.
What are his prospects?
Not good.
Holy Mary, mother of God
I pray that my brother Pedro
has returned safely to Spain.
And I pray that you bless my
beloved Vannozza
and help her understand that I
am, and will always be, her one
and only true love.
I pray that you guide me in
this conclave by helping me
elect the candidate..
.. who will keep you alive.
Yesterday you were trying to
kill my brother and I,
and today you are looking for
my vote.
I am not looking for your vote.
What then?
Much more than that.
I want you to be my man of
mouth and hands.
Your future will be secure.
No matter what the outcome of
this conclave.
Rodrigo, what are you doing?!
He has become my vassal.
Borgia will love and serve no
other and will forever have my
protection.
Is this true Rodrigo? Have you
done homage to Latino Orsini?
Betrayal is death.
Becoming Latino Orsini's man is
death too, at the hands of my
family.
I have said nothing.
I am the man of King Juan of
Aragon and no other.
Very well.
You had your chance.
(cutlery and dishes clanking)
(muffled sounds from outside)
Listen.
I believe we can hear men-at-
arms.
I wonder whose they could be?
Could they be Spanish? No.
Spain is very far away and I am
sure I would already have
fainted from the stink if they
were Catalans.
(laughter)
There are four Spanish
cardinals in this room.
How can you hope for their
support if you slander them so?
I don't hope for their support.
I know I will not be made pope
so I can talk as I want
which is why I am the only one
talking.
(laughter)
We will never again make the
mistake of electing a Spanish
pope.
And I know the next Holy Father
will not be me
but let's be realistic
the tiara will only be won with
either the support of the
Orsini faction..
.. or the backing of my family.
There is no other possibility.
Unless he is a Greek!
I am sad to say that this
college is unlikely to elect a
Greek
even one long converted to the
Latin Rite.
And you will never elect a
Russian.
So, who will it be? Let us
begin the dialogue.
The next pope will be French.
Do you propose that we make you
pope, Alain of Avignon?
Of course not.
And we will not vote for a
Spaniard.
The Orsini here expect us to
elect one of their party.
The Colonna equally believe
that their house will deliver
the new Holy Father.
The losing family will go to
war if we choose a partisan of
the other.
Possibly destroying the Church.
These two noble Italian
families,
although important here in the
Patrimony of Saint Peter,
they pale in the shadow of the
greatest power in the world.
A power that commands respect
and fear.
To secure its future the Holy
See must ally itself to France
by electing
Cardinal Guillaume
d'Estouteville of Rouen as the
next Pontifex Maximus.
Gentlemen!! Gentlemen!!!
Cardinal d'Estouteville! What
say you?
Cardinal Alain d'Avignon is
correct, in one respect at
least.
It has been just forty years
since the dark days when our
beloved Church
was divided under two popes,
both claiming to be the true
heir of Saint Peter.
The power and prestige of the
Papacy has only recently
recovered
from this schism and still
rests on a weak foundation.
Therefore the very survival of
the Church weighs heavily
on the shoulders of the
cardinals gathered here in
conclave today.
It is an evident truth that my
good friend the King of France
is essential to the Church's
future.
It is also true that I am the
longest serving cardinal
with the most experience in the
complex politics of the Holy
See.
But I cannot claim that to be
the best man to lead the
Christian flock.
That is a decision that we,
with God's guidance, must make
together.
I agree with the two cardinals
from France.
We will not elect a Spaniard, a
Greek or the Bishop of Kiev
and we're always under pressure
to crown an Orsini or Colonna
partisan.
And the Holy See's relationship
with the King of France
is certainly of great
importance.
Therefore it is only logical
that we elect a Frenchman.
So let's choose Alain of
Avignon and be done with it.
(laughter)
But..
I do not believe that Alain
d'Avignon desires
to put himself forward as a
candidate.
Am I correct?
I cannot put my name forward
when one man amongst us
is so clearly superior in
education, in royal
connections,
experience, family grace and,
and...wealth.
How does wealth matter?
It does not matter at all.
Though I have been blessed by
great wealth..
I will, if elected, of course
'dispose' of all my earthly
possessions and benefices
with the help and advice of the
Sacred College.
I agree that Cardinal
d'Estouteville is superior
to any of us in education,
experience, family, connections
and wealth.
And very blue blood does indeed
flow through his thick veins.
I am not sure about his having
much grace but I am quite
certain
he is far superior to any of us
in the enormity of his
arrogance.
He also wears more rings on his
fingers and dresses in finer
cloth.
His farts smell like perfume
and I hear that his sweat
would make the finest of wines,
only no one has ever sampled it
because Cardinal
d'Estouteville has never
sweated.
(laughter)
I can assume from your tone,
Cardinal Piccolomini,
that you do not support my
candidacy.
Which faction do you suggest
then, Colonna or Orsini?
Neither.
I suggest we choose a man who
believes in God.
Someone who is will do Jesus
Christ Our Savior's work
and not the King of France's or
the King of Spain's.
I suggest we choose Silvius
Aeneas Piccolomini of Siena
to be the Holy Father of the
Roman Catholic Church.
(loud murmurs)
But that is you. You are
nominating yourself!
I am putting my name forward,
yes.
Not because I am the best
possible choice in all
Christendom.
I can think of many better men,
but none of them happen to be
sitting in this room right now.
And you know very well that if
you elect me,
I will devote myself to the
task of shepherding the
Christian flock and nothing
more.
I will try to be fair and I
will always be direct.
I will never play political
games and feign false humility
while a venomous puppet speaks
for me.
I thank you for your bluntness,
Cardinal Piccolomini.
A quality typical of a man of
your 'rustic' background
and limited experience in the
complex politics of the Holy
See.
But are a humble origin and an
uncontrolled tongue the right
credentials
to be made the Holy Father of
Kings and Princes?
That, we will decide in one
hour.
Look at what you've started.
Thank you.
But who will you support?
I will support the man who will
best lead the Church.
A very political answer.
It is a very political moment.
I will support the man who will
pay me the most!!
You don't mean that!
Of course not.
I'm just having a little fun.
Come my friend.
Let us see if we can find
ourselves a generous share of
the 'grace'
needed to guide us in our
choice.
(dog barking)
Who are they?
I don't know.
Cardinal d'Estouteville would
like to have
a private word with Cardinal
Borgia.
And me?
With you as well. In a moment
But first His Excellency will
complete his 'business' with
the Cardinal Nephew.
My title is Cardinal
Vice-Chancellor,
not 'Cardinal Nephew'.
Forgive me for my simple-minded
error,
but you know I am not as sharp
as the rest of you.
Am I?
Shall I kiss your ring or your
foot?
After the scrutiny, you will
kiss my foot, my knee and my
hand
as will the others.
Borgia, I will be direct.
If Piccolomini is made pope you
will lose your cardinal's hat.
At best.
How can you say that?
Because he knows exactly what
kind of man you are.
What kind of man am I?
An ambitious one.
But this morning you gave some
indication
the first I have seen that you
may be gifted with some
practical sense.
And I am thinking that you can
be of use to me
in the great task that lies
ahead.
So I shall say this to you once.
If you vote for me at the
scrutiny,
I will allow you to remain
Vice- Chancellor of the Church
until such time as you betray
my trust.
And you should know that
attending to his family's
financial health,
within reason, will not put my
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in any
disfavour.
I am very happy to hear you
express such confidence in me,
but how can I know for sure
that once you are made pope
that you
will not change your mind and
award the Vice-Chancellorship
to another?
Do not insult me, Borgia.
I am not a pig farmer from
Siena.
I am a man of my word.
And I intentionally held back
the decision as to whom I would
make
Vice-Chancellor as a bargaining
instrument.
You speak as if the Vice-
Chancellorship was a payment
for my vote.
Would it be right for me to
support a candidate who attempts
to acquire the keys of Saint
Peter through simony?
Borgia, I am going to assume
that you are 'one who
understands'
as opposed to 'one of the
multitude' and expose myself by
revealing my true thinking.
This Sacred College is made up
of a few practical men like you
and me,
and a large number of fools
like Prospero Colonna and
Calandrini of Bologna.
Prospero is a fool because
everyone knows that he will be
bought
by the richest cardinal, namely
me.
But when I buy him it will be
with the knowledge that his
loyalty
will always be to the man with
the fattest purse.
And there is always someone
with a fatter purse.
Calandrini is a fool because he
is handicapped by the
simplistic idea
that that the best man to sit
on the throne of Saint Peter is
the cardinal
who most outwardly demonstrates
sanctimonious piety.
Calandrini and your cousin Juan
de Mella would blissfully drag
the Church
backwards into the dark and
primitive swamp of superstition
from which we have only
recently emerged.
The Church is the most powerful
force for good in this world.
It needs to be led by a strong
and practical man who
understands politics
at the highest level, a man
who, with the help of powerful
monarchs and potentates,
will fortify our Church against
the forces of evil that
threaten us from every
direction.
I am that man.
Do I have your vote?
And you understand..
that I cannot, of course, allow
someone who does not fully
support me
to keep the office of Vice-
Chancellor.
So do I have your vote, yes or
no?
Latino Orsini says that my
future, if I have one,
depends on how I vote.
Is he in your camp?
No.
The Orsini have been seeking
their revenge since the day my
uncle
broke tradition by making Pedro
Captain General instead of one
of them.
Any Orsini who dares to even
think of murdering one of my
cardinals
will quickly find his castle
besieged by a French army
a prospect we both know grips
the never-very-brave Italian
heart with mortal fear.
You have my vote.
Thank you.
Borgia, I know that you have no
love for me and likely never
will,
but I sincerely do believe that
we have a common
'understanding' of how things
get done.
We will work well together.
How much did you get?!
Are you accusing me of simony?
Essentially, if not precisely,
yes.
Cardinal D'Estouteville
believes that a practical man
is best suited to lead the
Church.
A practical man in the King of
France's pocket, he means.
I think you are going to lose.
I see and who will you support.
I will support the man who will
make the best pope.
Have you agreed to vote for him?
As I said..
Have you agreed to vote for
that perfumed Parisien?
Yes.
Good.
Now I know that you are at
least capable of telling the
truth!!
The pompous ass of a Frenchman
does indeed appear to be the
'practical' choice
for a man in your precarious
position and he is right
we do need practical men at the
top of the Church.
But not as pope!
Has he got it?
I don't know.
No he has not and he never will.
Because I know there are at
least eight men in this room
who,
like me, really do fear their
God.
Men who would roast at the
stake before selling their vote
to the King of France's lap dog!
(knocking)
I remind everyone that to win,
a cardinal must be named on
twelve ballots.
I must relay a message of
utmost importance to Cardinal
Borgia.
You know that conclaves cannot
be interrupted by anyone
for any reason, on pain of
death.
I know I could never speak to
the cardinal directly,
but I hoped that there was some
way that someone could relay
some information.
What 'information'?
About his brother, the Captain
General.
You're a Catalan pig yourself,
aren't you?
And you were a Captain of the
City Guard.
(muffled screams from outdoors)
The result is nine votes for
Cardinal d'Estouteville of
Rouen,
six for Cardinal Piccolomini of
Siena,
two for Cardinal Orsini of Rome
and one that is difficult to
read,
but appears to say Cardinal
Calandrini of Bologna.
I am lame with gout, so I
shouldn't be too harsh on the
Frenchman!
But he is getting so frail his
eyesight is failing!
Cardinal d'Estouteville of
Rouen has received the largest
number of votes,
but he has not yet reached the
required majority.
Any cardinal who voted against
Cardinal d'Estouteville of Rouen
may now accede to him now.
We have not yet reached the
required majority.
I suggest that we seek God's
guidance and hold a second
ballot
one hour after our evening meal.
He's the captain of the city
guard.
(yelling)
This has been going on for days
now.
Someone should put a stop to it.
It will continue to go on like
this until a new pope is
elected.
And then it will end.
Or get worse.
(laughter and shouting)
I hope they save some rope for
your Spanish cardinal.
So we six voted for Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
Plus Luis and one..
Hmm what do we have here?
I'm sorry to interrupt your
'conference'.
But I have some foul business
of my own to conduct here.
(grunting and groaning)
So again it is us six plus Luis
plus one of the two other
Spanish cardinals.
And the Greek but not the
Bishop of Kiev.
They are splitting their vote
as a stratagem
until someone comes forward
with a convincing plan
to retake the City of
Constantinople.
Do that and we have ten.
Another two and you've got the
tiara.
Piccolomini seems to have made
good on some old friendships
and surprisingly for a man who
joined the Church so late in
life
he has successfully pulled most
of the old fashioned cardinals
onto his team,
including.. your countryman..
Juan de Mella.
Bring him in.
What about Cardinal Orsini?
Latino Orsini is biding his time
before delivering himself to
Piccolomini.
And the saintly Cardinal of
Siena is going to pay very
dearly for his vote.
But you can deliver me your
countryman.
How?
You are not a Cardinal Nephew
anymore.
Your uncle can no longer open
doors for you.
You have to open them yourself.
Use your wits. Use your brains.
Prove yourself.
I will try.
You will not try. You will
succeed.
That adds up to eleven.
Pietro Barbo voted for
Piccolomini.
And he is about as much a man
of God as my chamber pot.
He is a merchant cardinal, a
spider waiting for the next
piece
of succulent prey to land in
his net.
He deserves nothing.
So what will we give him then?
Whatever it takes.
I should have held out longer.
You will enjoy living in my
house.
It is the finest palace in Rome.
Other than the Vatican.
And Barbo makes twelve.
Gentlemen, let us get to work.
You will not fail me.
I will have all four Spanish
votes.
Or ?
The wind will start to blow in
an unfavourable direction.
For you.
So Cardinal d'Estouteville sent
you to fetch my vote.
May I walk with you?
He suspects that you are
backing Cardinal Piccolomini
but would like to know if he
has any chance of your support.
Cardinal Piccolomini is vain,
short tempered, rough-mannered
and impetuous.
But he is intelligent, well
read and a man of God.
And what about Cardinal
d'Estouteville?
Cardinal d'Estouteville is a
very capable man.
Dear cousin,I consider a vote
for Piccolomini
to be a vote for the Orsini
clan,
who hate all things Spanish.
Silvius Aeneas Piccolomini of
Siena is not an enemy of Spain.
I see in this conclave the
perfect opportunity end the
dispute
between France and Spain over
the crown of Naples.
And you think making Cardinal
d'Estouteville pope will improve
Spain's position in Naples?
Yes, as long as we get him to
commit to something now.
Our making the right choice
today can prevent a war between
France and Spain.
A war that could lead to untold
misery.
A war that must weigh heavily
on our consciences when we cast
our ballots.
This sacred college is
assembled to express Gods will
in choosing Christ's vicar on
earth.
Our actions here will weigh
heavily on our day of judgment.
What type of specific promise
could we get from the Frenchman?
I can ask him to guarantee in
writing that the right to the
Crown of Naples remains in the
Spanish Royal line.
Rodrigo Borgia, you will die
either a notorious criminal
or seated on the throne of
Saint Peter.
Perhaps they are one and the
same thing.
They are not.
Do we have his vote?
I think so, but I am not
certain.
Why are you not certain?
My cousin cannot be bought.
He believes that Piccolomini is
closer to his God than you are
and will not be persuaded
otherwise.
But he is also deeply devoted
to his royal patrons in Spain.
I believe you will have his
vote if you can make the King
of France
quit his claim to the crown of
Naples.
Then that we will promise.
I am not sure if he believes
you can deliver on such a
promise.
Make him believe it.
Then what should I tell him you
said to me?
Tell your cousin that as
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in
charge of the Church's
finances throughout the world,
you will be in a better position
than any man on this Earth to
bring benefit to Spain and
influence
the King of France though his
friend the pope.
And tell your cousin that the
Cardinal-Nephew will not remain
the Cardinal Vice-Chancellor
unless he writes my name on his
ballot.
My saying that will not secure
his vote.
The opposite I am sure.
Don't be simple.
I said that for your benefit,
not his.
Whatever is promised must come
directly from you,
not from me as your envoy.
I told you to secure his vote.
I did not tell you to ask me to
do it.
I have prepared the ground.
I can speak for you, but I
cannot be you, Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
Do not say a word unless I look
directly at you.
Please enter.
I am sorry Cardinal de Mella.
I apologize for my intrusion.
No, no. Please join me Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
I have been waiting for you.
Cardinal de Mella, I will be
direct with you.
France and Spain may dispute
the throne of Naples,
but it is a fief of the Holy
See and therefore its king
rules at the pope's pleasure.
We are both the sons of ancient
and noble families and I give
you my solemn oath
as a nobleman that I can and
will stay the King of France's
claim to the Kingdom of Naples
for my lifetime.
And this I shall do, not for
the friendship of Spanish
cardinals,
but because as pope, it is my
duty to prevent the bloodshed
of Christian by Christian.
I am sorry for disturbing you
and I apologize if my passion
has been too heated.
He talks as if he is already
pope.
He soon will be.
So, may I ask, does the
pope-to- be have your vote?
Orsini has finally declared
himself for Piccolomini,
but Calandrini has agreed to
vote for d'Estouteville!
Calandrini?! Why?
He may be a pious man, but like
any true Bolognese,
he would rather drink water
from Bologna than wine from
Siena.
He's a huge catch.
D'Estouteville has it then.
We made the right choice.
Cardinal d'Estouteville ten,
Cardinal Piccolomini eight.
No cardinal has reached the
required majority.
I, Cardinal d'Estouteville,
have received the greatest
number of votes.
Any man who wishes to accede to
me may do so now.
We will hold our next ballot
tomorrow morning immediately
after mass.
Any objections?
I had the same nine votes as
last time, plus Cardinal
Calandrini's.
But that Merchant Cardinal
Pietro Barbo..
and the Russian did not vote as
promised.
The beheaded cannot be trusted.
And nor did your cousin, de
Mella.
My cousin did not promise to
vote for you, just to consider
it.
I gave you the job of bringing
him in.
And you failed me!
Maybe De Mella made a previous
agreement to vote for
Piccolomini
in this round and we will pick
him up in the next.
We know the Russian and the
Greek will both vote for the man
who they think will launch a
crusade which means you have
yet to convince them.
Everything is all still up in
the air!
Anybody could change his vote
in the next ballot.
Even for all we know, Alain of
Avignon.
Now you listen don't be
ridiculous with me!
We need to ascertain exactly
who will vote for whom before
the next ballot.
There can be no more sitting on
the fence.
I want my enemies to seal their
fates now,
before they realize that I have
won the crown.
I hope, for your sake, that
Prospero is right,
and that de Mella does cast his
vote for me this time.
I will ask my cousin how he
will vote.
I will ask Pietro Barbo again,
but we cannot trust his answer.
Cardinal d'Estouteville?
Yes?
I am not confident that I can
deliver my cousin.
He is not a man whose
'convictions' are easily
changed.
But with your permission I will
try to deliver the vote of
another.
And who might that be?
Cardinal Piccolomini.
If I can persuade him that he
can never win, would it not
make sense for him to back you
instead of carrying on this
useless campaign to the end?
It's gone too far! He will not
support us!
The young Catalan may be right.
Piccolomini will never truly
support my candidacy, but,
in the past he has demonstrated
some signs of practicality,
and a practical man will always
try to lessen the sting of a
certain defeat.
I will accompany the Cardinal-
Nephew.
Piccolomini will not listen to
you Alain.
Cardinal Borgia is young and
has no history.
Good or bad.
Deliver me either your
countryman De Mella or
Piccolomini.
One or the other will do.
I will not vote for the
Frenchman.
You are not considering the
needs of Spain.
I am not voting on behalf of
Spain.
I am voting on behalf of God.
If Cardinal d'Estouteville was
the greatest enemy of Spain but
loved and feared his God,
I would vote for him.
What about fealty to your king?
Does your oath mean nothing?
My king swears an oath of
fealty to the same God as I do
each and every day.
Tell me honestly.
Am I wasting my time with you?
Yes.
You are a clever and ambitious
young man.
You will have an interesting
future.
But you will not change my vote.
Cardinal de Mella, can you do
me one favour?
What?
Keep your intentions secret.
Tell them that you will vote
according to your conscience
and that only god
and you are to know the name
you will place on your ballot.
They will easily deduce how I
am going to vote.
Of course.
But suspecting how you will
vote is quite different from
knowing.
I would like you to keep them
uncertain until you place your
ballot.
Will you do that? For me?
I will not tell you.
How I place my vote is a matter
between myself and my God.
Thank you.
You are a good man.
In the future I will try to
follow in your footsteps.
What have we here?!
A Cardinal-Nephew desperately
trying to preserve his wealth?
Or is it his hide?
May I discuss some
possibilities with you?
Possibilities. Impossibilities
Anything you want.
In private?
I hope you will not be offended
if remain stay seated.
Not at all.
Good come and sit down.
Many years ago on a diplomatic
mission to the king of Scotland
my ship was overcome by a
terrible tempest.
I prayed to the Virgin,
promising her that if I made
ever land again
I would walk barefoot directly
to her nearest shrine and pay
alms.
And, our Lady saw to it that
the ship was saved.
But unfortunately for me, the
nearest shrine was many miles
away through the snow.
I managed to get there
barefoot, but my feet developed
gout
and they have never regained
their full use.
Cardinal Piccolomini, I want
you to know that I am not here
on behalf of Cardinal
d'Estouteville.
I am here on behalf of myself.
I am listening.
What's to be gained by your
continued opposition to
Cardinal d'Estouteville's
candidacy if he is going to win
in the end anyway?
You will just succeed in making
the new ruler of the Church
your enemy.
But if you come to terms with
him now,
What terms?
I don't know.
Should that not come from you?
I could relay your conditions
to Cardinal d'Estouteville, if
you request.
That's very helpful of you.
Could you ask him to promise me
your job, the Vice-
Chancellorship?
I could ask him for that.
You can ask him, but he can't
give it to me.
That's because he's already
pledged it to another.
And I don't mean you.
That stung didn't it?
Whatever Cardinal Guillaume
d'Estouteville is, he is not
stupid.
He will not entrust the
treasury of the Roman Catholic
Church
throughout the world to a
twenty-seven year old Spaniard
of little reputation.
The Vice-Chancellorship will go
to his loyal poodle, Alain of
Avignon.
Pointing out the obvious to the
young and inexperienced
is one of the few pleasures of
growing old.
You've hitched your team to the
wrong wagon, Borgia,
I'm not doing very well for
myself am I?
About as well as could be
expected of a Cardinal-Nephew.
Or should I call you Cardinal-
Boy?
But we are stuck in a deadlock.
You cannot win and
d'Estouteville cannot lose.
Yes he can.
No he can't. His support is
solid.
No it is not.
And a conclave always goes
somewhere.
It can not last forever.
Are there no terms I can
propose to him?
You can propose that he take
confessions in the Abbey of San
Cristophoro
in the Brenner Pass and I take
the job of pope.
And tell him San Christophoro's
a grim and miserable tower at
the top
of a very high mountain and
that many a monk has been known
to freeze to death.
I could have snapped my fingers
any time in the last fifteen
years
and had that worm put to a
miserable death in the Castello!
So let's review.
Who do we have?!
Ten for sure.
Not including de Mella.
You may still have his vote.
He will not say.
That's correct.
I asked him myself and he told
me he would vote according to
his conscience,
and the man's name is a matter
between himself and his God.
Keep working on him.
And Barbo? Cardinal Calandrini
what of Barbo?
He says his 'intentions' are
favourable to you.
They better be! I just signed a
note on behalf of the King of
France
promising him two hundred
thousand golden ducats.
But that is simony!
The only language he
understands.
And in the technical, proper,
Canon Law sense, it was not
simony.
I agreed to help him with a
debt..
Owed to him for diplomatic
services he rendered some time
ago.
The Venetian spice trader is
what he is.
I cannot change his character.
But I can put a better man in
his place when I am made pope.
My reign will mark the end of
merchant-cardinals the likes of
Pietro Barbo.
The Greek and the Slav
cardinals hold the keys to
Saint Peter's.
Come.
Let us win them over to our
side.
(praying)
One or the other of you always
casts your vote for Piccolomini.
Why?
You would make a good father of
the Church, Guillaume.
As would Cardinal Piccolomini.
It is a difficult choice.
It is not a difficult choice!
Piccolomini is nothing more
than an ill-bred churl who has
read a few thick books!
Look at the ridiculous name his
parents gave him 'Silvius
Aeneas Piccolomini'.
As if naming him thus would
make their piglet son a modern
Virgil!
The man is lame in both legs
and handicapped between the
ears.
Driven by nothing more than a
bottomless well of personal
vanity.
If Piccolomini is made pope,
your crusade will be equipped
by little
more than a few injured ponies
left over from the Palio race
in Siena
and Constantinople will remain
in Moslem hands for the next
thousand years!
I can deliver you the army of
France!
So if you care anything
for your beloved
Constantinople, you will fall
down at my feet
as I am the only man in this
conclave who can hope to free
the City from the Turk!
(speaking foreign language)
Speaking frankly, neither
Isidore or myself have ever
seen the King of France
demonstrate any real interest
in launching a crusade
capable of freeing
Constantinople from the grip of
the Turk.
Under a Spanish pope.
That Spanish pope, Calixtus of
blessed memory, is deserving of
much criticism,
but he was deeply passionate
for a crusade to free the
Christian capital of the east.
But he did not achieve his
crusade because other men,
practical men,
like you and your king, always
stood in his way.
Recently it has been my good
luck to have gained possession
of a copy
of an oration given by
Demosthenes to the Athenians.
It was salvaged from wreckage
of Constantinople, whose new
Moslem rulers
care little for such things.
In his speech, Demosthenes
urged the Athenians to join
forces with their rival
Greek cities against Philip of
Macedon before Philip
became too powerful and
consumed them all.
We all know the outcome.
The Greeks did not join forces
and stand as one against the
common foe
and my homeland has not
regained true freedom for
almost two thousand years.
Guillaume, the city of
Constantine, the holy chalice
of all the accumulated
wisdom of Rome and Greece has
been under the heel of the Turk
for five years now.
If the City is not soon
recovered, the scourge of Islam
will flood deep into Europe
and our whole civilization will
be lost.
The re-taking of the City is
not an issue of concern in this
conclave,
it is the only issue that
matters for the future the
Christian world.
Let the cardinals of the Sacred
College bear witness as I swear
before God
that I will dedicate my life to
uniting Western Christianity in
a holy crusade
to free Constantinople from the
Turk.
And, further, I can tell you
that once the City is re-taken,
the King Charles I know will
not lay down his sword until
Jerusalem is back in Christian
hands.
My condolences, Cardinal Borgia.
Regarding what, Cardinal Orsini?
Regarding the death of your
brother.
What?
While awaiting ship in Ostia,
Pedro Luis passed away from
fever.
Liar.
Sadly--or perhaps happily--I
speak the truth.
Murderer! murder!
Cardinal Orsini has murdered no
one!
Cardinal Orsini has not been
out of the room since the start
of the conclave!
Cardinal Orsini has no more
knowledge of events outside
of this conclave than the rest
of us.
He says Pedro Luis has died in
Ostia.
Borgia!
I will speak with him.
(speaking foreign language)
Why are we dragging this out?
We all know Cardinal
d'Estouteville is going to win
in the end
so let's just get it over with.
And if it's not going to win,
let's get it over with anyway
so that I can go home and
RELIEVE MY ACHING BOLLOCKS!!
Do you think that the Orsinis
murdered my brother?
I would not put it past them.
May I speak my mind freely
Cardinal d'Estouteville.
Piccolomini says that you have
promised the Vice-Chancellery
to Alain of Avignon.
I have promised it only to you.
But how do I know that you will
not take it away from me after
a short while,
allowing you to technically
keep your word and at the same
time
put the Vice-Chancellorship in
more trusted hands.
Are you implying that you are
not trustworthy?
It is normal practice for a new
pontiff to make a loyal
countryman,
if not a blood relative,
cardinal vice-chancellor.
Neither of which describes me.
If my oath is not good enough
for you, perhaps my written
word will be.
Cardinal Borgia, be aware that
if you decide to betray me at
the last moment
and I am still elected pope,
you will lose my protection
against the Orsinis.
I am sure that you are capable
of imagining what will happen
to you very quickly after that.
Did you vote for me?
No.
Why not?
I will not be in the same party
as Cardinal Orsini.
When a conclave divides into
two factions, the Orsini go to
one side
the Colonna to the other.
Both are equally repellent,
and, in effect, cancel each
other out.
I would happily trade the
Orsini for the Colonna, but the
Orsini are on my side
because Prospero sold his vote
to d'Estouteville in exchange
for his palace.
There is no love involved, in
either case.
If Pietro Barbo and both
Bessarion and Isidore vote for
d'Estouteville
but your cousin de Mella does
not he'll still only have
eleven.
It'll take another round to get
his two thirds majority.
If he gets eleven votes, I am
sure the prevailing wind
will quickly blow the twelfth
cardinal his way.
The total is..
Cardinal d'Estouteville ten,
Cardinal Piccolomini eight.
If any man who voted against
the cardinal with the most votes
wishes to accede to him..
I never thought much of you
d'Estouteville
but I never suspected you were
a cheat!!
Let me see. let me see!
It's nine to nine!!
It has my name on it as any man
can read
who can see well enough to make
his way out the door of this
chapel,
which is exactly what you
should do right now!
I resent your tone, Cardinal
Piccolomini.
My eyesight is weak.
That is well known.
I have erred and I apologize to
you for any damage my error
might have caused.
I am not damaged!
You have been caught cheating
and you are the one who is
damaged!
Tell me!!
Can we make a cheat the new
Holy Father of the Church?!!
I swear before God that I did
not cheat.
I cannot see well in this light
and I read a ballot incorrectly!
A man will swear anything
before a God that he does not
fear!!
A God whose wrath has no
meaning for him!!
A God he does not believe in!!
Cardinal Piccolomini.
You can accuse me fairly of
many sins, but to accuse a
cardinal of the Catholic Church
of abandoning a God he has
devoted his life to is an
insult that lowers
this conclave to a new and
heretofore unknown level of
baseness.
It is not my accusation that
has brought us to this
level of baseness, it is your
actions!
Very well, Let us behave like
drunken peasants
brawling over a cut of meat.
It will be more comfortable for
you, I'm sure.
It will.
I prefer an honest fight to the
lies,
the cheating and the simony
that is your noble way!
How dare you accuse me of
simony!!
How dare I?
What about the paper you gave
Pietro Barbo.
promising to pay him 200,000
golden ducats! Yes!
But Cardinal Barbo, do not
forget the Florentine banking
houses
and they had the signature of
Edward, King of England.
Did he pay? No! And the
greatest banks in the world
came down in ruin!
How do you propose to collect
when the King of France chooses
not to cover d'Estouteville's
debt?
Would you go to Paris and seize
it from him?
Be careful before you reach too
far, friar from Siena.
If you make an enemy of me,
then you may also make the King
of France
an enemy of this 'Holy See'.
And how long has it been since
we had two popes,
simultaneously claiming the
throne of St. Peter?
Our divided Church just barely
escaped dangerous flood waters
that can easily rise another
day.
We are powerful men who
represent powerful interests
and we must weigh those
interests carefully when we
cast our votes.
Fine and slippery words.
But not an argument for making
a cheat the supreme pontiff of
the Catholic Church!
In reference to your accusation
of simony, it is beneath my
dignity
to respond to such a charge,
except to say that the King of
France
owed the cardinal from Venice
such a sum before we entered
this room.
And that I, as a gentleman of
honour, see no simony in
agreeing
to use my considerable
influence to help a friend
collect money fairly owed to
him.
And I need hardly point out
that the King of France
is the most honourable of men,
whereas I have never met an
honourable Englishman,
since such a man does not exist.
(laughter)
Gentlemen!
We have had three ballots now
and nothing much is changing.
Will we have four, five, six?
Or nineteen
all with the same result?
We can only proceed by
accession!
I agree to proceed by accession!
I agree also to accession.
We are in deadlock.
Two cardinals, d'Estouteville
of Rouen and Piccolomini of
Siena,
have both received the same
number of votes.
Any cardinal who wishes to
accede to the man
that he did not vote for may do
so until one man
receives the required majority
of two thirds
twelve votes
and becomes Christ's Vicar on
Earth.
(music)
I accede to the cardinal from
Siena.
I accede to the cardinal from
Siena.
I accede to the Cardinal of
Siena.
And I make him pope!
(music)
Holy Father.
Ha-be-mus Pap-am!
(cheering and bell tolling)
Congratulations.
What for cardinal Orsini?
For having survived your first
conclave.
We start a new chapter now.
(cheering)
It is done.
Piccolomini of Siena is Pope
Pius the Second
and I am his cardinal Vice-
Chancellor.
God is smiling on you, Rodrigo
Borgia.
Yes he is.. .Are you?
(music)