Warning: This article contains spoilers for Conclave.Edward Berger’s 2024 movie Conclave follows the convening of the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope following the unexpected death of the former pope. Conclave‘s talented cast is led by Ralph Fiennes as the dean of the college, Cardinal Lawrence, joined by a great supporting cast including Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, and John Lithgow. Following its October 2024 release, Conclave has experienced critical and box office success, and has now received many awards nominations and wins, including eight Oscars nominations at the upcoming ceremony.
The response to Conclave is unsurprising given how great its performances, story, and direction are. With the future of a religion at stake, the actors are fittingly dramatic, and the characters are much more willing to play dirty than viewers might initially expect, leading to very dramatic reveals. Throughout the film, Cardinal Lawrence attempts to shape the ballots for his chosen candidates and the secrets of their compeтιтors, specifically Cardinals Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) and Tremblay (Lithgow), do help in that respect, and before Conclave‘s ending twist, their pasts do catch up to them.
Cardinal Adeyemi Had A Secret Child With Sister Shanumi
The Two Knew Each Other In the Past
At the beginning of Conclave, Cardinal Adeyemi is one of the frontrunners to become the next pope, but because he is one of the most traditional candidates, Cardinal Lawrence never truly supports him. However, none of them saw his true fate coming, as it is revealed in the film that at some point in his past he had a secret child with Sister Shanumi. This event is particularly troubling because Sister Shanumi (Balkissa Souley Maiga) had recently been transferred from a church in Nigeria to the Vatican prior to the start of the conclave.
While Lawrence does not share the information with the other cardinals, he does tell Adeyemi that his career, and especially his run for pope, is over.
Upon seeing Adeyemi at the conclave, Sister Shanumi attempts to talk to him in the cafeteria, but he ignores her and the ensuing confrontation causes the other members of the College of Cardinals to begin to doubt Adeyemi. When Cardinal Lawrence hears Sister Shanumi’s confession and later talks to Cardinal Adeyemi in his chambers, he learns that the two had a son many years ago who was put up for adoption. While Lawrence does not share the information with the other cardinals, he does tell Adeyemi that his career, and especially his run for pope, is over.
Why Sister Shanumi Was Really At The Conclave
Cardinal Tremblay Was Behind Her Transfer
Though it initially seems like a strange coincidence that Sister Shanumi is in the Vatican City and working as a nun at the conclave, the movie subsequently reveals that her arrival is much more than that. After talking to Sister Shanumi and Sister Agnes (Rossellini), Cardinal Lawrence realizes that the order to relocate Shanumi came from Cardinal Tremblay, another one of the frontrunners in the race to be the next pope. Though Tremblay initially tells Lawrence that he moved her on the former pope’s orders, Lawrence is very suspicious about his real motives.
Conclave makes it clear that the top candidates for pope are viciously compeтιтive, no matter how things might initially seem. Though Tremblay presents himself as a better, more moderate option than Adeyemi, he was secretly fired by the previous pope for buying the votes of other members of the College of Cardinals. Since he knew that Adeyemi would be one of his biggest rivals, it makes sense that Tremblay sabotaged him by exposing a big secret about Adeyemi’s past. While bringing Sister Shanumi to the Vatican furthered his plans initially, eventually Tremblay is found out as well.
What Happens To Adeyemi & Shanumi
They Both Have To Leave The Vatican
Following Sister Shanumi’s confrontation with Cardinal Adeyemi in the cafeteria, the other members of the College of Cardinals become suspicious of him. After speaking with both Adeyemi and Shanumi individually, Cardinal Lawrence helps to arrange what will happen next. Lawrence decides to have Sister Shanumi transferred back out of Vatican City as it is no longer appropriate for her to be a nun there. Likewise, Cardinal Adeyemi’s career heads in the same direction, with Lawrence telling him that the whispers of others have effectively killed his chances of being pope.
Cardinal Lawrence is kind to both Sister Shanumi and Cardinal Adeyemi despite their past mistakes, as he hears both of their confessions and maintains his vow of secrecy about things heard in the confession before asking them to leave. Since none of the other members of the College of Cardinals know exactly what happened, Cardinal Adeyemi becomes just one of the failed candidates for pope. In some ways, the events of Conclave prove to be more orderly than they appear, as the bad candidates are ruled out and the most deserving becomes the new pope.
