INTERNACIONAL
Theologian on ‘Conclave’ accuracy, expectations for next secretive event after Pope Francis’ death
Though controversial, one of the least contentious 2025 Oscar-nominated films was «Conclave,» an Edward Berger-directed mystery thriller starring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini and Stanley Tucci, which brings to life the political and religious traditions regarding how Catholic cardinals elect a new pope.
The conclave will gather again in actuality as the Vatican revealed that Pope Francis, 88, the leader of the Catholic Church, passed on April 21, 2025, the day after Easter Sunday.
Though released in October 2024, «Conclave» struck a deep chord with viewers as Pope Francis’ declining health was made known to the public in February 2025. Pope Francis battled bilateral pneumonia in the months before his death.
POPE FRANCIS REVEALED BURIAL WISHES JUST DAYS AFTER BECOMING POPE IN 2013
In the film, «Conclave,» starring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini and Stanley Tucci, cardinals gather to elect a new pope. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
The film closely follows the novel of the same name written by author Robert Harris.
«That was fairly accurate,» Dennis Doyle, professor emeritus at the University of Dayton in Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
Doyle taught at the Catholic research university for 40 years.
«There were just a few differences, like some of the Latin wasn’t exact, the carpet was red in the movie and its beige in real life,» Doyle said. «The seating arrangements were done very dramatically in the movie. They’re not exactly that way in real life. And even the way the voting was done was not exactly the same.»
WHO COULD BE THE NEXT POPE?
Pope Francis was elected pope in 2013, after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down from his role due to health concerns. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
Despite the creative liberties, Doyle felt the film was «done very accurately.»
«I was surprised at how well it was done and how they were able to present the characters in a way that every character in a certain sense was sympathetic,» Doyle told Fox News Digital.
In preparation for the film, Doyle read the book twice.
«In the book, the character was transgender but didn’t go through with the operation,» Doyle said. «In the movie, the character was intersex, somebody who was born both ways, but still who didn’t go through with the operation.»
Some Catholics took to social media at the time the film was released to regard it as «anti-Catholic» and «dishonest».
WHAT IS THE PAPAL CONCLAVE: INSIDE THE ANCIENT PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE NEXT POPE
Dennis Doyle, professor emeritus at the University of Dayton, told Fox News Digital the Oscar-winning film «Conclave» was «fairly accurate» to the proceedings of a true conclave. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)
«I thought that everything in the movie was very realistic until the very end,» Doyle said. «I thought that, on a literal level, it really wasn’t very realistic. I don’t think that would happen, that somebody that was intersex would get elected pope. But symbolically, I thought the ending was very interesting.»
«I could see that the ending could be a turnoff for some Catholics,» he added.
Doyle said that, while «kind of far-fetched,» the film spoke to the question of the role of women in the church and whether the Catholic Church can become equal to men and women.
«In the film, all of the people serving the cardinals are sisters,» Doyle said. «They’re all nuns and in real life, in that building, there’s simply a staff that works in that building, and they would be the people who would put out the meals and who would change the beds and that kind of thing.»
PHOTO GALLERY: POPE FRANCIS THROUGH THE YEARS
Catholic cardinals will gather for a papal conclave in the weeks following Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025. (Arturo Mari, Vatican Pool)
The deeper issue, Doyle said, is that the film portrays men in leadership roles and women as servants.
«The conversation about transgender is relatively recent [in the church],» Doyle said. «I really think that the conversation is more in the United States and Europe than it is in the Catholic Church globally or even necessarily in Rome.»
The Vatican released a declaration, Vatican’s Dignitas Infinita, in 2024 where Pope Francis condemned gender theory. The document asserted that attempts to alter an individual’s immutable gender are ultimately misguided attempts to play God.
«You could watch this whole movie and until the last two minutes it’s not an issue in the film. It doesn’t really come up. There’s a couple of foreshadowings of what the conclusion is going to be, but the movie is not about that,» Doyle said.
Following Pope Francis’ death, Doyle believes the newly released film will generate interest in the Catholic Church.
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«It may make people more aware that there is a lot of politicking that goes on and that is an interesting theme in the movie and in the book,» he said. «I don’t think it will really have any impact on how people think about the church other than to maybe in general, it makes the ideal of the conclave interesting.»
«Conclave» was nominated for a slew of 2025 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…
-US appeals court blocks Trump contempt proceedings ordered by Boasberg
-Inside NASA’s fast-track plans for lunar nuclear power and new space stations to outpace global rivals
–Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer called ‘highly unusual’ by former federal prison official
Republican leader shreds Tim Walz over Minnesota law that freed axe murderer
EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is blasting Gov. Tim Walz after a man who murdered his family as a teenager was released from prison.
«Once again, Tim Walz proves why he is one of the worst governors in the country,» House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.
«Not only do his soft-on-crime policies rob victims of the justice they deserve, but they also put the safety of every Minnesotan at risk. Being a self-proclaimed knucklehead doesn’t excuse the chaos he has caused with his dangerous, far-left agenda.»
Emmer, as the GOP whip, is the No. 3 House Republican leader…READ MORE.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are seen in a split image. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz | AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
White House
CARTEL TAKEDOWN: Trump approves military action against Latin American cartels classified as terrorist organizations
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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PARTY HOPPER: EXCLUSIVE: Duncan says Trump’s attacks justify his switch from GOP to Democratic Party: ‘He’s making my case for me’
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan this week switch parties and became a Democrat. (Getty Images)
‘REAL CONSEQUENCES’: Noem, in Illinois, calls out Gov. Pritzker, Chicago’s mayor over their handling of criminal illegal immigrants
World Stage
GLOBAL DEPORT LINKS: List of countries taking in illegal immigrant deportees grows with latest African partners
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: US, UK ‘disagree’ on Gaza plan but ‘share’ same goal Vance says ahead of Lammy meeting
Vice President JD Vance shakes hands with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a meeting at Chevening House on August 8, 2025 in Sevenoaks, England. (Suzanne Plunkett – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Capitol Hill
PATRIOTISM UPROAR: Cuban-born congressman calls for ‘Squad’ member’s removal over ‘Guatemalan before American’ remark
Reps. Carlos Gimenez, left, Delia Ramirez, right (Reuters; Getty)
HEATED BATTLE: Former Democratic advisor says party’s rhetoric on redistricting is getting ‘a little out of control’
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JOB RUNNING: Party of ‘crazies’: Dems comply with outrageous redistricting stunts due to primary threats, state rep says
Texas Democrats stood next to Illinois lawmakers on Aug. 4, 2025, to oppose redistricting measures proposed by Texas Republicans. (Fox News)
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Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr speaks to supporters at a campaign event on Nov. 7, 2022 in Kennesaw, Georgia. Carr is speaking out against progressive prosecutors who he says are hurting the communities they claim to be champions of. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
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Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
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Trump, Putin will hold first in-person meeting since Ukraine invasion next week in Alaska
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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet next Friday, August 15, for the first in-person meeting between leaders of the U.S. and Russia since Moscow launched its deadly 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The leaders are expected to meet in Alaska, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
«The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,» Trump wrote in his Friday evening post. «Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!»
The location of the meeting was a major point of interest after the summit was first floated following a call between Trump and Putin on Wednesday after White House envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow to meet with the Kremlin chief.
ZELENSKYY TELLS PUTIN TO ‘BE BRAVE’ AND FINALLY AGREE TO TRILATERAL MEETING WITH TRUMP
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (R) at Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia on August 06, 2025. (Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, and the UAE were all under consideration, with Putin originally favoring Hungary, according to sources familiar with the planning.
The Kremlin chief also shot down the idea of meeting in Italy, according to reports on Friday, due to Rome’s perceived closeness with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Following the Wednesday Trump-Putin call, the U.S. president also spoke with Zelenskyy along with European leaders on the potential for a trilateral meeting.
Moscow – which has thus far refused to hold direct meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy – has not appeared likely to engage in a trilateral meeting any time soon, as the Kremlin’s foreign policy advisor noted on Wednesday that the potential for such a meeting was «mentioned» but «not discussed.»
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP))
TRUMP’S DEADLINE ON SECONDARY TARIFFS ARRIVES; US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS HANG IN THE BALANCE
Reporting later suggested that Putin may be open to meeting face to face with Zelenskyy, but only if certain «conditions» are met, though what these conditions are remains unclear.
Putin has allegedly suggested that Ukraine would need to formally cede the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2022, but which it does not have full control over.
Though Zelenskyy has countered similar territorial demands by noting that under Ukraine’s Constitution a national referendum would need to occur for any territorial concessions.
Despite the immense hurdles that remain, Trump appeared optimistic when speaking to reporters on Wednesday that «there’s a very good prospect that [Putin and Zelenskyy] will» meet.
Zelenskyy said at least one bilateral meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders was suggested, which would potentially be followed by a meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy.
S President Donald Trump (R) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. (Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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It remains unclear what the president hopes to definitively get out of meeting with Putin in person after expressing frustration with the Kremlin chief despite months of attempts to forge a ceasefire.
Trump wouldn’t comment on how likely he thought a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv could be on the horizon and echoed his previous frustrations with Putin by telling reporters, «I’ve been disappointed before with this one.»
donald trump,vladimir putin,russia,ukraine,volodymyr zelenskyy,world
INTERNACIONAL
Elecciones en Bolivia: Evo Morales hace campaña por el voto nulo para frenar el avance de la derecha
El ex presidente de Bolivia Evo Morales volvió a pedir a sus seguidores que no voten a ninguno de los candidatos en carrera para las elecciones generales del 17 de agosto, y aseguró que el voto nulo no será el que le abra «las puertas a la derecha», que se avizora como clara ganadora en un contexto de enorme crisis económica y política.
El ex mandatario, que no pudo inscribirse como candidato porque ya cumplió con dos mandatos máximos que permite la Constitución, empezó una campaña para que sus seguidores no voten por ningún aspirante a la Presidencia.
«No es el voto nulo el que le abre las puertas a la derecha. A la derecha le abren las puertas quienes proscribieron y quienes se beneficiaron de la proscripción de Evo y de las organizaciones sociales del Instrumento Político. A la derecha le abre las puertas la desastrosa gestión del gobierno de Luis Arce», escribió Morales (2006-2019) en la red social X.
Las últimas encuestas electorales colocan a los opositores Samuel Doria Medina de la alianza Unidad y al ex presidente Jorge Tuto Quiroga (2001-2002) de alianza Libre, como los candidatos con mayor intención de voto.
Sin embargo, en las últimas semanas creció la tendencia hacia el voto en blanco o nulo, que ya casi superan en los sondeos a los candidatos favoritos.
En la primera encuesta presentada el 1 de junio por la empresa Ipsos Ciesmori, para el canal Unitel, la intención de voto nulo y blanco llegó al 17%.
El 13 de julio, la segunda encuesta mostró que los votos nulo y blanco sumaban el 20,7%, mientras que dos semanas después el resultado de los mismos factores, para la tercera encuesta, fue del 21,7%.
Esta inclinación de los votos nulo y blanco está por encima de los porcentajes de los opositores Doria Medina, de la alianza Unidad, y Quiroga (2001-2002) de la alianza Libre, en las encuestas.
No es el voto nulo el que le abre las puertas a la derecha.
A la derecha le abren las puertas quienes proscribieron y quienes se beneficiaron de la proscripción de Evo y de las organizaciones sociales del Instrumento Político.
A la derecha le abre las puertas la desastrosa… pic.twitter.com/IruJ13UzmO— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) August 8, 2025
Evo Morales, que tiene una inhabilitación constitucional para buscar un cuarto mandato presidencial, intentó inscribirse en los comicios con el partido Partido Nacional de Acción Boliviano (Pan-Bol) ya que recientemente perdió su liderazgo de casi 30 años en el oficialista Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS).
Sin embargo el Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) no permitió la inscripción de Pan-Bol, debido a que el partido perdió su personalidad jurídica.
El ex mandatario también está duramente enfrentado al presidente Arce por diferencias en el manejo del gobierno y por la candidatura presidencial del MAS. Esto provocó una ruptura en el oficialismo que venía gestándose desde la crisis política del 2019.
Arce renunció a reelección y el MAS eligió al ex ministro de Gobierno (Interior) Eduardo del Castillo como candidato oficialista, sin embargo, las encuestas recientes lo colocan por debajo del 3% de intención de voto.
«A la derecha le abren las puertas las listas de candidatos y candidatas que no representan los intereses populares. El voto nulo no legitima el retorno de la derecha, lo denuncia por fraudulento. El voto nulo es la última opción que queda a quienes pensamos que estas elecciones son ilegítimas», insistió Morales en su mensaje en redes sociales.
Los seguidores de Morales han abierto casas de campaña para llamar al voto nulo en varias regiones del país y este viernes en la ciudad central de Cochabamba se realizó una caravana para impulsarlo.
El ex mandatario tiene una orden de captura por un caso de trata agravada de personas, por supuestamente haber tenido una hija con una menor de edad cuando era presidente. Por esto, Morales se mantiene desde el año pasado en el Trópico de Cochabamba, su bastión político y sindical, rodeado por al menos 2.000 de sus seguidores quienes lo protegen de una captura.
Los bolivianos elegirán al presidente, vicepresidente y legisladores para el próximo quinquenio el próximo fin de semana y en medio de una fuerte crisis económica marcada por la falta de dólares, la escasez de combustible y una inflación que ha encarecido los productos de primera necesidad.
Bolivia,Evo Morales,Luis Arce
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