Recently my wife and I viewed Conclave. I could care less that it has Oscar possibilities. I was attracted to it because of the cast. Fiennes, Lithgow, Tucci and Rosselini? They don’t sign up for acting gigs at this stage of life unless the the story is compelling and the writing terrific. And it was compelling and terrifically well written….and very well acted. IMO.
But the movie got me to thinking about churches. And religion. The origins. The practice. The hierarchy. The mission. And how all that ends up being counter to what the “prophet” who is worshipped had intended.
This will not be an anti-religion rant. It will be an anti-what people do with religion rant. It will be a rant against the uncharitable.
There was probably was a Jewish “rabbi” named Jesus who traveled about with 12 other Jewish guys talking about God and trying to get people to follow a better code of behavior. Sounds like a reasonable mission to me - if it had led to better behavior. Here is an “AI overview” of the ideas from Jesus:
Teachings about love:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind"
"Love your neighbor as yourself"
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them"
Teachings about wealth and prosperity:
Store up treasures in heaven: Jesus taught that people should store up treasures in heaven, not on earth, where they can be destroyed by moths, rust, and thieves.
Give to the poor: Jesus taught that people should sell their possessions and give to the poor if they want to be perfect.
Don't serve two masters: Jesus taught that people cannot serve both God and money.
Balance material wealth and spiritual well-being: Jesus taught that people should not prioritize wealth over their relationship with God.
Be on guard against greed: Jesus taught that people should be on guard against all kinds of greed.
So in a nutshell: Follow the “Golden Rule”, don’t worship money, give it away. Simple.
It’s recorded that Jesus said: “Upon this rock I will build a church.” But I don’t think he wanted to see what came next. I find it hard to believe that he wanted his “followers” to slaughter the people who didn’t talk the party line of the “church”. Which, of course, became a Christian tradition to be played out over the centuries.
Back to Conclave. How fancy their outfits are. I asked Google the price. Here is the “AI” response:
”Dressing a Catholic cardinal with a full set of ceremonial attire, including the iconic red cassock and accessories, can cost between $5,000 and $7,000 depending on the quality and tailor, with a basic set potentially starting around $3,000; most cardinals typically have two complete sets of their red garments.”
”Key points about the cost:
High-end tailoring: Tailors like Gammarelli in Rome, known for dressing the Pope, can significantly increase the price.
Materials and details: The quality of fabric, intricate embroidery, and additional embellishments will affect the cost.
In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot of money. But it could feed quite a few kids. It could buy a bunch of drugs to fight HIV.
There is a Pope who is nearing the end of his life who I think “Jesus” would have liked a bit more than his predecessors - the ones who tortured people to death.
Years ago we toured portions of Italy. We viewed the art of the Vatican. We visited the duomos in Central Italy - places like Orvieto. I found them to be strange. Every one of them had elaborate frescoes depicting the stabbing, beheaded and dismemberment of countless people. I guess they were designed to terrify - better toe the line or this is your future?
Until we arrived in Assisi. The walls of St Francis’ church pictured pleasant interactions between animals and humans. No stabbing. No yanking of entrails.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose Francis as his Pope name. He also has been a champion of human rights. He has asked for simpler garments and reduced the budget for fancy vestments. Some of the elite weren’t happy and will be glad to see him pass. There will be an attempt to rebuild the church in the traditional expensive and abusive traditions of the past.
But just maybe, Francis will be a pace setter. What if the next Pope said: “Let’s get back to basics and dress even more simply. Let’s save some money and clothe the poor”
Conclave is an allegory for all this and much, much more. I call it a “must see”.
I hope Pope Francis suffers little. He was turning the ship slowly. Perhaps he will inspire the next crew to get the “church” to shed some wealth and share it more widely. And more importantly be a louder voice for peace, human rights and democracy. Bring the “church” back to its origins of love and simplicity.
Post script: Project 2025 and the MAGA masters should have Americans wondering what they are really all about. Evangelical Christians are a major reason $Trump is in office again. He could not have been re-elected without them.
Consider the following blatant brutal hypocrisy:
Russell Vought, Project 2025 author and now head of OMB (national budget) is attempting to define America as a “Christian” nation. Literally name it so.
Project 2025 budget cutters (Musk as the front man) have halted the feeding of millions of children (the food is rotting warehouses). And they have blocked the distribution of the drugs that have been keeping alive millions of people with HIV.
I do not know if there ever was a Jesus or if he is the son of God or if he was just an invention of some Jewish guys who wanted positive change in a chaotic world. It doesn’t matter.
What matters is that “he” had some excellent ideas about how we should treat our fellow humans. And too many people who invoke his name are bigots who ignore those teachings and cause misery and death. While worshipping him they violate everything he stood for. There is NOTHING “Christian” about Project 2025 or MAGA. Nothing.
There ARE wonderful “true Christians”. Jon Pavlovitz is one. I have written about others. Again, this screed is not anti religious people. It’s anti people who use religion to do horrible, despicable things in the name of a “God”.
https://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/827989/15116787/1321289366180/50+million+protestants+killed.pdf
https://johnpavlovitz.substack.com/
https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/a-true-christian
So on the nose, Bill. It's time to phase out the patriarchy in the church and the government. I've gotten to the point that I think most religions are cults and hijack their member's ability to think for themselves. Churches walk the walk, but the Vatican is laden in jewels, gold, and a ton of dough; I don't think it's the good that Jesus had in mind.
My wife and I watched it too. The politicization of the Vatican. Who’da thunk?