Spoilers for the ending of Conclave. Cardinal Benitez is elected pope and takes the name Innocent. Director Edward Berger says the name represents “purity without any preconceptions”: in his reading, Benitez enters the role with an openness unburdened by the assumptions shaping the other candidates. The film’s final image turns that choice into a note of hope, not a promise that the Church’s conflicts are solved.
What happens at the end of Conclave?
After the cardinals elect Cardinal Benitez, the quiet cardinal from Kabul, Cardinal Lawrence questions him about a previous medical appointment. Benitez tells Lawrence that he was born intersex and declined a procedure to remove his uterus and ovaries. He says, “I am what God made me.” The late pope knew about Benitez and accepted him.
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Lawrence must reckon with the disclosure before the new pope appears publicly. Berger has said the moment is meant to register as a crisis of understanding for Lawrence, not as a sensational shock. Lawrence has spoken in favor of welcoming uncertainty; now he confronts a person who seems to occupy a space between categories. He ultimately supports Benitez’s election.
Why does the new pope choose the name Innocent?
Berger’s answer is symbolic, and specific to the film: “It’s a name of purity without any preconceptions.” He connects that idea to the openness often associated with children before society conditions them with prejudice. In Berger’s interpretation, Benitez brings “absolute openness” to the papacy.
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That explanation comes from Berger’s interview with Savannah Walsh for Vanity Fair, published October 25, 2024. It explains the fictional character’s choice; it should not be mistaken for a general historical account of why real popes choose their names.
What does the final scene mean?
Berger says the ending is less about Benitez personally than about what his election might open up for the institution. Lawrence hears laughter and sees light return; the reaction suggests that he believes the right person has been chosen for the Church’s future. Berger described the image as “letting in a breath of fresh air.”
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The film ends on possibility rather than showing the consequences of Benitez’s election. Its hopeful tone does not establish that every institutional disagreement has disappeared. For Berger, the point is the prospect of a more open future and Lawrence’s acceptance of the new pope.
How does the ending relate to real Church rules?
Conclave is a fictional drama, not a guide to conclave procedure or eligibility. In a fact-check updated January 11, 2026, America Magazine discusses the film’s premise with canon-law professor Kurt Martens. Martens says that cardinals appointed in pectore who know of their appointment do not vote in conclaves. The article also notes the Church’s teaching that biological males are required for ordination, while Martens does not give a final answer to the hypothetical case raised by the film.
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Those distinctions matter: the movie’s resolution is a dramatic and interpretive choice. It should not be presented as a settled statement of how Church law would apply to Benitez’s fictional circumstances.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is Conclave based on?
The 2024 film, directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, is adapted from Robert Harris’s novel. Focus Features’ official film page describes its story as Cardinal Lawrence leading the selection process after a pope’s death. Berger also identifies Harris’s book as the screenplay’s source in the Vanity Fair interview. The available evidence here supports the adaptation relationship, but not a detailed comparison of the novel’s ending with the film’s.
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