Saturday, December 21, 2019

The two Popes

The Two Popes is now showing on Netflix.

Jonathan Pryce is Pope Francis and Anthony Hokins plays Pope Benedict.

The film is mainly a conversation between the two men. 

Bergoglio books a flight to Rome with the intention of resigning as archbishop of Buenos Aires but in the meantime is called to the Vatican to meet Pope Benedict.

Benedict has his eye on him to be his successor.

The different styles of the two men is at times cleverly done. The film charts the various stages of Bergoglio's life as a Jesuit. As provincial he was opposed to the young idealistic Jesuits who were working with the people and were opposed to the dictatorship.

There is an interesting scene where he tells a worker Jesuit that he wants to protect him. But the young hard-working man replies that Bergoglio is interested in protecting the Jesuits.

Bergoglio undergoes a metamorphosis, a change that plays a significant role in his future career. And he is partly reconciled to the young Jesuit worker-priests. He also learns to see the world through new lenses.

The film is kind to Benedict but there are some silly features, the talking watch and the white umbrella. 

The opening and closing scenes with Bergoglio attempting to book a flight using the phone are funny. 

A clever enough gag.

The young worker-priests in Argentina are inspirational men, doing the work of good genuine priests. We need more of them.

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