Conclave ending explained: Who becomes the new pope?

In Conclave, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is the one who organises this vote and ends up becoming a frontrunner, much to his chagrin.

Others include conservatives like Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) and Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), who reckons the church has become too open-minded.

Stanley Tucci's Aldo Bellini is a far more progressive candidate, thankfully, and then there's Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), a moderate option who's still controversial because of rumours the late pope asked him to resign before his death.

More secrets and scandals come to light, all under the watchful eye of Isabella Rossellini's Sister Agnes and, of course, us, as we watch the ballots roll on in a story that's far more thrilling than you might expect from such a traditional setting.

Berger spoke to us exclusively about Conclave and how it's essentially "a political thriller behind closed doors".

"It could take place in Washington DC," he added. But "it just happens to take place in the Vatican". "So it's really like a thriller with lots of twists and turns that surprise you, including the one that you're mentioning."

That twist in question? Conclave ends with one final reveal which pulls the holy rug out from under us. And it's all to do with who actually ends up becoming the new pope.

Read on to find out more - but beware spoilers.

Conclave ending explained: Who becomes the new pope?

In the wake of a rousing speech that prioritises compassion in the wake of a suicide bomber attack, Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) is elected as the church's new leader, choosing the papal name of "Innocent".

The Mexican-born archbishop wasn't known to anyone beforehand except the late pope himself, and it seems the pair were bonded through a secret that's only revealed at the end.

Lawrence gets close when he discovers Benitez appears to have some kind of health issue. The pope organised a flight to Switzerland where this could be addressed, but Benitez cancelled the trip last minute. After the votes are tallied, Lawrence finally confronts him about this, and the truth is something he could have never expected.

It turns out that Benitez is intersex, which means he was born with a uterus and ovaries. That medical appointment the pope arranged was for a laparoscopic hysterectomy so his uterus could be removed. Benitez turned it down because he is, in his words, "as God made me".

Unless you've read the book by Robert Harris that Conclave's based on, you'd have no idea that this was the secret Benitez has been hiding (or that he would beat out Lawrence for the win either).

As such, it might be tempting to argue that this last-minute reveal is sensationalising intersex identity for shock value. Cinema does have an unfortunate history of treating gender reveals in this fashion, deliberately using them as a cruel punchline designed to surprise and even unsettle people watching.

But Benitez’s final conversation with Lawrence suggests that isn't the case here. The audience is never encouraged to be disgusted or amused by the new pope's true identity. In fact, Benitez frames his intersex body as a strength, arguing that a person who "exists between certainties" is exactly what the church needs right now.

"Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there is only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith."

Watching Benitez openly discuss his identity without shame or embarrassment is a deeply radical act even before you consider the context of his new role and the change it can spark.

Despite the warring factions we've seen, progress is inevitable, and without even knowing it, they've spurred that on by voting in a leader who doesn't sit within traditional binaries.

The hope this brings can be seen in the light that floods in as Lawrence opens the curtains wide, and can be heard in the laughter of nuns outside.

As Berger said to us: "I think it's interesting in today's world, especially in the world of one of the oldest patriarchies in the world, to sort of put a little crack in it and see what the future could look like."

Conclave is now streaming on Prime Video.

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