All language subtitles for (2002) Papa Giovanni Ioannes XXIII

Excuse me.

Have you seen
the Patriarch today?

Why?
Is something wrong?

Didn't he come
by this morning?

Of course.

He came to speak
with the coupIes

who are getting
married on Sunday.

And where did he go then?

I reaIIy don't know.

Oh, good Lord.

Thanks a Iot.

Don't mention it.

Pepe, have you seen
the Patriarch today?

He forgot his
compIimentary ticket

and wanted to buy
a ticket onboard.

''Your Eminence,'' I toId him,
''You had a compIimentary ticket

for five years.
Everybody knows that.''

But where did he go to?

To Academia.

Oh, God onIy knows
where he is now.

AII right.
AII right.

But I'd stiII rather go to
St. MichaeI's Cemetery

Iike aII the others.

But you are the
Patriarch of Venice.

AII the Patriarchs
have a marbIe tomb

in the crypt of the BasiIica.

When the Lord wiIIs it.

Oh, goes without saying.

But even if I have to go
in here, it's stiII too tight.

Too tight, no.
I don't think so.

I've made these
before you know.

WeII, it's a IittIe narrow,
around the shouIders.

Can't you make it
a IittIe wider?

The sides wiII be too thin.
They might crack.

I'd Iike to be more comfortabIe,
at Ieast when I'm dead.

I'II put it to the architect
and see what he says.

Maybe we couId use iron
rods to strengthen it.

No, no.

PIease, don't bother.

I'II just try to fit in...
maybe sideways.

Your Eminence, I've been
Iooking everywhere for you.

There's been a phone
caII from Rome.

The HoIy Father - he passed
away about an hour ago.

The death of the Holy Father,
Pius Xll,

the Pope who endured the
horrors of the Great War,

is as much a severe
blow to the church

as it is to the
rest of the world.

As soon as
the news was announced,

the heads of states of all nations
expressed their condolences.

ln order to comfort
the people of Rome

after heaving bombing
in the San Lorenzo quarter,

the Holy Father did not
hesitate to leave the Vatican -

something he did rarely in the
course of his long pontificate.

No one better than
Pope Pacelli represented

the aesthetic figure
of the Pope -

a remote link
between man and God.

Now the sacred college
has the difficult task

of choosing his successor.

He was a tutor
at the university,

serious, severe, just -

a monument of Iearning.

Did you aIways know that
he wouId be eIected Pope?

No, but when he became Pope,

I knew immediateIy
that it was right.

And now, who is going
to be his rightfuI heir?

Whatever God wiII want.

What is aII this stuff?

I don't have to spend
a year in Rome, you know.

WeII, it might Iast
Ionger than expected.

No, no.
We'II finish quickIy.

We're aII anxious
to return home.

Today's the 9th, the concIave
wiII be opened on the 25th

and on November the 1 5th,
the new priests are to be ordained.

What shouId we do?
Move it forward?

Confirm it.

The 1 5th is fine.

By the 1 5th
a new Pope wiII aIready

be overcome
with probIems, poor man.

CardinaI Sarto is aIso
Patriarch of Venice.

He Ieft for the concIave
with a roundtrip ticket.

But he never came back.

Do you have our tickets?

Roundtrip?

That's not a probIem.

We have free passes.

We stiII shouId
have reservations

for the return at Ieast.

They might not be needed.

What do you mean?

You too might
be eIected Pope.

Nonsense, nonsense.

I won't become Pope.
I'm but a poor country priest.

Gusso.

I'm coming.

Come on, come on.

Wrap up weII, your Eminence.
It's coId.

You sound just
Iike my mother.

You sound just
Iike my mother.

Angelo, come on home
before you catch cold.

AngeIino, don't you
feeI how coId it is?

Get in the house.

AngeIo!

Whenever there are chores to do,
he makes himseIf scarce.

You're unfair.

This morning I sent AngeIo
out to coIIect muIberries.

And he got his UncIe Zaverio
and his sisters to heIp.

When he wants to
he gets things done.

If you can find him.

I think I know where he is.

AngeIo.

BIessed are the poor in spirit,

because theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven.

BIessed are the meek,
for they shaII inherit the earth.

BIessed are the peacemakers,
for they shaII

be caIIed Sons of God.

BIessed are those who mourn,
for they shaII be comforted.

Where are they going?

To board a ship
saiIing for America.

Why?

They're going to find work.

There's enough work
for us aII here.

The work here doesn't pay
them enough to Iive on.

But why were
they crying, father?

They're mourning
because they don't know

when they'II return.

What does it mean -
those who mourn are bIessed?

It means they'II be comforted.

When, though?

In this Iife or the next,

but you can be sure
they'II be comforted.

The Lord himseIf promised it.

But wouIdn't it be better

if they didn't have
to suffer at aII?

Yes, I suppose.

But suffering and pain
have aIways been

a part of peopIes Iives.

Why?

Because it's through
suffering that a man

Iearns to choose between
good and bad.

And what did you choose?

I try to do my best.

AII I am is a poor
country priest.

Finish your chores?

Yes.

Ma, there's something
I want to teII you.

- And the firewood?
- AII boarded.

There's something
I wanted--

The cows?

Sorry, I forgot them.

AngeIino.

You can't aIways wait untiI
you're toId to do things.

Some things you shouId
Iearn to do on your own.

Yes, ma.
I'II do it now.

- AngeIo.
- Yes?

What were you
going to teII me?

When I get oIder--

Yes, I know.
You'II work the Iand

Iike your father,
Iike your grandfather,

Iike aII the RoncaIIi famiIy.

No, mama.

No?
And why not?

When I get oIder I want
to be a poor country priest.

WeII, we're in the country
and we're aIready poor.

As for being
a priest, we'II see.

Do you know how much
we spent Iast year?

How much?

AImost 200 Iira.

Nope, nope.

More than 200
if you count

the doctor's fees
and the kids' medicine.

Do you know what that means?

No.

It means we're spending
more than we're earning.

But we aII work every
day from dawn to dusk.

It stiII isn't enough.

We have to share
with our masters.

And so?

And so...

We can't afford
a priest in the famiIy.

But he Ioves his books.
I want AngeIo to study.

It's aII wishfuI thinking,
Iike buying a sewing machine

or boots for me.

So what do I say?

To who?

To AngeIino.

Just teII him the truth...

Studying to be a priest,
it wouId cost money

and we can't afford it.

There's nothing shamefuI
about being poor.

I bet we're having paIenta
and beans, as usuaI.

SiIIy boy.
Thanks be to God.

AngeIino, what is it
you don't Iike -

the beans or the paIenta?

I know the reason why
he's got such a Iong face.

You hoId your tongue.
You don't know anything.

Everyone knows that AngeIo
doesn't want to do anything

because he wants
to be a priest.

Who wants to be a priest?

AngeIino.

Is it true, AngeIino?

Yes, UncIe Zaverio.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Here's to your heaIth, AngeIino.

I said he couIdn't do it.

Don't you want your
son to go to schooI?

Sure, of course.

He's better with
books than a hoe.

And so?

I'm sorry, but we can't
pay for schooIing.

How much wiII it cost you?

More than 30 Iira.

Why do you want
to be a priest?

I don't know.

You don't know?

It was as if I heard
someone caIIing me,

asking me a question...
and I toId him yes.

I'II pay for him.

The seminary,
the books, new boots -

Ieave it aII to me.

Here's to you, AngeIo.

AngeIo, I baked you some cakes.

Thanks.

It's not big, but it's
quiet and comfortabIe.

Your bedroom is
down the haII.

Not the Iuxury you're
used to in Venice, I'm afraid,

but as you know,
we're a monastery, not a hoteI.

We wiII do as IittIe
as possibIe to disturb you.

Oh, don't even mention it.

I suggested they put you
in the Lateran PaIace,

but the apartments had
aIready been assigned.

Never mind.

The possibIe candidates
are aII there together.

NaturaIIy.

Sorry, your Eminence.

Oh, don't you worry.

This is your bedroom...

Here we are.

Have you seen the photos?

The Pope on his death bed?

TotaIIy outrageous.

They've been pubIished
in aII the papers.

ApparentIy it was
the HoIy Father's physician

who soId them.

It's scandaIous.
I don't know what got into him.

Human weaknesses.

Are you tired?

WouId you Iike
anything, your Eminence?

Yes.

I need a IittIe siIence.

Yes, of course.

Cardinals continue to arrive
in Rome from all over the world

to take part in a conclave
that will elect the new pope.

CardinaI Ottaviani.

Your Eminence.

It's good to see you again.

I didn't know you were here.

I was praying.

It's important that we bIock
the French initiative.

On the face of it,
it wouId seem they are disposed

to favor whosoever
receives the most votes.

But the truth is they have
their own candidate in mind.

I wouId not have a
probIem with a Frenchman.

Are you saying that you
wouId vote for a foreigner?

Why not?

St. Peter was a foreigner.

We ItaIians reaIIy
shouId stay united.

We are faced with
three possibiIities -

a pope who's ItaIian
or a foreign pope,

a poIitician
or a reIigious pope,

a younger or an oIder one.

It's up to us not
to make a mistake.

Listen, Ottaviani...
May I confide something?

Of course, your Eminence.

I do have a name.

Oh, reaIIy?

I know it's difficuIt,
but I keep thinking Montini,

the Archbishop of MiIan.

Montini?

There are a miIIion
reasons to excIude him.

He'II never become pope -
not now, not ever.

But why?

He's very ItaIian,

reIigious and poIiticaI
at the same time,

not too oId, not too young.
It aII adds up.

He's not even a CardinaI.

That isn't by chance, either.

He's viewed with
suspicion by the curia.

WeII, if that's the case.

That's so with CardinaI Siri.

But you know what
Siri has against him.

No. What?

His age.

He's too young.

You know what they're saying -

he wouIdn't just be
a HoIy Father, but an eternaI one.

WeII, then...that Ieaves
onIy you, Eminence.

But onIy in extreme,
extreme necessity.

After aII, we're not
the ones to choose.

Then who is?

Of course.

Do you know what the
new pope shouId have?

TeII me.

He shouId have
peace at heart.

Just peace?

AII eIse is onIy
a consequence.

What reaIIy matters is
peace, peace, peace.

I admit I'm confused.

It wouId seem that
RoncaIIi is not ambitious.

Or just pretends not to be.

He wouId never pretend.

I venture to say
he's never Iied in his Iife.

A very uncommon virtue.

There's a French eIement
that has mentioned his name.

To obtain what?

He's very simpIe,
very dipIomatic,

very educated -
or so they say.

They put forward his name
in order to excIude him.

Perhaps but RoncaIIi toId me
he wouId have nothing

against a French pope.

Don't you find that strange?

Yes, it's very strange.

A French-ItaIian aIIiance
at any IeveI

must be considered ominous,
to say the Ieast.

RoncaIIi wouId never
condone a conspiracy.

- It's not in his make-up.
- Why run the risk?

I agree.

Listen to this.

Bergamo, 1 909.
Roncalli indulges in intemperate

actions that could
undermine the authority

and the traditions of the church.

There's more.

Known to favor the trend to
socialism and other doctrines

that are entirely
pernicious to the church.

It never rains, but it pours.
St. Anthony.

And so...
CardinaI RoncaIIi has a past.

RoncaIIi...
Where have you been hiding?

In the Iibrary.

I was doing research for
the book on St. CharIes.

The apostoIic mission arrived
from Rome this morning.

ProbIems?

The day of the great
cIeanout is upon us.

They've aIready questioned
and removed Father MioIi

from his teaching position.

AII modernist and sociaIist
sympathizers are out.

Warn the Bishop.
I know you know where he is.

We demand our rights!

We won't be treated like that!

We're just working men!

Where are you going?

I was Iooking for the Bishop.

I was toId I'd find him here.

You were toId wrong.

There are onIy workers
out on strike here.

Who are you?

RoncaIIi, his private secretary.

Hey, I know him.
AngeIino.

I've got orders to
Iet nobody through.

Don't you recognize me?

Luigi.

He's a peasant's son
from Sotto iI Monte, Iike me.

The Bishop's over here.

I'II take you to him.

Luigi.

CaIm down!

CaIm down!

PIease!
CaIm down.

Don't speak aII
at the same time.

I can't understand you.

Clothes for the children!

Quiet!

My children are hungry!

TeII me.
Speak cIearIy, one at a time.

We need to eat!

We want justice!

We can't go on
working like slaves!

I can't Iisten to so
many compIaints at once.

Father, they make us
work 1 4 hours a day,

but we've had enough.

It's dark when we Ieave home
and when we get back at night.

Our poor chiIdren
never see us.

And what are we paid?
Seven cents an hour!

When we're done at night,
we're too exhausted to breathe.

Women, chiIdren forced to work
their fingers to the bone -

these chiIdren
you see here, Father.

Why don't you teII
him about Renzo?

And who's Renzo?

They fired him because
he had an accident,

but it wasn't his fauIt.

He was working a new machine.

He aImost Iost an arm
and now he hasn't got

anything Ieft.
And he can't support his famiIy,

feed his poor chiIdren.

We went to taIk to the boss,
but he gave us no satisfaction.

So we stopped work.

We'II strike untiI they
take Renzo on again.

How Iong do you expect
to hoId out without working?

Not Iong.

You have to think it through.

Determine who's
need is greatest

and decide how much
you can contribute to the cause.

Monsignor, we can't even
afford to feed ourseIves.

We need heIp.
AII we're asking for is justice.

I normaIIy wouIdn't
condone the action you've taken.

A strike is an act of war,

and wars aIways terribIe,
as you know.

But when a principIe
of justice is at stake

and one of the sacred rights of
the Christian faith is threatened,

I have to condone
the right to strike

and therefore support
those who are oppressed.

Yes!

That's right!

Yes.

I don't have to
read the papers.

What they've written is
stamped aII over your face.

They're aII against you,
without exception.

Not a word in your favor.

Your support of the strike
in Ranica is considered

to be proof that you
adhere to sociaIism.

You've been IabeIed
the Red Bishop

and they want you to be
caIIed back to Rome.

As I imagined, my days here
in Bergamo are numbered.

I fear Monsignor Boggiani was
dispatched here to dismiss me.

What is it, AngeIo?
Are you afraid?

In Rome, they'II make
an exampIe of you.

I'd say a grain of saIt
is in order.

Rome condemns, Rome insists.

In Rome, rest assured,

contradiction is
the order of the day.

I hope so.

But we here in Bergamo
need you, aII of us.

When a storm rages
and aII appears Iost,

foIIow the gospeI and the
teachings of the church.

That is our duty
and our saIvation.

BIessed are those
who search for righteousness.

It's aII there, aII so simpIe.

You must never be afraid, AngeIo.

EviI can never be
a match for good.

We're not gonna
take it anymore!

Arrest the ring Ieaders!

No, no!

Let him go!

He hasn't done anything.

You fiIthy coward!

They're animals!

They've got my father!

My baby, my baby.

Maria, Maria!

My baby!

All we want is justice!

We're just working men!

Oh, no.

You're asking the impossibIe.

But pIease, inspector.
The girI is very young.

I'm sure she doesn't
even reaIize.

If you had a son to raise,

a husband who's
immigrated to New York--

The girI is charged
with insuIting an officer,

resisting arrest
and inciting a riot.

She'II get at
Ieast three years.

Yes, but there are
circumstances to consider.

The workers have stopped
work because they haven't

been paid for ten days.

Sorry, Father,
but I don't make the Iaws.

But it's you who refers
the charges to the court.

This caIIs for moderation,
common sense.

There's the baby to consider.

May I speak to her?

PossibIy - and I'm
onIy saying possibIy -

if the strike is caIIed off...
and the workers go back to work,

we may be abIe
to turn a bIind eye

and onIy charge the prisoner
with insuIting the officer.

Inspector, why don't you
just free her now?

It couId be a sign
of good wiII.

Free the girI now?

Yes.

I assume you must be joking.

That girI shouId thank the Lord

if she's onIy charged
with insuIting the officer.

Yes, we'II thank the Lord.

May I?
Thank you.

Rosa.

Am I getting out?

You'II see.

They won't do
anything to you.

The inspector's been
very understanding.

ActuaIIy he's promised
me that if possibIe--

If and when
the strike is caIIed off.

TeII the others that
I have everything I need...

and to hoId out.

PIease, Father AngeIo,
wiII you take the baby?

I don't want him in prison.

WiII you, pIease?
I beg you.

Bye, IittIe one.

There's no cow's miIk.

WiII goat's miIk do?

I couIdn't find
any taIcum powder.

WiII fIour do?

CarefuI now.

Don't worry, Father AngeIo.

Here we go.

Thank you, sisters.
I mean, I have no experience.

Neither do we.

Oh, yes.

Father AngeIo.

Read that.

It's fuII of accusations
and criticism.

Monsignor Boggiani
has summoned me.

He expects a response.

But...it's not possibIe.

I know that the
workers are suffering.

They have nothing Ieft.

They can use this.

TeII them it's from their Bishop.

But your ExceIIency--

Their need is much
greater than mine.

In fact, I might not
need it at aII anymore.

I ask you to swear.

I swear that I have been faithfuI
to the teachings of the gospeI.

You are to swear
that you have never been,

at no point
in your pastoraI activities,

supportive of doctrines
against the church.

In aII conscience, I swear.

Don't pat.

Why did you choose RoncaIIi
as your secretary?

Because he's worthy
of the position.

We have been informed that
he is giving excessive support

to the workers on strike.

Being a good Christian, Monsignor,
he serves the poor.

Do you vouch for the absoIute
integrity of your coworkers?

Without any hesitation.

Is it true or faIse that
acting on your own initiative

you approached the poIice
in defense of one of the workers -

a certain Rosa Zanetti?

Yes, it's true.

But she has a smaII baby.

It wouId make sense
to Iet her go.

And is it true or faIse that
aIso on your own initiative

you took custody of
the baby of this worker?

That's true, too.

He's here with us,
with the nuns.

You desecrated the Bishop's
paIace with your action

and it is unsustainabIe poIiticaIIy.

What's your excuse?

But the baby
wasn't on strike.

That's poIiticaIIy irreIevant.

I'II answer for Father AngeIo,

for his every action,
his every word.

Your investigation
concerns onIy me.

Whatever is decided in
Rome remains to be seen.

ObviousIy the gift of
your ring to the strikers

wiII require an expIanation.

I want them to know that
their Bishop cares about them.

In so doing you undermine
the basis of the sociaI fabric.

MereIy because I feed
those who are hungry?

So you're reaIIy convinced that
man is capabIe of good deeds?

It is to that conviction that
I've dedicated my whoIe Iife.

History teaches us that man
sinks ever deeper into the mire,

which is why mankind
deserves the inquisition.

We fed him and he feII
asIeep immediateIy.

What's their decision?

OnIy Rome can decide that.

We have to wait.

It is aII true.

Our support for the workers
in Ranica caused us

some probIems back then -

some probIems with
the cIergy back then.

Of course today
poIicies have changed.

The mentaIity is different.

AII the same,
I beIieve it's true to say that

the French cardinaIs do not
appreciate - how shouId I put it -

such individuaIism.

I'm very sorry.

AII that counts is that...
we ItaIians stay together.

I am at the service of--

Good.
That makes us very happy.

I am at the service
of Divine Providence.

It might be a good idea if this
dossier dropped out of sight.

Why?

We shouId find the other
papers that are missing.

Others are missing?

Yes.

The end of the Ranica issue,
how the strike was caIIed off,

how Rosa and the others were
freed and went back to work

with no punishment
and no damages to anybody.

Your ExceIIency, we've just
received this Ietter from Rome.

Procedure demands that
I open it in your presence.

His Holiness Pius X
has commissioned me -

It's from the
HoIy Father's private secretary,

not the secretary of state -

to inform you that in view of

the proposed canonical
proceedings against

Monsignor Radini-Tedeschi,
Bishop of Bergamo,

and Father Roncalli,
his secretary...

...that pertained
to events in Ranica.

We do not oppose or disapprove
of Monsignor Radini-Tedeschi's

actions that reflect
an apposite knowledge

of the local particulars
and circumstances.

My Bishop taught me everything.

He Ied me
by the hand Iike a father.

And before he died
he entrusted a task to me

that has been
at the core of my entire Iife.

AngeIo.

Is there nothing eIse
they can do?

Your hour has come.

The Lord is waiting for you.

AngeIo.

You were a son for me,
a beIoved son.

And you for me were...

the guiding beacon
of my priesthood.

Remember...

Peace is the greatest good.

May you aIways pray for peace.

Peace is the greatest good.

What madness to forget it.

What a victory for eviI.

They'II send me home now.

Yes, yes.
You'II be going home.

BeautifuI words,
very edifying,

but hardIy enough
to save the worId.

Who knows?

The new pope wiII have
to extinguish the fIames

of insubordination
in IocaI autonomy

to make sure
the church stays united -

CathoIic, ApostoIic and Roman.

Your Eminence.

I was Iooking at the
train scheduIe for Venice.

It'II be a whiIe before
we go back to Venice.

Look at this.

There's aII this
paperwork to fiII in -

authorizations, scheduIing,

there's the seating pIan
for the concIave,

a compIete Iist of the members
of the Sacred CoIIege with CVs.

CVs?

How siIIy.

We aII know each other weII.

We know what we have done

and what we have
not done in our Iives.

You stiII have to compIete yours,
your Eminence.

There's a whoIe area missing,
the Patriarchy of Venice.

WouId you pIease
take care of it for me?

Make it short.

CurricuIums.

Whatever you require,
your Eminence,

whenever, day or night.

I aIways sIeep
with one eye open.

You shouId shut it
from time to time, my friend.

What are you doing here?

Business with the
Vatican State Secretary.

Don Loris CapoviIIa,
Monsignor DeII'Acqua -

substitute at the first division.

Now here is where
something happened to me,

one of the most important
things in my Iife.

And you'II never find it written
in any curricuIum either.

It was 1 925.

I wouId have Iiked
to have gone on

studying and teaching,
but things different from what

I wanted have aIways
happened to me.

But I never compIained about it.

Never present the HoIy Father
with petitions

or ask for favors or grants.

And above aII, never express
an opinion unIess you're asked.

And above aII, never express
an opinion unIess you're asked.

In Bergamo with the Iate
Iamented Radini-Tedeschi,

and here at
the Propaganda Fide

we have reason
to be pIeased with you.

The church needs saints,
but it aIso needs good managers.

We have decided therefore
to send you to BuIgaria.

To BuIgaria?

Yes.

The CathoIics in BuIgaria,
there are onIy a few.

They are disunited
and feuding with the Orthodox church.

Order is required,

and so we expect you
to create order there.

HoIy Father, I--

We feeI for you.

It's not the Vatican,
it's not your choice.

Your prospects wiII suffer.

No, no.
That's not what--

And we aIso
know your vocation

has a bent
for schoIarship and prayer.

Your HoIiness.

What is it?
Speak up.

Yes?

I'm not sure I have
the necessary--

That doubt assaiIs us aII,
of course - me as weII.

We have to trust in God,
my dear Bishop.

Your HoIiness...

Your HoIiness,
I'm not a bishop.

I'm just a priest.

Have we not toId you
you're appointed bishop?

We were advised it was unnecessary
to make you a bishop,

but we thought
it was a good thing.

This one, no.

This one, no.

And this one?

No, I'm sorry.

But you reaIize I'II have
to give up my research.

I'm sorry but these books
cannot Ieave the Iibrary.

You know that as weII
as I do, your ExceIIency.

Do me a favor, Partini.
You've aIways caIIed me AngeIo.

I know.

But now that you're a bishop
it's onIy right

that I shouId
treat you with respect.

- Partini.
- Yes.

AIIow me to propose a deaI.

You keep on caIIing me AngeIo.

- And?
- Let me take the books.

Not the books.
Some bargain.

Look, I'm off to BuIgaria.
I need those books.

They'II be here
when you come back.

I won't, that's for sure,
but the books wiII.

I won't be gone aII that Iong.

I'm tired, AngeIo.

But I'd Iike to Iive Iong enough
to see you come back.

Yes, you don't know
how many I've seen

wanting to take out books.

Students.

But I've Iearned
one thing from you aII.

You're not in the same
cIass as the others.

Nobody wiII remember me.

But, ExceIIency,
you'II be remembered.

Take my word for it.

Feverish preparations.

It's aIways the same -

The chanceIIeries
consuIt each other;

the seasons are
no Ionger the same.

We are prisoners
of our own routine.

Eastern Europe -
PoIand, Hungary, Russia.

That is where
the great battIe

of the church
wiII be staged.

As we aII beIieve.

We must avoid
the routine soIution.

We need a genuine pastor...
Someone who can taIk

to the hearts
of Orthodox brothers.

Names?

Not reaIIy, no.
I just gave an indication.

Monsignor.

I do have a name.

What is it?

This is not one of those
eIectoraI campaigns.

We're onIy soIiciting
your repIy from the HoIy Spirit.

AngeIo RoncaIIi.

What do you think
Monsignor RoncaIIi wouId say

if he knew that you
have suggested him?

He'd hate me forever.

He's one of the few
who's not Iooking for votes.

Why shouId we eIect someone
who doesn't ask to be eIected?

Monsignor RoncaIIi has never
asked anything for himseIf.

He's aIways aIIowed Divine
Providence to choose for him,

as in BuIgaria where no other
priest wouId go in 1 925.

UnfortunateIy, we don't
have the money

to redo the fIoors
and paint the waIIs.

I'II take those.

- No, no.
- No, pIease.

Thank you.

We have no staff.

OfficiaIIy the deIegation
doesn't exist yet.

I'm afraid we'II just
have to make do.

LuckiIy the stoves work,
but we don't have any coaI or wood.

In fact, we don't
have much of anything.

Where there's a wiII,
there's a way.

PreciseIy.

Let's see, Iet's see.

MoIi, moIi, moI...

Wait, wait.

[attempting BuIgarian[

No.

MoIia...

[Speaks BuIgarian]

Isn't that what I just said?

No.

But why go to
aII this troubIe?

I couId be your interpreter.

No, no.

I think peopIe appreciate it
if you make an effort

to understand,
speak their Ianguage.

Father Gustav!

[speaking Bulgarian]

What is it?
What's wrong?

An earthquake Iast night,
dozens of viIIages destroyed.

Some survivors
have arrived here.

[speaking Bulgarian]

We have to Ieave.
We have to Ieave at once.

But why?

They don't want us here
because we are CathoIics.

Wait a minute.

That's why we're here.

It won't do any good.
They don't want us here.

I'm not going anywhere.
These peopIe need us.

May he who is without sin
cast the first stone.

TransIate.

I want to offer to our brothers
of the Orthodox church

the money they wiII need
to rebuiId their houses

and their churches.

There we are.

Just count them.

As we agreed - 1 ,220 Iira.

In promissory notes.

If I had the money,
I'd not be asking you for it.

Notes faII due,
my dear Bishop.

I know that onIy too weII.

When I think of my father -
what a Iife -

aIways worried about due dates.

There won't be
any surprises, wiII there?

Rest assured.

Any day now we'II receive
a remittance from Rome.

Today's maiI.

Thank you.

Our own dipIomatic
pouch from the HoIy See.

What did I teII you?

So just you're reading
for spirituaI meditation,

an anaIysis of
the MussoIini government,

notice that a second paragraph

of ArticIe 3.1 .3b of the Code of
Canon Law has been repeaIed,

but no mention of a remittance.

Are you sure you haven't
overIooked anything?

See for yourseIf.

We expIain our position to Rome,
but Rome does not respond.

We're in the hands of God,
as aIways.

Our request is
virtuaIIy rejected.

We inform you that
our administrative policy

makes no allowances for the
large sums of money offered

for the rebuilding of Orthodox
churches destroyed in the earthquake.

It was to be expected.

Such offering
should be reconsidered

or submitted for approval
through the appropriate channels.

It makes sense.

They're suggesting we hoId
onto the money offered

to our Orthodox brothers and use
it to cover our daiIy expenses.

That's right.

But in Rome what they
don't know is that

the offering has
aIready been made.

That's right.

Which means there's
nothing Ieft for us.

That's right.

He wants you to know
that without our heIp

the rebuiIding of their church
was onIy a dream.

I must do something
to improve my BuIgarian.

Merci.

He says that
thanks to the disaster,

he recognizes his brother.

Brothers.

This is a sign that says
gratitude and Iove.

It's Iove for you.

It is great Iove for you.

Oh, no.

What are you doing?

No, no, no.

Wait, wait!

Stop, stop!

Not the painting
from the High AItar.

Let's show some compassion.

Every one of your notes
came back unpaid.

AII of them.

I know.
We need more time.

We're stiII waiting for the
money coming from Rome.

Sorry, Monsignor.
The money won't come.

I know it, you know it.

Yes, I know.

But that doesn't authorize
you to take the painting, too.

Not onIy the painting,
aIso the two siIver statues.

It's a Iarge amount, you know.

I do have something.

It's not much,
just what I've managed to save.

Not enough, I'm afraid...

But sufficient for you
to redeem the two siIver statues.

And the painting?

I can't. Sorry.

The painting...
and the two wooden statues.

Come on, hurry.

That's it.

CarefuI now.

Monsignor MazzoIi.

His train was Iate
but he's here at Iast.

We're used to things
arriving Iate from Rome.

Monsignor MazzoIi,
did you bring our check with you?

I've been ordered
to repIace you, RoncaIIi.

These are the minutes
of aII my meetings

with the country's
Orthodox bishops.

And your resuIts?

How many conversions?

I've been working

to bring together
brothers who are divided.

Your resuIts?

What's important is to
encourage the growth

of the spirit of unity.

Then, and onIy then,
wiII we have resuIts.

Your train Ieaves
in two hours, RoncaIIi.

My gratitude and Iove.

This is RoncaIIi.

His whoIe Iife's
an exampIe to us.

We thank you
from the heart, Monsignor.

CardinaI RoncaIIi was not
unknown to any of us.

But what we now know
throws new Iight on this person.

If we are to choose a pope
that turns to the whoIe worId...

why not think
of CardinaI Agagianian?

He's of Armenian origin,
French by cuIture,

and ItaIian, after Iiving here
for so may years.

Agagianian.

Thirteen years after the end
of World War ll,

his Holiness Pius Xll's
condemnation of all wars

could not be clearer
or more conclusive.

His pontificate has borne
witness to the most difficult

and bloody decade
of the century

that has resulted in
a divided and hostile world

obsessed by the threat
of nuclear destruction.

The two opposing blocks,
the free world and the Soviet Union,

confront each other
on the scales of terror.

Put an end to aII wars.

That's what
the new pope shouId do.

Say heIIo to
CardinaI DaIIa Costa.

ShaII I ask him
about that issue?

What are you taIking about?

Oh, nothing.

Thank you for being here.

I shouId thank you
for inviting me.

I carefuIIy read your words
to the faithfuI of FIorence.

You taIk about soIidarity
towards the weakest,

of our openness towards
our divided brothers...

about peace.

In Rome at this moment,
as you know,

such ideas are
considered weaknesses.

It is not so for me.

I don't Iike to taIk about
votes, about candidates,

about who's IikeIy
to get eIected.

It's aII they taIk of -
in the Vatican and the whoIe worId.

I prefer to pray...
to pray that we may be given a pope

who wiII speak about
soIidarity towards the weakest,

about openness towards
our divided brothers...

about peace.

I know what you
two are waiting for...

to break your fast
with BaicoIi.

Hey, young man.

You don't Iike BaicoIi?

Of course, but shouId you?
I mean, they're sweet.

Do you think it's wise?

I don't understand.

I don't know that I shouId--

No, pIease do.

There's this rumor--

About BaicoIi?

No, about your heaIth.

The story is that you're
suffering from diabetes.

Those poor peopIe.

They even invent Iies about me

when nobody thinks it's possibIe
for me to ever be a pope.

There are six pIaces.

Who's missing?

He wouIdn't teII us.

ProbabIy two
German cardinaIs.

The Germans are aIways Iate.

This is wonderfuI...
WonderfuI!

Chorba!

I haven't had chorba
in so many years.

As I imagined.

ATurkish recipe -
fish from Fiumicino.

Since we're having
a Turkish evening, chorba was a must.

You thought of everything.

I bet if I went to the window
I couId aIso see the Bosporus.

An unforgettabIe experience.

You toId me something simpIe,
the two of us,

in memory of oId times in Turkey.

My mother Ioved to knit.

She Ieft me with a passion
for weaving surprises.

It's so Iong ago
you've forgotten us.

Sarah and Gad Levi.

The train at IstanbuI.

IstanbuI, yes.

You know I aIways
Iose everything,

but never this.

I treasure it.

How couId I ever
forget that train?

PIease, Iet's not create
any further difficuIties.

President Attiturk has
decreed that priests

of aII reIigions are forbidden
to wear cIericaI dress.

And that means MusIims, too.

It's aII a part of his pIan
to bring Turkey up to date.

That's why I asked
DeII'Acqua to find...

weII, a decorous soIution.

We can't accept
such an imposition.

It's better to Ieave the country.

Father, I know our
congregation is not Iarge,

but it needs us.

I didn't sIeep a wink Iast night
thinking about this mess.

When things
are beyond our controI,

there's no need
to take it so hard.

May I suggest this rather
nice, Iight wooI suit.

It's fine.
Let's not forget...

They say it's not the cow
that makes the miIk.

Over there.

Excuse me.
You're a CathoIic priest, aren't you?

Yes.

I'm Sarah Levi.
This is my husband, Gad.

I taught German Iiterature
at the University of HeideIberg.

A chiId drew this...

at the extermination camp
at TrebIinka.

That's where the Germans
want to send us.

May the Lord heIp us.

The Lord is our God.

There's onIy one God.

Amen.

Amen.

I am the Ambassador of Durach.

I'm here onIy because
I'm a good CathoIic.

I, too, Mr. Ambassador.

It's why I requested
this meeting.

Propaganda.

That's what it is.

AngIo-American propaganda

to cover the name
of Germany with mud.

But then why wouId you have

the Turkish authorities
stop the train?

They are German citizens
who have iIIegaIIy Ieft

the territory of the state.

They must return immediateIy.

We shaII see about that.

Since they are Germans,
they are under our jurisdiction.

But Turkey's a neutraI country.

Quite.

And if they permit
that train to move on,

the Führer wiII consider it
a decIaration of war against Germany.

Why so fast, CoIoneI?
We shouIdn't overreact.

Do you know the BibIe?

Of course.

And it's a hoIy text for you?

It is the most hoIy of aII texts.

It's aIso revered by the Jews.

As you know, Father,

Jews are the mortaI
enemies of the Reich.

In the BibIe it is written
that undo haste

can cause a man's downfaII.

We are not in a hurry.

The train wiII remain
under the sun without water

and without suppIies
untiI it turns back.

I hope I have not
embarrassed you.

No one wiII Iook for us here.

I'II hear you out.

HitIer is taking
Germany to ruin.

That wouId seem
obvious to aII of us.

It is not easy to stop him,
but we are trying.

ReaI patriots have the fate
of the country at heart,

beyond Nazism.

May the Lord protect you.

I can not give you names.

I wouIdn't ask you.

We need the support
of the Vatican.

And I must have a sign
of your good wiII.

Can we have some water?

No. Go back.

Our fate is in God's hands.
AII we can do is pray.

Do you reaIIy expect me
to accept this document?

But it's genuine.
It's aII I can show you.

However genuine
it actuaIIy is

you wiII agree
that no one is going to accept

that the passengers
are Roman CathoIic piIgrims.

But I'm just deIivering
an officiaI decIaration.

A piIgrimage to Tarsus
to see the House of St. PauI.

It's ridicuIous.

They have the officiaI
authorization of their Bishop

as weII as
the civiI authorities.

If a Bishop makes a request,
the civiI authorities

never say no,
do they?

So it appears.

I don't beIieve any bishop
requested the authorization, RoncaIIi.

That's your opinion.

It's one you shouId respect.

CoIoneI Lenintart...

The documentation furnished
by RoncaIIi is authentic.

The German bishops have
authorized the piIgrimage.

Ambassador, we are both
fuIIy aware that this

whoIe farce has been put
together in a matter of hours

by RoncaIIi, with the compIicity
of the German bishops

and the Vatican.

The documentation is in order.

Remove the vehicIes.
The train may proceed.

Father!

This star is the
symboI of the Jews.

Jesus was a Jew, too.

Von Papen was
tried at Nuremberg.

And they worked
very hard to convict him.

I spoke in his favor;
he was spared.

You are a just man.

For us Jews it's more important
to be just than saintIy.

This is where we Iive.

You're very fortunate.

You have chiIdren
waiting for you, grandchiIdren.

Yes. We have three chiIdren.

The first one's named AngeIo.

The chiIdren are a bIessing.

Our Iives are made up of
many moments of IoneIiness,

but we are never aIone.

Why don't you come visit me
when I get back to Venice?

We hope we can come
and visit you again in Rome,

in the Vatican.

God reveaIs himseIf
through the destiny of peopIe.

WeII, we'II Ieave that up to Him.

None of the members of the
Sacred College will be allowed

to leave the confinement
of their quarters

before the election of the
new pope is announced

with the traditional
plume of white smoke.

They won't even be allowed
out in case of fire.

And for this reason
a team of firemen

has quarters in there too -
within the confines of the conclave.

One moment, pIease.
This one's fuII.

Agagianian...

Ottaviani...

Ottaviani...

Pizzardo...

Agagianian,
Agagianian...

Siri...

VaIeri...

Ottaviani...

DaIIa Costa...

Siri..

Pizzardo...

Siri...

VaIeri.

To make the bIack smoke
we add a mixture of pitch.

And the white smoke?

We use the baIIots that were
fiIIed in for the Iast vote

with no added pitch.

It's obvious this is
the first concIave for you.

Your Eminence.

He was expIaining to me
the difference in how

they make the white smoke
and the bIack smoke.

It's not the moment.

Ottaviani 1 2,
Siri 8, Agagianian 1 4.

The French strategy is cIear -
Divide the ItaIians

and converge their votes
in favor of Agagianian.

What are you doing?

CaIcuIating the totaI number
of French votes, RoncaIIi?

I was trying to see
how many days we need to be

Iocked up in here
with onIy two voting sessions a day.

CouIdn't we make it three?

We have to oppose this -

a foreigner ensconced
on the throne of Peter.

I can just see the French
and the Armenians

putting down roots
shouId Agagianian be eIected.

Time to vote, your Eminences.

Time to vote, your Eminences.

Time to vote, your Eminences.

Agagianian...

Ottaviani...

Ottaviani...

Siri...

DaIIa Costa...

DaIIa Costa...

Agagianian...

lt's black.
There's been another vote

and we're looking
at black smoke again.

The College of Cardinals

has failed to appoint
a new pontiff again.

We can't make
phone caIIs here.

We can't even write Ietters.

There's so much
to be done in Venice.

No, thanks.

We don't want to disturb you.

No.

Just a few words.

What's the matter?

We have decided to
give the French votes

to CardinaI DaIIa Costa.

God be praised.

More than a pope
the church needs a good Father.

Ottaviani and some other cardinaIs
do not exactIy think that.

They wouId vote anybody,
but never DaIIa Costa.

They consider him
excessiveIy unbaIanced

on the sociaI doctrine.

They can be moved.

You know us, the French.

We have RicheIieu
in our bIood.

We wiII vote DaIIa Costa
so that he wiII not be eIected.

I don't understand.

You wiII, Eminence.
You wiII.

You know, nobody has
forgotten you in Paris.

And to think I was frightened
to death of going to Paris.

Sweet Paris.

Sweet Paris.

You, RoncaIIi, do you reaIIy
see yourseIf as Nuncio in Paris?

No, not at aII.

Neither do we, quite honestIy.

But the rest are even harder
to picture than yourseIf.

Monsignor Tardini,
I'm curious why,

when the post came vacant,

with aII the briIIiant
dipIomats we have,

the Pope picked me
for the job.

I asked myseIf
the same question.

Forgive me, RoncaIIi,
but I can give you onIy seven minutes.

You wiII go to Paris
and that's finaI.

In which case the other
six minutes are useIess.

In France there are currentIy 30
bishops whom GeneraI de GauIIe

considers to be cIoseIy aIigned
with his poIiticaI adversaries.

He wants them reassigned
and he's not open to reason.

WeII, I don't think I have
the right credentiaIs.

Have faith, RoncaIIi.

And pray...pray a Iot.

HoIiness, I'm not sure
I can do...

I'm afraid I might
disappoint you.

Yes, that's what they aII say.

Which means I have
nothing to Iose.

No, pIease!

The generaI cannot
stand that song.

Sorry, I didn't mean to.

I wouIdn't want
to disturb him.

TeII me...

Do you think the generaI
has forgotten about me?

No, of course not.

The generaI regrets that
he's too busy to see you.

He's worse than Gapin.

Gapin?

Ah, nothing.

He was the baker in my viIIage.

He was a man
who'd never taIk with anyone

because he didn't
want to Iose controI.

ShaII I teII that
to the generaI?

As you Iike.

But I'm not so sure
that the generaI knows Gapin.

He wiII do it on purpose,
your GeneraI de GauIIe.

Either he wouId not receive me
with any excuse whatsoever,

or if he did receive me,

taIk about something eIse
and end the audience immediateIy.

- Quite a character.
- Great man.

He pIayed his game,
I pIayed my game.

That's why I was forced
to take a very serious action.

A dipIomatic protest?

No.

I had to hire
the best chef in Paris.

Eminence, you remember the
receptions at the nunciature.

Good evening.

A spIendid evening.

My compIiments.

Thank you.

LoveIy evening, Monsignor.

As the Soviet Ambassador
I feeI it is my duty to send

an officiaI note of protest
to the French government.

Your chef has no equaI
anywhere in Paris.

That proves my intuition was correct.

Our food used to be
so bad nobody wouId come.

You have news of our project?

Nothing yet,
but it wouId seem

that the generaI much appreciated
the Ietter you wrote him.

I count on you.

Madame.

TeII me, Monsignor,
are you not disturbed

by the presence
of so many fascinating women?

I hope that the Iadies
are not offended

by the Iack of attention,
because the whoIe room

is watching me
to see who I'm watching.

PIease.

My dear Montini,
it's Iunch time.

I had the chef prepare
rouge barbeau avec du citron.

Thank you, Monsignor.

I confess I find myseIf in difficuIty.

Expenses are high
and resuIts are unsatisfactory.

That's unfortunate.

We were charged with
avoiding the expuIsion

of the 30 bishops
decIared undesirabIe.

I know.

A particuIarIy difficuIt task -
maybe impossibIe.

Yes, indeed.

De GauIIe wiII yieId to no one.

That's true onIy up to a point.

I don't understand.

He can be made
to see reason...

by going through
the correct channeIs.

If there's a way,
we must expIoit it.

I'm a step ahead of you.

What do you mean?

There were 30 bishops
whom the generaI wanted expeIIed.

I've managed
to eIiminate the zero...

and so that Ieaves onIy three.

Ours is poIiticaI dipIomacy.

Yours is evangeIicaI dipIomacy.

What IittIe I have done

certainIy shouId not
be credited to me.

DaIIa Costa..

Ottaviani...

DaIIa Costa...

DaIIa Costa...

RoncaIIi...

VaIeri.

The Tenth baIIot:

DaIIa Costa, 24 votes;

Ottaviani, 1 6 votes;

Siri, 9 votes;

RoncaIIi, 1 vote.

If the French
keep insisting on DaIIa Costa,

then he'II be eIected.

In other words,
to put it bIuntIy,

God forbid.

A saintIy man, DaIIa Costa.

That's the troubIe.

In my opinion time has run
out for aII our candidates.

Two or three years must pass,

then what is caIIed for today
is a pope we can use.

A man of a certain age,
someone without fixed ideas,

an offensive whom we can
guide and preserve.

Eminence, I beIieve you
just traced a portrait of...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

RoncaIIi...

lt's white!

Yes, the smoke's white.

Today, on October the 28th, 1 958,

after 1 1 votes in total,

a new pontiff has been elected.

Why me, Lord?

Why me?

OnIy You know the answer.

OnIy You know
what You want from me.

Since You have chosen me,

I trust that it's because

You beIieve
that onIy I, Giovanni,

can best fuIfiII your wishes.

So be it.

I'm afraid we'II have to
make some adjustments.

We didn't have one
in your size, HoIy Father.

Sorry, Your HoIiness.

You see...

The first change
of the pontificate.

Here we are...

Here we are.

It was not I who wiIIed this.
You know that.

Kissing of the foot is banned.

What name have
you taken, HoIy Father?

I shaII be caIIed Giovanni,

Iike the Baptists...

Iike the church
where I was baptized...

Iike my father.

They're caIIing me Pope...

And I was to be
simpIy a poor, country priest.

He wiII need guidance.

That wiII be essentiaI.

His roIe wiII be transitionaI.

We wiII guide him.

Your HoIiness,
is something wrong?

I heard you cry out.

What time is it?

It's bareIy 6:00.

Is something wrong?

Strange dreams.

The gestatoriaI chair...
I was faIIing down.

It's Iike when my father
used to hoId me up

on his shouIders
to see the processions.

Where am I?

Your HoIiness...

you're in the
Pope's apartments.

I have to get used to it.

It's as though I sIept in
Pius XII's bedroom by mistake.

CarefuI with those.
CarefuI.

Your HoIiness, they brought
everything from Venice.

TweIve cases in aII.

TweIve?

Yes - incIuding your
personaI fiIes,

furniture, aII the books.

I hope they didn't
forget the photographs.

Don't worry.

They're aII safe, your Eminence.

Oh, I'm sorry.
I mean, Your HoIiness.

Forgive me.

So many of my memories
are in this box.

You Iook after it, Guido.

I wiII.

These are the
probIems on the tabIe.

The siIent church in the
Soviet Union and in China,

the reform of Canon Law reIations
with the ItaIian government,

the budget of the HoIy See,

probIems of moraIity,

Bishops conferences
around the worId,

dipIomatic activities.

You must give me some time.

After aII, I'm just
an apprentice pope.

Here are the matters
that the Curia has aIready

deaIt with in the Iast few months.

If I may, I wouId underIine
the condemnation

that the HoIy Office has
prepared against some fiIms

that recentIy have
appeared in the cinemas.

It's been so Iong since
I Iast went to the cinema.

HoIy Father, I despair at the
horrors one can see -

compIete Iack of moraIity.

Have you aIready discussed
the new appointments?

Here they are.

Here's the Iist of
the appointments.

Thank you.

Many positions have been
vacant for severaI years.

You must reaIize that Pius XII
worked at everybody's job.

A head gardener
must aIso be appointed.

Yes, weII.

Gardening was one
of the few activities

that the HoIy Father
spared himseIf.

We have taken the Iiberty of
compiIing for Your HoIiness

a Iist of names for
each appointment.

Those underIined in red
are the ones that we deem

to be the most suitabIe.

Then there's a Iist
of the first audiences.

We have aIso taken the Iiberty
of preparing a scheduIe.

HoIy Father... I wouId Iike
to submit this program

we have prepared
for your first audiences.

If it was prepared by you,
I'm sure it wiII be fine.

Thank you.

What's this?

- Are you afraid of the Pope?
- A bit.

So am I.

Your HoIiness,
the Pope that we had before

insisted on being aIone
in the garden.

ReaIIy?

Yes, I've never been aIIowed
to speak with the Pope.

It's the first time.

WeII, we'II have to make
sure it's not the Iast time.

That's very kind of you.

Hey, you!

Where are you going
without the Pope?

It's the new officiaI chair,
Your HoIiness.

They onIy just deIivered it.

Put the bIessed chair
down for a second.

And you...

How much do you earn?

300 a month,
Your HoIiness.

WeII, since the new Pope
weighs twice as much

as the oId one,
your pay shouId be doubIed.

They'II never go
aIong with that idea.

Who are they?

The ones who hoId
the purse strings.

WeII, I know somebody who
may be abIe to do something.

Come here, Tardini.

Come and see.

To be a parish priest -
that's what he Iikes.

WaIking and reading his Breviary,
taIking to the peopIe.

Let him waIk.

We don't mind, do we?

- No.
- WeII.

Come in.

You wish to see me,
Your HoIiness?

I wanted to show you that.

The Pope a caretaker?

They caII me
a transitionaI pope.

Not to be taken seriousIy.

HoIy Father, it's just gutter
journaIism - nothing eIse.

But there is truth
in that articIe.

Sometimes I feeI Iike
a repIacement part

waiting for the new
car to arrive.

However, if the Lord
wiIIs me to be Pope,

I wiII fuIfiII
my duties as Pope.

He has raised the saIaries
of the gardeners,

the porters, the drivers,

the workmen...and the cIerks.

How can he do that?

There's no money for it.

WeII, what he's done
is cut the saIaries

of everybody eIse -
incIuding us.

You can't say
he's not originaI.

You shouId see
the Iook on your face.

I'm the one who has to
deaI with the accounts.

His name is Cousins,
Norman Cousins.

OfficiaIIy he's a journaIist,
but being president

of a cuIturaI association
in Washington gives him

a right to a visa
for the Soviet Union.

And he's an unofficiaI intermediary

between the U.S. government
and the Soviet Union.

Do Washington and Moscow
communicate through him?

- It seems so.
- Is he trustworthy?

Every month he visits
the two capitoIs.

The airways of the
Lord are infinite.

Thank you.

Good morning.

WeIcome.

We have reason to beIieve
they pIanned it for tomorrow,

or the day after at the most.

An uItimatum.

Yes, a Soviet uItimatum.

Kruschev wants the United States,

the EngIish and the French
to withdraw from BerIin.

Then he intends to make
the city a free zone

under Soviet controI.

So that he can swaIIow
it compIeteIy,

at the first pretext.

Monsignor DeII'Acqua,

Mr. Cousins is in permanent
contact with my office.

It was my duty to
arrange this meeting.

You have the fIoor,
your Eminence.

I find the Russian
move incomprehensibIe.

They must know the
West does not intend

to withdraw from BerIin.

They must stop the outfIow.

AII the peopIe who escape from
the Soviet sector to West BerIin.

ExactIy.

It's such a constant hemorrhage.

The Russians are
obIiged to take action.

It's their own fauIt.

One does not Ieave
from paradise.

I suppose the West
wiII reject the uItimatum.

It's inevitabIe,
and without mincing their words.

And do the Russians
reaIize this?

I myseIf advised Nikita Kruschev.

What was his reaction?

He informed me that it is his
intention to construct a waII,

a waII that wiII cut
the city of BerIin in two

and prevent any further escape.

A city divided by a waII.

To demonstrate a truth -

that the worId
is divided, HoIiness.

And what is risked
if he buiIds his waII?

A confrontation with no
hoIds barred, HoIy Father.

We can expect both sides
to fIex their muscIes

in a high-profiIe scenario
aimed at defending

their prestige and power.

Up to and incIuding war?

I'm afraid so.

The first war
of the thermaI nucIear age,

with bombs 1 00 times more powerfuI
than the one at Hiroshima.

It wouId be the war
to end aII wars.

A Hiroshima as
big as the worId.

BIess me, Father,
for I have sinned.

The Lord has caIIed me to
a task that is greater than I am.

The Lord knows
His own chiIdren.

So much responsibiIity.

AII those destinies
depending upon my decisions.

You may find justification
in the parabIe of the taIents.

Each one of us wiII
be asked to render

that which we have received.

And what taIent do I have?

You have your simpIicity
and your goodness.

I am not the good Pope
that peopIe say I am.

Goodness is not a gift,
neither is it a choice.

Goodness is onIy
a consequence.

It is the saIary
for the hard work in here...

To find one's seIf,
then to abandon one's seIf.

As you have
aIways done, HoIy Father.

AII my Iife I feIt that
my steps were guided.

God is certainIy not
going to abandon you.

I sense that I am being
asked for something.

As in the past I tried
to find it within myseIf,

but this time I don't know what.

BIessed are the peacemakers,

for they shaII be caIIed
the chiIdren of God.

I begged the Lord to heIp me.

So much to do, so much.

Yes.

Your HoIiness,

CardinaI Ottaviani and
Monsignor Tardini to see you.

Something important?

It appears so.

Kruschev has issued
an uItimatum.

Cousins was right.

Have you heard
the news, HoIiness?

I heard.

This just arrived, HoIy Father.

It came from Moscow by BerIin.

Who sent it?

The writer doesn't
give his name.

And who is this?

Do you know him?

He's a stranger to me.

Ukraine, teacher.

You read Russian?

Oh, IittIe memories of BuIgaria.

I wish I'd continued studying.

SIip, SIipyj.

The head of the Ukrainian church,
who's now imprisoned.

Do we have an interpreter?

I'm sorry, but our officiaI
interpreter is in New York.

Laundry.

Who's speaking?

The Pope.

And you're taIking to
St. Catherine of Siena.

I am Pope John
of Sotto iI Monte,

in the Province of Bergamo.

Forgive me, Your HoIiness.
Forgive me.

UnIess I'm mistaken I beIieve
I've heard somewhere

that there is with you
a nun of Russian origin.

l am a school teacher,

a Catholic of the
Greek Orthodox Church.

lt's the deepest desire of
all Christians of the Ukraine

that effective measures
be taken at once

to free Monsignor Josef Slipyj.

The last 1 6 years he has been
unjustly imprisoned

in a camp in Siberia.

Monsignor Josef Slipyj was
sentenced to internment

without a regular trial.

For all these years he has
continued to celebrate Mass

in secret in order not to
abandon his fellow Christians.

Monsignor SIipyj.

If the church today
has a martyr...

it is he.

Of course.

But HoIiness, there are hundreds
of cases Iike this in Russia.

Priests interned,
CathoIics kiIIed

and churches destroyed.

As you see, HoIy Father,
Soviet communism does not

onIy pIace the worId in great
periI with its weapons,

but it is aIso a great threat
to aII peopIe of the faith.

What shaII we do
for this brother of ours?

We must respond in kind -

an ex-communication order
for aII communists,

Soviet citizens or otherwise.

An ex-communication order exists.

EvidentIy it's not been sufficient.

Condemnations.
AIways condemnations!

We're waging an ongoing battIe.

The Pope must
condemn the Soviets.

It's absoIuteIy necessary.

A condemnation -
a definitive one.

We cannot wait any Ionger.

Communism is destined to end.

HoIy Father,
you are mistaken.

It wiII be victorious
unIess we do everything

that is possibIe
to annihiIate it.

There's aIso another way -
diaIogue, taIking,

trying to understand each other.

There's no diaIogue with
those who persecute the church.

TaIk, taIk,
without ever tiring.

TaIking to anybody, aIways.

And in the meantime
Christians perish in the guIags...

and we aIIow
the Russians to stockpiIe

nucIear weapons in their arsenaIs.

We cannot use vioIence
to repIy to vioIence.

Our weapon is the Cross,
not the sword.

We must defend ourseIves.

We must understand
each other.

The editor of
L'Osservatore Romano, HoIy Father.

Your HoIiness.

What are you doing?

Take a seat, pIease.

I'm perfectIy aII right Iike this.

That is fine for praying,
not for working.

PIease.

It's not necessary.

Listen -
if you don't get up, I wiII,

and I wiII Ieave.

The reason I've asked you
to come in is that the facts

of the Iast few days
have struck me profoundIy.

I want to make a statement.

Your HoIiness, have you read
the Curia's report

on the ex-communication
of communism?

Yes, of course,
with great attention.

However, what I wouId Iike
to say is sIightIy different.

You see, I feeI that putting
the five or six peopIe

who count around a tabIe
wouId be enough.

Then they couId
find an agreement,

and then the rest of the worId
thus wouId be more serene.

SpIendid.

Write...

Just a second.

Yes?

Leave us a moment.

Go ahead.

May I be permitted
to ask the HoIy Father

to expIain his decIaration?

It is an invitation to
worId Ieaders to defend peace.

An admirabIe initiative, I admit,

but it couId be highIy dangerous.

I'm afraid it wiII be
interpreted as taking sides.

How do you mean?

It wiII appear that the Vatican
openIy supports the Soviets.

I shouId Iike to say something

against the threat
of worId war.

I don't dispute, HoIy Father,
you want peace.

We aII do.

We must seek peace,
make an appeaI.

UnfortunateIy, peace is a word
that the Soviets have impounded.

We shouId recover it
again and make it ours.

The word peace is
written in the gospeI.

Yes, but unfortunateIy
use peace today

and they'II say the Pope
has aIigned with them.

If you'II aIIow me, HoIy Father,

I wouId suggest that
you submit your message

to New York
to the ApostoIic deIegation.

And those who represent
us in communist states -

they have a right
to consuItation.

This is war, HoIiness -
a coId war, but war aII the same.

I do not Iike war...

neither hot nor coId...

nor Iukewarm.

How's that?

What do you think?

Do you think it
Iooks aII right?

Down on the right.

So I can see my
Bishop Radini when I write.

It gives me courage.

And one can never have
enough courage, Your HoIiness.

Monsignor Radini taught me
how not to be afraid.

A reaI Christian, he used
to say, is never afraid.

You don't think
CardinaI Ottaviani wiII come

and teII me to move it?

Move it, no.

But he might suggest
an aIternative.

We mustn't forget his
objections to the peace message.

PeopIe think a pope
does whatever he wants,

snaps his fingers
and everybody obeys.

Instead he's an august prisoner
within these hoIy waIIs.

Give it time.

Time which is what
I haven't got.

I'm a transitionaI pope, remember.

How Iong does
a transitionaI pope Iast?

You've aIready done
a Iot in a short time.

Like raising the staff's wages.

It made them reaIIy happy.

Oh, yes.

They're reaIIy jumping with
joy over that at the Curia.

Yes.

I wish I couId go
back to Venice.

Are you joking, Your HoIiness,
when we've onIy just moved in?

No.

I say what I think,
I say what I feeI.

Your HoIiness, the post
of Patriarch of Venice

is aIready fiIIed.

You named him yourseIf,
HoIy Father.

WeII, then I'd Iike to go
back to Sotto iI Monte,

to the house where I was born.

From the upstairs room,
when the sky is cIear,

you can even see
the Duomo at MiIan.

Ah, now we're taIking.

SIow zoom to cIose up.

Too much to ask?

Catanachi, zoom in.
Come on!

Get it together!

What's the matter with you?

Come on!
Let's see some action!

Catanachi!

Wake your darn ideas up!
You hear me?

Zoom in and then
give me a pan shot.

Forgive me, Your HoIiness.

I don't usuaIIy
shout that much.

Good.

CouId you expIain
to me what a pan shot is?

It's pretty simpIe, reaIIy.

What I mean is, it's a camera
movement that gives

a sweeping overIook as if
you're turning your head.

I know absoIuteIy nothing
about these things.

If you Iike, HoIiness,
you can stand there

in front of that camera
and I'II show you.

PIease.

You see it's got a red Iight.

WeII, when it's on
it means that the images

from this camera are being
broadcast at that moment.

You see?

That one over there?

Yes.

When the red Iight is on,
Iook directIy into the Iens.

It wiII give the viewers
the impression

you're Iooking
at them personaIIy.

Count von GIips.

Baron, Your HoIiness.

Count, Baron -
I get mixed up.

Forgive me.

This is the invitation
he has toId me

to send to the TV stations
of haIf the worId.

Where did he get
such a quaint idea?

He says that he reaIIy
wants this meeting.

It'II pose probIems of security.

When exactIy is it scheduIed?

Christmas morning.

That's very inappropriate.

Try to convince him to send
Christmas greetings,

written by hand.

I aIready tried.

He said nobody remembers
messages of greetings,

whiIe everyone remembers the
voice of Pius XII on the radio.

No, he'II Iisten to me.

It's quite unheard of -
on teIevision,

a broadcast - and outside
the Vatican in front of a crowd.

What is the HoIy See
going to turn into -

a circus act?

Come aIong, chiIdren.
Pay attention.

We're going to try a rehearsaI.

The moment the Pope arrives,
aII of us are going to cIap

as IoudIy as we can and cry out,
Long Live the Pope.

Now we'II try it once aII together.

And one, two, three.

Long Live the Pope!

SteIIa, why didn't you say,
Long Live the Pope?

Aren't you happy you're going
to see the HoIy Father?

It begins today.

OnIy we poor mortaIs
know where it begins.

Where it ends is
known onIy up there.

Merry Christmas.

God bIess you.

And you.

Merry Christmas.

Long Live the Pope.

HoIy Father, pray for us.

God bIess you.

Merry Christmas.

Long Live the Pope.

Merry Christmas.

Your HoIiness.

My daughter was born
with a heart condition.

WiII you pray for her?

Every day when I say the
rosary I dedicate a prayer

to aII the chiIdren,
especiaIIy to the suffering ones.

Do you say
a prayer for me, too?

What is your name?

Marc AngeIo.

Mine is onIy AngeIo.

Maybe that's why they wanted
me to change my name.

God bIess you.

Others are waiting
in the wards, HoIiness.

BIess you.

BIess you.

And one, two, three.

Long Live the Pope!
Long Live the Pope!

Long Live the Pope!

God bIess you.

Long Live the Pope!

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

There you go, my darIing.

Long Live Santa CIaus,
Long Live Santa CIaus...

SteIIa.

She is right, sister.

Dressed up Iike this
and with my gifts,

I reaIIy do Iook
Iike Santa CIaus.

AII I need is a beard.

This teddy bear
is for you, IittIe SteIIa.

May God bIess you

and may you
go home very soon.

Merry Christmas.

God be with you, chiId.

Now we hear the critics.

And I'm sure, Your HoIiness,
that there wiII be pIenty.

The truth is -
in every chiId

I can see the man
that he wiII be.

And in every man

I can try to see
the chiId that was he.

WeII, peopIe need to feeI
the mystery of God

in the person of the Pope.

And to preserve that
sense of mystery,

it is fundamentaI, Your HoIiness,
to measure pubIic appearances

with great prudence.

I see what you mean.
I understand.

You worry about me,
my image.

Yes, HoIy Father.

But you see, our Lord...
went wherever He had to go.

He never worried
too much about His image.

Don't you agree?

My good chiIdren,
my dear brothers,

I am here with you
in the House of the Father.

Where's his house?
Where?

We are here to offer
the Lord our sacrifice

and our suffering...

because God Ioves
aII of His chiIdren...

and He forgives them aII.

Do you remember His words?

''BIessed are those who mourn,

for they shaII be comforted.''

So, here we are...

In the first year of what
they caII my pontificate.

I have come,
you have seen me.

I have put my eyes
into your eyes.

I've put my heart
cIose to your hearts.

And I am here now
thinking with you

of your wives, of your sisters,
of your mothers.

And I think of your chiIdren

who are your sadness...

but they are aIso your poetry.

BIess you, Father.

BIess you.

HoIy Father, don't forget us.

Can't I go up to
the ceIIs up there?

InadvisabIe, Your HoIiness.

That's the Iifer section.

They're aII murderers
and hardened criminaIs.

It couId be dangerous.

Your HoIiness, pIease...

It'II be aII right.

HoIy Father,
I'm from Bergamo, too.

The Lord wiII
forgive you, my son,

and you wiII return there.

I'm sure you wiII.

HoIiness, I kiIIed a man.

Do the words you said before
count for me as weII?

Of course, my son,
they count for you, too.

We will now broadcast
the Pope's address

to the inmates of Rome's
Regina Coeli Prison...

My good children,
my dear brothers,

l am here with you
in the House of the Father.

Where's his house?
Where?

We are here to offer
the Lord our sacrifice

and our suffering...

because God loves
all of His children...

and He forgives them all.

Do you remember his words?

''Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted. ''

My name is Maria,

and l'm writing to you
from our hometown, Sotto il Monte.

My fiancé is
a very good person,

and we want to get married.

But he is a communist

and the parish priest
said it's forbidden.

PIease write this...

To the Parish Priest
of Sotto iI Monte.

Dearest Father AtiIIio,

A parishioner of yours
has turned to me,

and I now turn to you -
coIIeague to coIIeague.

You are the parish priest
of my hometown,

and I am humbIy the parish
priest of the worId.

Here are the appointments
for the new cardinaIs.

Maybe up in the office?

WouId you Iike to
go upstairs, HoIiness?

No, no.

The fresh air feeIs so good.

Thank you.

Now, the appointments.

The first--

My first appointment
of cardinaI is Montini.

Montini.

Montini, cardinaI?

He's the first cardinaI
you wish to appoint?

Yes.

He is the
Archbishop of MiIan,

he's a man of faith
and doctrine.

Is something the matter?

Some beIieve Montini's
ideas are too...

- Too?
- Too advanced.

It couId upset the baIance.

CardinaI Montini Iooks far
and wiII go far.

Montini.

And then there are these.

This one.

Rugambwa?

Oh, he's done great
work in Tanzania.

But it's the first
time an African--

It wiII be the first
FiIipino as weII,

and the first Mexican.

And a Japanese?

Yes.

This way we wiII be representing
aII the races of the worId.

Isn't that wonderfuI?

HoIiness, I think
the Iist is too Iong.

We have exceeded the maximum
number for the Sacred CoIIege.

What is the maximum?

Seventy cardinaIs.

It has been Iike that
for over 500 years.

There's the decree
by Sixtus V.

But at the time the church
was onIy deaIing with Europe.

Now we're on five continents.

Now we're on five continents.

I think we can exceed,
CardinaI Tardini.

CardinaI?

I think your name wouId
Iook good on there as weII.

What's the matter?
Don't you agree?

On the contrary,
I'm very honored.

But I don't think my heaIth
is going to heIp me.

I wouId prefer that--

If you refuse, I wiII be forced
to impose obedience on you.

This is the Breviary
of Monsignor SIipyj.

It came with a message
from the Soviets.

They ask for a sign of
support from the HoIy See.

We might pose as a condition
the reIease of Monsignor SIipyj.

It's the wrong
moment to negotiate.

Can you teII me the reason?

The Americans have
informed us that FideI Castro

is about to seize power in Cuba...

with Soviet support.

We shouId caII back
our Nuncio in Havana.

Why shouId we do that?

Castro is a revoIutionary.

CathoIics in Cuba wiII share
the fate of those in the Soviet Union.

The church, I think,
must stay with its peopIe.

It is best that the Nuncio
remain at his post

untiI he's expeIIed.

UntiI he's expeIIed...
or arrested.

Our task is to testify for Christ.

Siberia, BerIin, Cuba.

The free worId
is besieged, HoIy Father.

The church must not
show any weakness.

ExactIy.

What does it mean?

Yes?

Who's speaking.

Your HoIiness.

Excuse me, Sister Ivana.

Don't mention it.

It means bIessed are
the peacemakers - does it not?

Yes.
BIessed are the peacemakers.

Thank you...

Thank you very much.

It was nothing.
Don't mention it.

It was the Pope.

The Pope.

Blessed are the peacemakers -

Words taken from the gospel,

underlined by
Monsignor Slipyj in prison.

They seem to have been
written in reply to my questions.

ls this not a sign?

It's weaker this morning,
Your HoIiness.

Made especiaIIy for St. CIaire,
as you asked.

I onIy hope it's the strong
coffee that's been giving me

this burning sensation, Guido.

Your HoIiness the Pope
is a bastion of heaIth.

AngeIo, sit down.
Sit down.

I want to taIk to you.

I reaIized something
important Iast night.

I saw two young peopIe
down in the square.

It was the middIe
of the night...

and they were
quarreIing a IittIe,

then they went off together,
hugging each other.

In watching them, I seemed to
see aII the young peopIe

in the worId and I thought -

what are we doing
to prepare the future

for those two down there?

What am I doing for them?

For these famiIies
that are being formed?

You're being Pope.

Not enough!

We must do more, much more.

More?

HoIy Father,
may I introduce the scuIptor.

What do you think of it, HoIiness?

Our Lord has been
up there for 2,000 years

with His arms outspread.

What do you think?

Where are we...

in deIivering Christ's message?

WeII, we have been Ied
by Divine Providence.

Maybe.

But I reaIized
something Iast night.

How can the church
ask for worId peace

when it is yet to find
peace within itseIf?

HoIiness, with aII due respect,
I don't understand you.

The church must find a new way
to speak to the hearts of men.

A new way?

The church's truths are immutabIe,

but we can change the means
of communicating them.

In other words, a renewaI.

And how is this
renewaI to be?

I made a decision Iast night.

How many cardinaIs
are there in Rome today?

Thirty-seven.

Good.

PIease teII them that I'd
Iike to have a IittIe chat

with them this afternoon -
Iike oId friends.

Reassessment?

What does he mean by that?

Reassessment.

New worId, he said.

What do you think
reassessment means?

I don't know.

The strength of the church
Iies in its traditions.

Take them away
and the church disappears.

This isn't the moment
to be eccentric.

We must bIock whatever he proposes.

Pass the word.

So far we have
given him a free hand,

but we have...
to point out that if

our mission has
continued for so Iong

it's because we've respected
the church's traditions.

I've thought a great deaI
over the Iast few hours

of the dangers,
the threat on peace,

and of the great
transformations in our time.

And so I have come to
a decision, my brothers.

I announce before you,

with certain tremor of emotion,

the proposaI for
a great counciI of the church -

an ecumenicaI counciI to be
heId as soon as possibIe.

It wiII not discuss dogma.

It wiII deaI with the manner
in which the church reacts

to the probIems of today.

To do this we wiII be
asking for the heIp

To do this we wiII be
asking for the heIp

of the entire Christian worId.

Do you know what
I'm doing, Eminence?

You are posing for the coins
and medaIs of the pontificate.

On coins - my face.

I tried to avoid it.

I said,
''Let's put some IoveIy image.''

However, I surrender to tradition.

It's inevitabIe.

Your portrait is needed.

Look.

Letters of encouragement
for the counciI.

So many from
aII over the worId.

Bishops are writing me
and aIso missionaries,

common peopIe,
even schooI chiIdren.

They write, ''Dear Pope John,''
and my heart is warmed.

You see, HoIiness,

there was great amazement
in the Curia.

They thought you
were going to deaI

with more urgent matters,
Iike the new atomic experiments

carried out by the Soviets.

WeII, L'Osservatore Romano
and La CiviItà CattoIica

have not mentioned
the announcement.

The Bishop of New York
bIessed its sincerity

and said that the counciI
wiII be a faiIure.

A counciI is an extraordinary event

and there have onIy been
two over five centuries.

It takes dozens of years
just to prepare one.

You know, HoIiness, that we
wiII never be ready for 1 963.

We won't?

WeII, no.

If it can't be done for 1 963...
then we wiII do it for 1 962.

May the HoIy Spirit
aIways assist you, HoIiness.

It is not He who heIps me,

it is I who am assisting
the HoIy Spirit.

He's the one
who does everything.

The counciI was His idea.

No, I don't think that's possibIe.

How much is aII
this going to cost?

We haven't caIcuIated it yet.

Anyway, it wiII cost what it costs.

Eminences.

HoIiness, you couId
have sent for me.

I wanted to see
the counciI at work.

May I?

These are the invitations.

We are sending them
to aImost 3,000 bishops

aII over the worId.

What's this?

A questionnaire.

We have prepared
a few questions

so that we may get
peopIe's opinions.

No, I'd rather not.

Let us give everybody the
freedom to say what they want.

The theme of the counciI must
be decided by them - not us.

Have you sent an invitation
to our brother SIipyj?

It's pointIess.

He wiII never receive it.

Send it to him anyway.

Excuse me.

May I see your pass?

Sure.

- AII right.
- Thanks.

Your HoIiness.

So is it you, Maria,

the daughter of the
best seamstress in town?

Your HoIiness, I can't
beIieve that I'm here.

And this wouId
be the communist?

Yes, Your HoIiness.
I am.

I work at the techno pIant.

Father AtiIIio didn't
want to marry us.

But when he got
your Ietter he consented.

I'm gIad.

Why wouId you want
to be married in church?

I Iove Maria.

It's a start.

I have my own ideas.

Father AtiIIio is not to be bIamed.

The ex-communication
of communists stiII stands.

However, we shouId
condemn the mistake,

not those who make it.

Those who make mistakes
are our brothers,

aIways and in any case.

May your marriage be bIessed.

Most HoIy Father...

We've decided our first son
wiII be named after you.

After you.
We want to caII him John.

After you.
We want to caII him John.

My chiId...

John is a fine name.

God bIess you both.

Look how weII
he controIs the baII.

He'II be a
professionaI one day.

To be honest with you, in sports,

I can onIy pIay bocce baII.

Pass the baII!
Pass it!

I pay for the boys' equipment
out of my cardinaI's saIary.

And when they need new schooI
books I buy those, too.

WeII done -
a reaIIy beautifuI idea.

I got invoIved watching
kids pIay on the streets

around St. Peters -
kids from poor famiIies, Iike mine.

My father was
a pastry cook in Trastevere.

PIease, your Eminences.

What is it you're
trying to teII me?

We can create, HoIy Father...

without having to destroy.

That is preciseIy why I want
the counciI to be heId -

to prevent the destruction
of everything.

Meet at the aIIey
of the IittIe coIumns

for the impromptu visit
of the HoIy Father.

Yes, the next time
His HoIiness

Ieaves the Vatican
we'II advise you.

May God bIess you, my chiId.

BIess you.

God bIess aII of you.

BIess you.

God bIess aII of you.

Thank you.

God be with you.

May God bIess you aII.

God bIess you.

Your HoIiness, AIfred.

What do you want to
be when you grow up?

The Pope.

BeIieve me...
it's a Iife fuII of sacrifice.

I reaIIy want to be boss, though.

I'm not the boss.

Long live the Pope!

He is.

You see, AIfred,
you spoke to the Pope.

When I'm in the middIe
of a crowd I feeI young.

You're very popuIar, HoIy Father,
as you know aIready.

This is where the
church shouId be,

not in the paIace of poIiticians.

Do you think that poIitics
is not for the peopIe?

I want the church to Iook ahead,

and I don't want the bishops
to get mixed up in poIitics.

Yet today you are abIe
to waIk among the peopIe.

It's because ItaIy
is stiII in the free worId.

In Russia Monsignor SIipyj

is not permitted
to move so freeIy.

We shouId go beyond poIitics.

That is why the counciI
is the most important thing.

All of us
assembled here today,

our hearts beating
with emotions say,

may all the saints
watch over you

and bless you
on your birthday, too.

Remember that doggereI?

I wrote it in the seminary
for your 21 st.

That sentiment never
changes as time goes by.

It obIiges me to inquire
why your souI is in torment.

You're Iess combatitive.

Is it your heaIth?

The doctor toId me
not to overtire myseIf.

Any other reason?

What if he is right?

- Right?
- Yes.

Suppose this idea with the
counciI is the right thing.

I admit that in reIation
to His HoIiness

you might think
that we're on the other side,

that we're in a power struggIe.

But teII me.

Have you and I ever done
anything we profited by?

Now we want to save
the church from annihiIation.

And unfortunateIy
the Pope won't accept

that the enemy is dangerous.

Fisher, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, arrives tomorrow.

Inviting the head of the
AngIican Church is a grave risk.

Something has to be done.

- Dr. Fisher?
- Yes.

This way.

UnbeIievabIe!

The Archbishop of Canterbury
being greeted

in the Vatican as though
he were a nobody.

Your Eminence, the HoIy Father
asked for a generous weIcome.

The success of
the counciI depends

on the Archbishop's presence.

We considered it simpIy
as a private visit.

And L'Osservatore Romano
ignored him compIeteIy.

What wouId it have cost
us to send a photographer?

UnfortunateIy there wasn't
a photographer avaiIabIe.

May God heIp us.

Your HoIiness...
may I have a word?

Like the others at first,
I didn't beIieve in the counciI.

But now,
working with you cIoseIy,

I've reaIized...
I was mistaken.

The counciI wiII be good
for aII Christians...

And not onIy Christians.

Stay by my side.

I need you.

I need aII of you.

The Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for the invitation.

WeII, it's been 400 years
since we Iast met.

We Iove the same God,

and those who have divided
our paths have been Iong dead.

So I said to myseIf,
it's time we roII up our sIeeves

and work so that we can
pray together again.

You try it.

They toId me he shouId be
up around there at this time.

Can you see anything?

If anything, a refIection.

ShouId be there.

What's his name, the Russian?

Gagarin.

Gagarin, of course.
The cosmonaut.

The first man who has traveIed
among the stars towards God.

The first man to see
the Earth as God sees it.

Indeed.

By putting Gagarin into space
the Russians have shown

that they can strike
anywhere in the worId.

This is a seismic report
of Iast week's nucIear test.

Sixty mega-tons, HoIy Father.

In BerIin they've begun
constructing the waII.

HoIy Father...

I've just been toId
that CardinaI Tardini is dying.

Even the Quaker Church is here.

The onIy ones missing are
the Eskimos and the penguins.

Now that it's fait accompIi
we have to make sure we controI it.

And wasn't Tardini Iucky

that he didn't Iive
to see this counciI...

And so he was
a CathoIic to the end.

That pain again,
Your HoIiness?

No...

It's nothing.

The counciI opens today,

and as my mother wouId say,

it's nerves affecting my stomach.

I've tried to read
up on it, HoIiness,

but it's a mystery to me.

What did you want to know?

About the counciI -
why it's so important.

There's reaIIy not
enough time now, Guido.

There are so many peopIe

There are so many peopIe

waiting down beIow
in the BasiIica.

I'm sure God wiII
heIp you, Your HoIiness.

I'II need it.

It doesn't need
a Iot of words, Guido.

Here is what
the counciI is for...

The church must open
itseIf to the worId.

No more punishment
or condemnations.

We must seek what unites,
not what divides.

And its diaIogue
must incIude everybody...

for we are aII chiIdren
of the same God.

lt required more than 90
minutes for the procession

to pass through
Bernini's historic square

in a veritable exultation
of miters and white capes.

St. Peter's has never
hosted anything like it.

Representatives of the
Lutherans, the Anglicans,

the Greek Orthodox Church,
the Evangelists, the Quakers

and the Methodists
were all present for the opening

of the Ecumenical Council -

the first after centuries
of religious strife.

The Holy Father spoke
in Latin for 37 minutes.

There's no doubt, if you
don't mind me saying so,

that when you attacked
the prophets of doom,

a Iot of those present
took it personaIIy.

Those who have no sense
of discretion and restraint,

who see nothing in modern times
but prevarication and ruin.

My compIiments, HoIy Father.

The crowd in the square
is waiting for your bIessing.

No, that's enough.
No more today.

I've taIked too much
aIready this morning.

But if you don't want
to go onto the baIcony,

at Ieast Iook outside,
down in the square, HoIiness.

HeIp me with the stoIe.

I'II go to the baIcony.

I'II bIess them,
but I won't speak.

No one asks you to, HoIy Father.

BeIoved chiIdren,

I hear your voices.

Mine is one voice that
speaks for the whoIe worId.

The whoIe worId
is represented here.

We couId say that
even the moon has hurried

to see this spectacIe,
which not even the BasiIica of St. Peter's,

with its 400 years of history,
has witnessed.

My person counts for nothing.

Speaking to you is a brother,

who by the wiII of God
has become a Father.

When you go home
to your chiIdren...

give them a caress

and teII them that this caress
is from the Pope.

You wiII find tears to dry.
Say a good word.

The Pope is with you...

especiaIIy in the hours
of sadness and bitterness.

No, nothing to worry
about, Your HoIiness.

Professor...

My two sisters and brother
died of a terribIe disease.

My symptoms are the same.

Not necessariIy.

For now aII I can see
is a stenosis,

and you're very anemic.

Nothing that won't respond
to treatment, Your HoIiness.

If it were something terribIe

Iike my sisters
and brother died of,

how much time
wouId I have Ieft?

HoIiness, you mustn't
even think such things.

Of course we'II have
to do more tests,

but it's just a formaIity,
nothing more.

Professor, are you
teIIing me the truth?

WouId anyone Iie to the Pope?

Whatever it may be,

pIease defend me
with your siIence.

Thank you.

We have to speak -
in private.

HoIiness, forgive me.

These photographs are the proof

that the Russians have buiIt
missiIe ramps on Cuba.

They were taken by
reconnaissance pIanes.

The immediate probIem
is right here -

25 Soviet ships
carrying nucIear missiIes

are presentIy on course
for the isIand of Cuba.

And how has Kennedy reacted?

He's one of our sons -

the first CathoIic President
of the United States.

He's the president of a great
nation that feeIs threatened.

In a few minutes
he'II appear on teIevision

and announce an uItimatum -

the Russians withdraw their fIeet

or the United States decIares war.

It's not possibIe.
We have to stop it.

There's no time, Your HoIiness.

Kennedy has sent a fIeet of warships,

incIuding a nucIear-powered
aircraft carrier

to bIock the Russians.

And when does
the uItimatum expire?

In 48 hours.

Forty-eight hours?

And then what?

According to the Pentagon,

if the U.S. makes
a preemptive strike,

the projected death toII
wiII be onIy 1 ,200,000,000.

OnIy?

If the Soviets are
aIIowed time to react,

it wiII probabIy doubIe.

These are Russian
missile bases in Cuba.

President Kennedy has ordered
a naval blockade to prevent

the Russians from landing
nuclear warheads on the island.

The President has proof
that 25 Soviet ships,

some carrying nuclear missiles,
are on course for Cuba.

The United States Navy
and the Strategic Air Command

The United States Navy
and the Strategic Air Command

have orders to stop the Russian
ships reaching the island.

lf the Soviet ships try
to force the blockade,

the United States will
consider it an act of war.

World peace is in the balance.

HeIIo...
Yes.

...aircraft carriers carrying
68 squadrons of war planes

are being deployed to intercept

and block the Soviet fleet.

We havejust received news
that the Soviet ships

have entered Cuban territorial
waters in attack formation.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

That was Cousins
at the American Embassy.

HoIiness, Your Eminence -

Kennedy has offered
to withdraw his warships.

What?

Kennedy has offered
to withdraw his fIeet

if the Russians
wiII do the same.

And Kruschev?

Kruschev is prepared
to withdraw,

but onIy if the
Americans do so, too.

And so?

The probIem is that neither
wants to give the impression

of being first to back down.

So we're at a standstiII.

Maybe not if both Ieaders
receive a message

to back down simuItaneousIy.

That's physicaIIy impossibIe.

Without having dipIomatic reIations

we can't send
the Russians the message.

The probIem can be overcome.

This wouId refute that.

What is it?

The bishops behind the Iron Curtain -

they're asking us
to support the U.S. position.

They say it's the onIy
way we'II ever be abIe

to Iiberate the siIent church
from Soviet tyranny.

Papa, Papa!

Forgive me, Your HoIiness.
My wife Ieft our son with me.

I'm sorry if he bothered you.

No, no.

Come here.
Don't be afraid.

You're Giovanni, aren't you?

I baptized you
way back in Venice.

Are you at work now?

I'm praying.

I know how to pray as weII.

Oh, you do?

What do you say
when you pray?

Madonna in heaven,
Iook after us aII, pIease.

PIease Iook after my mama
and papa, granny and aII of us.

Everybody, everybody.

Prisoners.

Kennedy and Kruschev?

Yes, President Fanfani.

We beIieve that they
are both in the hands

of a miIitary industriaI aIIiance -
their own war machines -

and that they wouId both
Iike to regain controI,

but they don't know how.

A highIy voIatiIe scenario...

From Cuba, Russian missiIes
can target Washington, New York

and principaI cities
on the east coast.

On the other hand,

American nucIear missiIes
depIoyed in ApuIia

are ready to strike at the
heart of Russia's industry.

Your meaning is very cIear
Mr. President...

especiaIIy the subtext.

''Do ut des.''

Ancient words of wisdom.

Proceed with caution.

The HoIy Father has never
interfered in worId poIitics.

Or wiII he now.

There'II be no interference.

But he hoIds the key
that Kennedy and Kruschev

need to defeat their own generaIs.

Just make sure that an
identicaI suggestion

reaches Moscow and Washington.

Ora et Iabora...

We must never tire...
either of praying or of working.

RidicuIous.

Send what message?

Benedict XV tried that,
and what good did it do?

The Great War broke out regardIess.

What the Pope intends to do
wiII be a terribIe mistake.

Another four hours...
and the uItimatum expires.

One, two, three, testing.
Testing the Pope's mic.

We're ready, Your HoIiness.

Thank you.

Your HoIiness?

Oh, no. No.

HeIIo.

This can't be happening!

Look into your hearts.

The powerful men
of the Earth should listen

to the anguished cries
rising from everyone -

from innocent children,
from the elderly,

from individuals
and communities -

the cry that rises
up to heaven...

Peace, peace.

We implore all the leaders,

do not be deaf
to the cry of humanity.

Let them spare the world
the horrors of a war-

a war whose terrible
consequences no one can foresee.

Did it go aII right?

We'II soon find out, Your HoIiness.

Your HoIiness...
They've agreed!

Kruschev and Kennedy
have announced

that they wiII withdraw
their ships at the same time.

No, wait.
Let me heIp you.

The first session of the counciI

ends with a good sign,
don't you think?

And one year from now
it'II be reconvened.

In a year's time onIy
He knows where I'II be.

But HoIiness,
where eIse but here with us?

I have Iaunched
the ship of the counciI.

Somebody eIse, dear Montini,

wiII probabIy have
to take it out to sea.

The counciI wiII need
your guidance, HoIy Father.

Everything can be
done in a month -

the funeraI of one Pope
and the coronation of another.

Sister...
That one.

I think that one
shouId go near the grotto.

The animaIs need to drink.

I thought it was
too crowded aIready.

BeIieve me -
I know about these things.

An unexpected visitor,
Your HoIiness.

HoIy Father.

Mr. Cousins, our speciaI agent.

I bring you warmest,

most heartfeIt greetings
from Secretary Kruschev.

That is indeed
a IoveIy Christmas present.

There is aIso a reaI
present for you.

Kruschev toId me he's decided
to free Monsignor SIipyj.

Kruschev toId me he's decided
to free Monsignor SIipyj.

When?

As soon as they find him.

As soon as
they find him?

It's been so Iong that
nobody seems to know

exactIy which camp he's in.

The decision to free him
has earned Kruschev

severaI enemies
in the Supreme Soviet,

which means it must not be
mentioned in the media.

I understand.

He asked me to find out
for him if Your HoIiness

is pIeased by his decision
to free the Monsignor.

Of course I'm pIeased.

I've been praying for this
to happen for four years.

I imagine.

I suspect Kruschev
wouId be happier

if you toId him face to face.

He wants you to know,
HoIy Father,

that he attended a seminary.

And if he had to he'd know
how to serve Mass, too.

No.

I think it's too soon
for us to meet personaIIy.

We might do more
damage than good.

There are two goId
medaIs of my pontificate.

One is for you.

The other you can give
to whomever you wish.

I'm sure you'II give
it to the right person.

WeII, since it's not possibIe
to meet with Kruschev,

wouId you give an audience
to someone who is reIated to him?

How many times has
the church made war

and caIIed it a just war?

But today...

Today with an atomic bomb...

we can canceI out
the worId in a moment.

How can we say today
that a war is a just war?

What sin have you
committed in this, HoIiness?

My sin is omission.

After the Cuba affair,
I was very happy

that the danger
couId be avoided.

But is that enough to caII
oneseIf a peacemaker

as Christ asks us to?

Your commitment to
worId peace is beyond aII doubt.

I think we ought
to do much more.

More than you've done?

I'm getting weak.

I want to dedicate
whatever time is Ieft

to the most important
thing in the worId to me.

Father Loris, the text.

An encycIicaI...
Pacem in Terris.

My Iast message, my wiII...

an invocation for peace.

Monsignor SIipyj, weIcome.

Thank you, your ExceIIency.

What a joy to be
here with you.

The HoIy Father is waiting.

When a smiIe rises out of tears,

the heavens open.

Read that.

Read what he intends to do now.

- Pacem in Terris.
- An encycIicaI on peace.

In a month the ItaIian eIections.

Have you any idea
what this couId signify?

A miIIion or so votes
handed to the communists.

We'II have to bury it,

with doubts, interactions, comments.

The Americans are against it too.

The onIy way to get it
sheIved is pIay for time.

As I suspected, there's cIear
evidence of a stenosis,

caused by the compression
of a neopIastic mass.

Meaning?

Cancer of the stomach.

InoperabIe.

How Iong do you think?

A matter of weeks.

Distinguish between
the error and the errant.

Not an easy concept
to convey in Russian.

A mistake is one thing.

The one who makes
the mistake is another.

That is the essentiaI
point of the encycIicaI.

I understand.

Forgive me, HoIy Father--

HoIy Father...

I'm sorry, but I've heard you
intend to grant an audience

to Kruschev's daughter
and son-in-Iaw.

You heard correctIy.

I had hoped you
wouId deny it.

During the audience
I wiII caII for greater respect

for human rights
in the Soviet Union.

These peopIe
asked to meet me.

What do you
want me to teII them -

that I don't want to?

In that case, they couId
meet the Secretary of State.

Ottaviani, I beIieve
in diaIogue, aIways...

even when I can impose
my wiII as Pope.

Mr. and Mrs. Adzhubei?

- Yes.
- PIease.

Mr. and Mrs. Adzhubei,
HoIy Father.

You are weIcome.

We are here to bring you
a personaI message

at the appreciation of
Party Secretary Kruschev

for your commitment
to worId peace.

Party Secretary Kruschev
has been considered

responsibIe for many reforms
in the communist worId,

whiIe you have the reputation
as being the reformer

of worId CathoIicism.

Maybe the time has come
to estabIish dipIomatic reIations

Maybe the time has come
to estabIish dipIomatic reIations

between the Vatican
and the Soviet Union.

You see, it takes time
for certain steps.

There are stiII many
things in Russia

that have to be cIarified.

The Lord, if He wiIIs it,
wiII show us the way.

I have something to give
your deIightfuI consorts.

It is the custom of the Popes
to give precious objects

to queens and non-CathoIic
Iadies of note -

rare stamps, vaIuabIe coins.

But I...wouId Iike to
give you a rosary,

even though I'm aware
you're not a beIiever.

It reminds me of my mother,
how she used to recite it

by the firepIace when I was a chiId,

before she prepared the dinner
for my famiIy of farm workers.

We are aIso
a famiIy of farm workers.

My father is a country man...
as you.

He aIso has the hard hands
of a worker - Iike yours.

Thank you.

Mrs. Adzhubei,
I know you have three chiIdren

and I aIso know their names,

but I wouId Iike
to have you say them

because there's a particuIar
tenderness in the way

a mother pronounces
the names of her chiIdren.

Nikita, AIexia and Ivanov.

Ivan, Madame, is John.

I am John.

It is aIso the name of
my father and grandfather.

When you return,
wiII you give

my warmest regards
to your chiIdren?

But pIease...
a speciaI greeting to Ivanov.

You'II see -
the others won't mind.

Thank you.

A bIow for Christian civiIization.

An audience with
Kruschev's daughter.

WeII?

He's staying in his room.
He doesn't feeI weII.

But he wiII see you,
if you wish.

Thank you.

HoIy Father...

HoIy Father!

Lie down.
What's wrong with you?

Gusso, give him his piIIs.

Oh, dear Lord.

Why do they print these Iies?

They want to prevent you
putting your name

to the encycIicaI
on peace, HoIy Father -

the Curia and America.

I asked L'Osservatore Romano...
to pubIish the entire meeting

with Kruschev's daughter
and her husband.

Was it printed?

Not even one Iine.

When I...

When I was a parish priest...

if a pope
asked for something...

What they don't know
is that I'II never stop asking.

Pain gone?

Guido!

Your HoIiness.

I want to give you a present.

Is there something you want?

What?

Is there anything
you'd Iike to have?

Ask me.

HoIy Father,
I don't want anything.

You've aIready done
so much for me.

I mean you gave me a job
and you Iet me Iive by your side.

I want to Ieave you something.

I know.

I'II give you a promotion,

which wiII be usefuI
Iater on in Iife.

No.

I'm stiII the Pope, you know.

The others do as I say.

AII I wish is that you
wiII aIways protect me...

me and my famiIy.

Whenever you need me.

A message has arrived
from President Kennedy

expressing his appreciation
of the encycIicaI on peace.

HoIy Father, the Americans
were not against it...

Or if they were
they changed their tune.

Father AngeIo...

You're bIocking
my view of the Crucifix.

Come cIoser.

I want to teII you something.

Life is a piIgrimage.

We're made of sky.

We're here for a IittIe...

then we're on our way again...

Do not fear...

Ever.

HoIy Father...

I'm here to perform the same duty

that you performed
for Monsignor Radini-Tedeschi.

The Lord is waiting.

Your hour has come.

He's caIIing you to His side.

Today you'II enter Paradise.

Just Iook at him...

Look at him - my secretary,
who seems so strong...

and is so sad that
he has to say

the most beautifuI thing
a priest ever heard.

Today...

Today I wiII go to heaven.

There are hundreds out there
again tonight praying for you.

They're praying for John,
their Pope...

the Pope of the PeopIe.

I was born a poor man.

Like you I wiII die a poor man.

That is why I emuIate you
and beIieve that I know peopIe.

And that means
I dedicate myseIf to them...

defend aII those
who turn to us,

aII those who seek our protection.

That is what we have
tried to do for 2,000 years

through the HoIy Scripture,
our ruIes -

even acting with severity
when it's necessary.

We two have often disagreed,

but we have aIways
sought to uphoId the church.

Our ideas have kept us apart...
but not our faith.

I must ask your forgiveness
for aII the suffering

I've infIicted on you,
for aII our misunderstandings.

I wouId Iike you to know,
HoIy Father,

that I have aIways seen
in your every word

and your every action
a great Iove of mankind.

You are a sign of God,

and my heart wiII now
and forever be cIose to yours.

His arms are open
to weIcome us aII.

May the Lord bIess you, my son.