Conclave characters

Appears from the start

The Dean of the College of Cardinals, responsible for organizing and presiding over the election after the pope's sudden death. Troubled by doubts about his vocation and burdened by administrative duty, he tries to keep the conclave lawful while private allegations against leading candidates emerge.

Appears from the start

The late pope, whose death creates the vacancy. Reform-minded and sometimes secretive, he had strained relations with several senior cardinals. Decisions he made shortly before dying continue to shape both the candidates and Lomeli's investigation.

First appears in chapter 3

An Italian cardinal and intellectual identified with the Church's liberal wing. A friend of Lomeli's and an early favorite, he hopes to prevent the traditionalists from reversing the late pope's reforms, though he has little taste for the compromises of campaigning.

First appears in chapter 3

A Canadian cardinal who managed important Vatican affairs under the late pope. Polished, energetic, and effective at gathering support, he emerges as a leading compromise candidate while denying that the pope had dismissed him from office before his death.

First appears in chapter 3

A Nigerian cardinal whose personal authority and conservative views attract a large bloc of votes. He appears capable of becoming the first African pope in many centuries, but an unexpected connection from his earlier ministry threatens his candidacy.

First appears in chapter 3

The outspoken leader of the Church's traditionalist faction. He opposes the late pope's reforms and favors a return to older doctrine and worship. His disciplined supporters make him a serious contender and a threat to Bellini's allies.

First appears in chapter 4

A Filipino cleric serving in Baghdad whom the late pope secretly created a cardinal. He arrives immediately before the conclave with documents establishing his eligibility. Quiet and experienced in places marked by violence, he is initially unknown to nearly all the electors.

First appears in chapter 5

The senior nun responsible for the sisters who house and serve the cardinals during the conclave. Observant and direct, she insists that information involving members of her community not be ignored merely because women are excluded from the election itself.

First appears in chapter 12

A Nigerian nun unexpectedly transferred to Rome shortly before the conclave. Her distress and her past connection with Cardinal Adeyemi create a scandal that alters the voting.

First appears in chapter 8

A close attendant of the late pope who tells Lomeli that the pontiff had accused Tremblay of serious misconduct and removed him from his posts. His account starts Lomeli's inquiry into what happened during the pope's final days.