everything cardinal lawrence does in conclave is iconic. he’s so good at his job that he’s the pope’s chosen bureaucrat and he hates it. the homily that isn’t a campaign speech. the cunty intelligence briefings in hallways. he’s dean of the college of cardinals and he hates all but like. two of them. “but it did happen”. the intense mental breakdown sobbing in the pope’s room only to be back to investigating two minutes later. the photocopier. he wants to quit and doesn’t want to be pope but he would be pope john. voting for himself and then the explosion occurs and the roof nearly collapses on him. his immediate and irrevocable affection for cardinal benitez and that fucking smile when benitez accepts his position.


















