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65-676: The Two Popes is a 2019 biographical drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten , adapted from McCarten's play The Pope which premiered at Royal & Derngate Theatre in 2019. Predominantly set in Vatican City in the aftermath of the Vatican leaks scandal , the film follows Pope Benedict XVI , played by Anthony Hopkins , as he attempts to convince Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio , played by Jonathan Pryce , to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to abdicate

130-592: A Fairytale (2006), and Howard Stern in Private Parts (1997). In 2018, the musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody , based on the life of Queen singer Freddie Mercury , became the highest-grossing biopic in history at the time. In 2023, it was surpassed by Oppenheimer , based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II. Sacrament of Penance The Sacrament of Penance (also commonly called

195-447: A homily, and prayers, followed by individual confession. In extenuating circumstances where general absolution is given, true repentance is still required and individual confession at some opportune time. Such circumstances include where large numbers are in danger of death, or are deprived of the sacrament by grave lack of priests, but not simply from the number of penitents at major feasts or pilgrimages. By official declaration, one day

260-581: A new theory of a treasury of merits which was first put forward around 1230. As a means of paying this penalty, the practice grew of granting indulgences for various good works, drawing on "the treasury of the Church's merits". These indulgences later began to be sold, leading to Martin Luther 's dramatic protest. In the mid-16th century the bishops at the Council of Trent retained the private approach to

325-642: A penance which the penitent accepts and then recites an act of contrition. The priest imparts absolution. Since the Council of Trent, the essential words of absolution have been: "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In the renewal of the sacrament the more ample form is: God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled

390-463: A pivotal moment in modern organized religion." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Although much of the content is based on historic events, including speeches and philosophical debates that were published, most other aspects were fictionalized: "What you always do is you speculate", McCarten said in an interview with TheWrap . "Hopefully that speculation

455-486: A public affair "since all sin is sin not only against God but against our neighbor, against the community." By the time of Cyprian of Carthage, confession itself was no longer public. Lifelong penance was required at times, but from the early fifth century for most serious sins, public penance came to be seen as a sign of repentance. At Maundy Thursday sinners were readmitted to the community along with catechumens . Confusion entered in from deathbed reconciliation with

520-825: A refugee camp in Rome, a full-size reproduction of the Sistine Chapel interior created at the Cinecittà studios in Rome, an area outside Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer palace), various locations in Rome as stand-ins for scenes at the Vatican, and poor areas of Buenos Aires . The St. Peter's Square plaza was recreated using computer-generated imagery . Some scenes were shot in Royal Palace of Caserta and in villa Farnese in Caprarola, near Rome. The poster image

585-582: A spiritual guide." This led to a private form of confession that bishops finally put a stop to by the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) that made confession to a priest obligatory within a year of the sinning, and has enshrined the practice of private confession ever since. In the 13th century the Dominican philosopher Thomas Aquinas tried to reunite the personal "matter" (contrition, confession, satisfaction) and ecclesial "form" (absolution). But

650-455: A treasury of merits in heaven to pay the debt of this punishment, and finally about indulgences to offset that debt. With the spread of scholastic philosophy, the question arose as to what caused the remission of sins. From the early 12th century Peter Abelard and Peter Lombard reflected the practice that contrition and confession (even to laymen or, in rare cases, a nun or beguine ) assured of God's forgiveness, but remorse for one's sins

715-497: Is a sufficiently "long time" to justify use of the Third Rite, a reconciliation service with absolution, but requiring individual confession after. The Catholic Church teaches that individual and integral confession and absolution (as opposed to collective absolution) is the only ordinary way in which a person conscious of mortal sins committed after baptism can be reconciled with God and the church. Although spiritual direction

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780-400: Is based in facts and the truth, and hopefully it's inspired", he added. In its coverage of the film, Time pointed out that the two popes' relationship has not been as smooth as in the fictionalized version. In April 2019, Pope Benedict released a 6,000-word letter blaming the clergy sex abuse scandal on factors including the "dangerously liberal theological ideas" within the Church. While

845-622: Is not necessarily connected with the sacrament, the sacrament of penance has throughout the centuries been one of its main settings, enabling the Christian to become sensitive to God's presence, deepen the personal relationship with Christ, and attend to the action of the Spirit in one's life. In the 20th century, during the Second Vatican Council, new approaches were taken in the presentation of this sacrament, taking into account

910-641: Is often a balance between similarity in looks and ability to portray the characteristics of the person. Anthony Hopkins felt that he should not have played Richard Nixon in Nixon because of a lack of resemblance between the two. The casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror was objected to because of the American Wayne being cast as the Mongol warlord. Egyptian critics criticized

975-414: Is the hunting lodge of villa Farnese. Much of the coverage of the film in the news media has centered on the reconstructed Sistine Chapel, built in a studio during an eight-week period. To create a realistic look for the artwork, the producers hired a company that produced a " stick-on tattoo " of the walls and ceiling. "The ink from the tattoo is absorbed into the plaster so [...] we got all the texture and

1040-597: The 2014 FIFA World Cup final between their national home teams, Germany and Argentina , together. On September 6, 2017, Netflix announced that it would produce the film, directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten . Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins would play Cardinal Bergoglio and Pope Benedict XVI , respectively. Filming was set to begin that November in Argentina. The film began production in Rome in April 2018. Filming locations included

1105-472: The Academy Awards , Golden Globes and British Academy Film Awards. In April 2005, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio , Archbishop of Buenos Aires , is called to the Vatican after the death of Pope John Paul II to elect a new pope. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , a prominent German prelate , is elected Pope Benedict XVI; Cardinal Bergoglio receives the second-highest vote count. Seven years later,

1170-1016: The Apostolic Penitentiary issued a note on clarifications regards the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the COVID-19 pandemic . In particular it was noted that where it is impossible for the faithful to receive sacramental absolution, forgiveness for sins (even grave ones) may be obtained by perfect contrition and the believer's firm intention to make a sacramental confession as soon as possible. Jus novum ( c.  1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c.  1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of

1235-594: The Argentine military dictatorship , and his failure to protect his friends and confront the junta may have damaged his reputation. Following the " Dirty War ", Bergoglio was removed as head of the Argentine Society of Jesus and exiled to serve as an ordinary parish priest to the poor for the next ten years. Over time, Father Jalics reconciled with Bergoglio, but Bergoglio regrets never reconciling with Father Yorio. Memories of his actions and inaction during

1300-537: The Catholic Church is embroiled in the Vatican leaks scandal , and Benedict's tenure has been tainted by public accusations regarding his role in the coverup. Bergoglio has submitted his resignation as archbishop, but the Vatican has not responded. As he prepares to go to Rome and personally deliver his resignation, he is summoned to the Vatican. Bergoglio and Benedict meet at the Palace of Castel Gandolfo ,

1365-529: The Franciscan Duns Scotus gave support to the prevalent opinion at the time that absolution was the only essential element of the sacrament, which readmitted the penitent to the Eucharist . In the 11th and 12th centuries a new, legalistic theory of penances had crept in, as satisfying the divine justice and paying the penalty for the "temporal punishment due to sin". This was followed by

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1430-473: The Hollywood studio era , and in particular, Darryl F. Zanuck . On the other hand, Bingham's 2010 study Whose Lives Are They Anyway? The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre shows how it perpetuates as a codified genre using many of the same tropes used in the studio era that has followed a similar trajectory as that shown by Rick Altman in his study, Film/Genre . Bingham also addresses the male biopic and

1495-458: The Room of Tears within the Sistine Chapel , where he confides his intention to resign the papacy. Shocked, Bergoglio objects and argues for church tradition and continuity. Benedict says his opinions regarding tradition are different now and believes change is essential. Benedict says Bergoglio could be his successor, but Bergoglio rejects the idea, citing the perception that he had collaborated with

1560-600: The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession ) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (known in Eastern Christianity as sacred mysteries ), in which the faithful are absolved from sins committed after baptism and reconciled with the Christian community. During reconciliation, mortal sins must be confessed and venial sins may be confessed for devotional reasons. According to

1625-497: The 7th century in the acts of the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône (644–655). Bishops gathered in that council were convinced that it was useful for the salvation of the faithful when the diocesan bishop prescribed penance to a sinner as many times as they would fall into sin (canon 8). Because of its isolation, the Celtic Church for centuries remained fixed with its forms of worship and penitential discipline which differed from

1690-451: The Catholic Church, except in danger of death. Especially in the West, the penitent may choose to confess in a specially constructed confessional . Since the Second Vatican Council, besides the previous practice of kneeling behind a screen, the option of sitting facing the priest has been added in most confessionals. For those who prefer anonymity, the provision of an opaque screen separating

1755-794: The Moon (1999), Downey as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992) and as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer (2023), Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004), Thompson and Hanks as P. L. Travers and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), and Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer (2023). Some biopics purposely stretch

1820-515: The Pope's summer residence. The two debate the roles of God and the Church. Benedict recounts what led him to the priesthood and talks about his interests. The two watch Benedict's favorite TV show, Inspector Rex , which further delays their discussion about Bergoglio's resignation. Bergoglio recounts his early life and path into the church. He ended his marital engagement and joined the Jesuits . He

1885-429: The Sacrament of Reconciliation and decreed that indulgences could not be sold. Some Protestant Reformers retained the sacrament as sign but shorn of Canonical accretions. However, for Catholics after Trent "the confession of mortal sins would be primarily regarded as a matter of divine law supported by the ecclesiastical law to confess these within a year after they had been committed". The problem that "has dominated

1950-613: The [wedding] feast." In the New Testament , Christians are admonished to "confess your sins to one another and pray for one another" at their gatherings, and to be forgiving people. In the Gospel of John , Jesus says to the Apostles , after being raised from the dead, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained". The early Church Fathers understood that

2015-521: The audio fades out. The audience sees but does not hear the rest of his confession. J. Peter Nixon, in the publication U.S. Catholic , decried "the film's implication that it was Benedict who allowed Father Marcial Maciel Degollado to remain leader of the Legionaries of Christ despite mounting evidence that he was a sexual predator. It was during the papacy of Pope John Paul II , however, that efforts to investigate Maciel were repeatedly frustrated. It

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2080-576: The bishop reconciled him with the community of the church. Canon 29 of the Council of Epaone (517) in Gaul says that from among penitents only apostates had to leave Sunday assembly together with catechumens before the Eucharistic part commenced. Other penitents were present until the end but were denied communion at the altar of the Lord. A new approach to the practice of penance first became evident in

2145-458: The casting of Louis Gossett Jr. , an African American actor, as Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in the 1983 TV miniseries Sadat . Also, some objected to the casting of Jennifer Lopez in Selena because she is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent while Selena was Mexican American . Because the figures portrayed are actual people, whose actions and characteristics are known to

2210-403: The church believes, God judges a person in the sense of bringing to light his or her sins, by granting the person the ability to confess his or her sins to the confessor, then grants the person repentance and, through the confessor, grants the person forgiveness. God's forgiveness restores the person to "the brightness of the white robe of baptism, a garment specifically required to participate in

2275-490: The church, which required no penance as a sign of repentance, and the ritual would begin to grow apart from the reality. Beginning in the 4th century, with the Roman Empire becoming Christian, bishops became judges, and sin was seen as breaking of the law rather than as fracturing one's relationship with God. A new, more legalistic understanding of penance emerged at episcopal courts, where it became payment to satisfy

2340-434: The demands of divine justice. According to Joseph Martos, this was facilitated by a misreading of John 20:23 and Matthew 18:18 by Augustine of Hippo and Pope Leo I , who thought it was the "disciple" and not God who did the forgiving, though only after true repentance. The acts of councils from the fourth to the sixth century show that no one who belonged to the order of penitents had access to Eucharistic communion until

2405-521: The detachment of Marcial Maciel from the position of privilege he enjoyed for so long. He finally did so in 2006, when, as Pope, he found the courage to remove Maciel from the priesthood and send him to Mexico to supposedly focus on a 'discreet life of penance and prayer'. If Maciel followed Benedict's spiritual marching orders, it certainly did not lead to atonement. He never admitted any wrongdoing, much less showed remorse. He died in 2008 without ever asking for forgiveness." Bishop Robert Barron criticized

2470-501: The dictatorship continually haunt him. Benedict comforts Bergoglio, reminding him that the freedom to choose to help is often stifled; he gives Bergoglio absolution . Then Benedict confesses he was aware of Father Marcial Maciel 's long-term sexual misconduct and regrets staying silent, implying that this is the reason why he wants to resign: Benedict no longer hears God's words and affirms his wish to abdicate. Bergoglio comforts Benedict and offers him absolution as well. The two emerge from

2535-555: The dogma and unchanging practice of the church, only those ordained as priests may grant absolution . The church teaches, based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son , that confession is not a tribunal or criminal court, where one is condemned by God like a criminal, but a "wedding banquet hall, where the community celebrates Easter, Christ's victory over sin and death, in the joyful experience of his forgiving mercy." In confession,

2600-466: The entire history of the sacrament of reconciliation   [...] is the determination of the roles of the subjective and personal factors and the objective and ecclesiastical factor in penance". From the mid-19th century, historical and biblical studies called to mind that repentance is required before God can forgive sins and the sinner can be readmitted to the Christian community through the sacrament. Sacramental theology had always taught that contrition

2665-484: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life Canon law requires confession along with purpose of amendment and absolution from the priest for all grave sins for reconciliation with God and with

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2730-399: The female biopic as distinct genres from each other, the former generally dealing with great accomplishments, the latter generally dealing with female victimization. Ellen Cheshire's Bio-Pics: a life in pictures (2014) examines UK/US films from the 1990s and 2000s. Each chapter reviews key films linked by profession and concludes with further viewing list. Christopher Robé has also written on

2795-620: The film for its characterization of Benedict in an article on the Word on Fire website titled "The One Pope". Biographical film Biopic scholars include George F. Custen of the College of Staten Island and Dennis P. Bingham of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis . Custen, in Bio/Pics: How Hollywood Constructed Public History (1992), regards the genre as having died with

2860-576: The film made $ 90,000 from 44 theaters. According to Variety , The Two Popes was "an unexpected hit" at its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, receiving praise for its humor and the two lead actors' performances. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 229 reviews, with an average of 7.3/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Led by outstanding performances from its well-matched leads, The Two Popes draws absorbing drama from

2925-463: The gender norms that underlie the biopic in his article, "Taking Hollywood Back" in the 2009 issue of Cinema Journal . Roger Ebert defended The Hurricane and distortions in biographical films in general, stating "those who seek the truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother. ... The Hurricane is not a documentary but a parable ." Casting can be controversial for biographical films. Casting

2990-653: The kneeler or sit in a chair (not shown), facing the priest. The current book on the Rite of Penance prescribes the following (42–47). The sign of the cross precedes a greeting of encouragement to trust in God. The priest may read a short passage from the Bible that proclaims God's mercy and calls to conversion. All mortal sins must be confessed, while confession of venial sins also is recommended but not required. The priest may emphasize repentance and offer counsel, and always proposes

3055-551: The letter did not criticize Francis' papacy, its content was described by The New York Times as "the most significant undercutting yet of the authority of Pope Francis". The Guardian also discussed a letter that Benedict had written, complimentary of Cardinal Joachim Meisner , who was an outspoken critic of Pope Francis, and added that a 2020 book partly authored by Benedict "was intervening to halt Pope Francis relaxing celibacy rules". In one scene, Pope Benedict confesses to Bergoglio (Francis) and mentions Marcial Maciel before

3120-634: The papacy . The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2019. It began a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 27, 2019, and in the United Kingdom on November 29, and started digital streaming on December 20, by Netflix . The performances of Pryce and Hopkins, as well as McCarten's screenplay, received high praise from critics, and all three received nominations for their work at

3185-404: The penitent "in peace". Before the absolution, the penitent makes an act of contrition, a prayer declaring sorrow for sin. While older forms might only mention sin as offence against God, newer forms mention harm done to one's neighbor. Since Vatican II reconciliation services have been encouraged, to emphasize the communal element in the sacrament. Such services include readings from scripture,

3250-463: The penitential books helped suppress homicide, personal violence, theft, and other offenses that damaged the community and made the offender a target for revenge." The practice of so-called tariff penance was brought to continental Europe from Ireland , Scotland and England by Hiberno-Scottish and Anglo-Saxon monks . The Celtic practice led to new theories about the nature of God's justice, about temporal punishment God imposes on sin, about

3315-497: The power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles and to their lawful successors, the bishops and priests , for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after baptism. In the middle of the 2nd century, the idea of one reconciliation/penance after baptism for the serious sins of apostasy , murder, and adultery is suggested in the book of visions, The Shepherd of Hermas . The episkopos (bishop)

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3380-517: The priest from the penitent is still required. The priest administering a sacrament, such as Reconciliation, must have permission from the local bishop, or from his religious superior. However in urgent need any ordained priest may grant absolution to a penitent. The current Rite of Penance was produced in 1973 with two options for reconciliation services, to restore the original meaning of sacraments as community signs. The 1983 Code of Canon Law brought some further changes. The penitent may kneel on

3445-819: The public (or at least historically documented), biopic roles are considered some of the most demanding of actors and actresses. Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway , Ben Kingsley , Johnny Depp , Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , Robert Downey Jr. , Brad Pitt , Emma Thompson , Tom Hanks , Eddie Redmayne , and Cillian Murphy all gained new-found respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics: Beatty and Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982), Depp as Ed Wood in Ed Wood (1994), Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on

3510-648: The rest of the Christian Church . It had no knowledge of the institution of a public penance in the community of the church which could not be repeated, and which involved canonical obligations . Celtic penitential practices consisted of confession, acceptance of satisfaction fixed by the priest, and finally reconciliation. They date back to 6th century. Penitential books native to the islands provided precisely determined penances for all offences, small and great (an approach reminiscent of early Celtic civil and criminal law). Walter J. Woods holds that "over time

3575-436: The room, surprising tourists. Benedict goes outside to greet the masses and take selfies with them. Bergoglio departs for Argentina. One year later, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his resignation to the world. Bergoglio is elected as his successor in the 2013 papal conclave and becomes Pope Francis; in his first Urbi et Orbi , he prays for Benedict, who watches the speech on television from Castel Gandolfo. The two popes watch

3640-677: The theatrical box office of its films, IndieWire estimated The Two Popes grossed around $ 32,000 from four theaters in its opening weekend (and a total $ 48,000 over its five-day Thanksgiving opening weekend). The site wrote that "the drama is starting more modestly than other recent Netflix titles. Attendance at the two high-end Landmark theaters in New York and Los Angeles has been modest. Neither small-scale auditorium sold out." The film then made an estimated $ 50,000 from 19 theaters in its second weekend, and $ 200,000 from 150 in its third. In its fourth week, upon being released digitally onto Netflix,

3705-474: The truth. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was based on game show host Chuck Barris ' widely debunked yet popular memoir of the same name, in which he claimed to be a CIA agent. Kafka incorporated both the life of author Franz Kafka and the surreal aspects of his fiction. The Errol Flynn film They Died with Their Boots On tells the story of Custer but is highly romanticized. The Oliver Stone film The Doors , mainly about Jim Morrison ,

3770-501: The vibrancy", said production designer Mark Tildesley. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2019. It also was screened at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9. Netflix gave the film a theatrical limited release in the United States beginning November 27, 2019, and in the United Kingdom beginning November 29, 2019. It then started streaming it on its service on December 20, 2019. Although Netflix does not publicly disclose

3835-440: The world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the priest invites the penitent to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good", to which the penitent responds, "His mercy endures forever" (Psalms 136:1). The priest dismisses

3900-436: Was Benedict who ultimately removed him." However, publications including National Catholic Reporter and Slate Magazine have disagreed, with Slate writing: "For years, Joseph Ratzinger also refused to act against Maciel. As the prefect responsible for enforcing church doctrine, he chose to handle the church's sexual abuse through secrecy rather than transparency. For almost a quarter-century, Ratzinger failed to push for

3965-1103: Was highly praised for the similarities between Jim Morrison and actor Val Kilmer , look-wise and singing-wise, but fans and band members did not like the way Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison, and a few of the scenes were even completely made up. In rare cases, sometimes called auto biopics , the subject of the film plays themself. Examples include Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Muhammad Ali in The Greatest (1977), Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back (1955), Patty Duke in Call Me Anna (1990), Bob Mathias in The Bob Mathias Story (1954), Arlo Guthrie in Alice's Restaurant (1969), Fantasia in Life Is Not

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4030-505: Was met by Father Franz Jalics and Father Orlando Yorio, who become his spiritual friends. Benedict rejects Bergoglio's resignation, saying the world would perceive it as a vote of no confidence in his leadership and weaken the Catholic Church. Benedict and Bergoglio put aside their differences and chat informally, gradually warming to each other. The next day, the two go to the Vatican by helicopter. Benedict continues to avoid discussing Bergoglio's resignation. Benedict meets with Bergoglio in

4095-560: Was necessary for a valid confession. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) decree in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy that the "rite and formulas for the sacrament of penance are to be revised so that they more clearly express both the nature and effect of the sacrament." In a post-conciliar document, The Constitution on Penance , Pope Paul VI emphasized "the intimate relationship between external act and internal conversion, prayer, and works of charity." On March 20, 2020,

4160-414: Was necessary. Absolution referred only to the punishment due to sin. But at this time Hugh of St. Victor taught on the basis of the "power of the keys" (John 20:23 and Matthew 18:18) that absolution applied not to the punishment but to the sins, and this hastened the end to lay confession. From "as early as the third century devout Christians were sometimes encouraged to reveal the condition of their soul to

4225-488: Was the main liturgical leader in a local community. He declared that God had forgiven the sins when it was clear that there was repentance, evidenced by the performance of some penance, and the penitent was readmitted to the community. The need to confess to a priest is traced to Basil the Great . It was seen that God granted forgiveness through the priest. Before the fourth century confession and penitential discipline were

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