ALBAWABA - The rise of the first American pope draws eerie parallels to a bold, fictional HBO series.
The most popular fictional work about Vatican intrigue after Pope Francis was elected in 2013 was "The Godfather Part III." The abrupt (some say mysterious) death of newly elected Pope John Paul I in 1978 and the Banco Ambrosiano crisis in the early 1980s served as inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's crime saga's last film.
Holy Father Francis' appointment as head of the Catholic Church was not suspect, but the funny-hatted men can hold this sacred office for decades (Pope John Paul II was in this position for 27 years). Therefore, it's entertaining to get involved in dark papal intrigue during a fresh election.
But over the past 12 years, Holy Father fiction has increased for whatever reason. Later in 2025, when Pope Francis became ill, there was also a resurgence of interest in Edward Berger's highly regarded cinematic version of Robert Harris' book "Conclave." A sizable portion of the populace, including non-Catholics, suddenly grasped the process of choosing a new pope. Social media users are well aware that the election has led to an almost constant barrage of "Conclave" references in recent months. Since Pope Francis' death on April 21, these memes have only increased threefold.
People from all over the world gathered in front of their viewing gadgets today to watch the Sistine Chapel chimney as white smoke streamed forth, anticipating the name of his newfound holiness. Pope Leo XIV, also known as Robert Francis Prevost, who is 69 years old, was the big winner from Chicago. Yes, we have a (likely) Cubs fan leading the Vatican for the first time in the Catholic Church's history.
The novelty of an American pope is sweeping the nation, but we don't yet know what Pope Leo XIV thinks. We do know that he expressed indignation over the 2020 murder of George Floyd and chastised U.S. Vice President JD Vance for his disrespectful visit to the Vatican last month.
At last, we received one! It's fascinating to note that nine years ago, the concept of an American pope was deemed sufficiently outrageous to be the premise for an HBO series starring Jude Law. How does our reality compare to this fiction?
Holy Father Leo XIV, hopefully, is not at all like Pope Pius XIII from Paolo Sorrentino's "The Young Pope." Pius (also known as Lenny Belardo from New York City) is played by Law as a power-hungry pope who doesn't think the general public is qualified to see His Holiness.
HBO
In order to protect him from his Vatican rivals, he takes over the political affairs of the Vatican and installs Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), the nun who reared him after his "hippie" parents abandoned him when he was eleven years old. In the end, he gains enough influence to influence the choice of Italy's prime minister. At the end of season 1, he is about to become a one-man worldwide force when a crazy narrative twist casts doubt on everything.
The premise of Season 2, "The New Pope," is even more audacious. I won't give anything away, but you should be aware that Law's outstanding acting and Sorrentino's shamelessly soap opera storytelling gained praise for both seasons.
Therefore, "The Godfather Part III" (which Coppola recut in 2020 as the better "The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone") is no longer the exclusive source of papal anxiety. Holy Father Lenny has come to demonstrate how a brazen New Yorker would influence the Vatican. Don't bother, my man. This is where he's popping!
