‘The New Pope’ Episode 4: A Fragile John Paull III grapples with politics, conscience, and desire in the Vatican

The Vatican has finally found its new Pope in John Paul III (John Malkovich). The fiercely loyal followers’ prayers from the St Peters Square have been fruitful as God has sent their way a man whose principles and values are pivotal for the progression of the church and mankind. 

Members of the clergy are delighted to have John Paul III as the head of the intuition, which was until now struggling to find a righteous Pope. At the beginning of episode 4, the holy father is seen explaining to his brother cardinals the true meaning of love, which according to him is “an infinite matter” and one should be allowed to pick any flower they want. 

While his liberal views on homosexuality are exhilarating, the thought of God forgiving pedophiles for their “illness” seems rather absurd. Nevertheless, the new pope doesn’t hold fast on challenging the traditions and practices of the church as established by his disruptive predecessor Pius XIII. 

The conspiracies and deceptions come into full swing in the Catholic Church, as Voiello tries to leverage money for the nuns’ rights. However, the sisters refuse the money and demand respect in terms of socio-economic recognition for the duties they perform. The church sees itself entangled in a new issue, as sexism within the institution begins to surface. 

While the holy father is unthreatened by Pius XIII’s return, the latter’s followers continue to pray for the young pope’s recovery in red hoodies, unaware of the new Bishop’s admiration for his predecessor. 

John Paul III takes it upon himself to please the public, hence asks Sofia to arrange for meetings which have been due since he stepped in as the new pope. With this, the holy father’s naivety is seen slowly leaning towards the politics of the church, which is driven by more than one’s selfish motives. The church is faced with yet another challenge as the Ministry of Economy eyes the taxpayers' money the institution runs on. 

The latest episode of ‘The New Pope’ meets its redefining moment when the holy father finds himself fantasizing a vivacious Sofia while playing the confessor for one of the Cardinals. Also, it ends with a cliffhanger by showing Pius XIII's neck hanging loose on a ventilator as the graph representing his heartbeat comes to a standstill.

‘The New Pope’ airs Mondays on HBO.