Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Cardinal Lomeli experiences a profound crisis of faith while simultaneously managing the conclave. Have you ever had to fulfill professional responsibilities while grappling with personal doubt? How did this experience shape your understanding of Lomeli’s character?

2. In his impromptu sermon, Lomeli argues that doubt is necessary for faith and essential to the papacy. How does doubt function in your own belief systems, whether religious, philosophical, or political?

3. The novel explores various manifestations of ambition through several plotlines, including Tremblay’s ruthless pursuit of power, Tedesco’s ideological certainty, and Bellini’s reluctant leadership. Which character’s approach to ambition and leadership resonates with or challenges your own experiences?

4. Lomeli must decide whether to break tradition by entering the sealed papal apartment to uncover the truth. When have you faced a choice between following established rules and pursuing what you believed was right? What guided your decision?

5. The cardinals take an oath before each ballot, swearing to vote according to their conscience rather than personal interest. Have you been in situations where you had to publicly commit to putting aside self-interest for a greater good? How challenging was it to honor that commitment?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel portrays the Catholic Church at a crossroads between traditionalism and progressivism. How do similar tensions between preserving tradition and embracing change manifest in other religious institutions or traditional organizations in contemporary society?

2. Harris published Conclave in 2016, three years after Pope Francis was elected following Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented resignation. How might real-world papal transitions have influenced the novel’s fictional politics and themes?

3. The novel’s surprise ending challenges conventional notions about who can lead the Church. In what ways does this revelation comment on wider societal discussions about identity, representation, and leadership in major institutions?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Throughout the novel, Harris uses the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, particularly Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment,” as symbols and to help establish the setting. How do these artistic references enhance the narrative and reflect the moral dilemmas facing the characters?

2. The tension inherent in the theme of Human Ambition and Divine Providence drives much of the novel’s conflict. How does Harris balance these seemingly contradictory forces, and what does the conclusion suggest about their relationship?

3. The novel is structured around a series of ballot events among the sequestered conclave. How does this structure build tension, and how does each ballot event reveal something new about the characters or plot?

4. Harris uses limited third-person perspective, following only Lomeli’s viewpoint throughout the novel. How did this narrative choice affect your understanding of the other candidates and the events that unfold?

5. Lomeli’s character arc centers on overcoming insecurity and finding renewed purpose. How does his development parallel or contrast with the loss of faith in the Church that the late pope in the novel reportedly experienced?

6. The sealed papal apartment functions as both a symbol and a plot device. What does Lomeli’s decision to break the seal represent about his character development and the novel’s themes?