Nine months after he's elected, Lenny (Jude Law) has to cope with financial difficulties caused by the decline in donations, revenues from taxes and tourists' influx. Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando) warns the pope about future need to sacrifice artistic patrimonies to survive. However, Lenny doesn't consider this to be a serious problem, as he continues choosing unpopular policy directions.
Dussolier (Scott Shepherd) accepts his new position as Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy. He visits Honduras, a place where he served before he moved to Rome, to say goodbye to the locals he knew. Later in Rome, he has a tough conversation with Lenny, expressing doubts about strict policy toward prospective priests. Although the pope values their friendship, he isn't going to tolerate any kind of misconduct, including disobedience to his requests. Dussolier seeks Sister Mary's (Diane Keaton) compassion, where she admits she was an orphan too, a fact Lenny doesn't know.
As nine months have passed, prayers weren't useless for Esther (Ludivine Sagnier) who's in labor. When Lenny visits her in the hospital, he gets a chance to hold the baby, recalling his own parents. Lenny is so into his memories, that he inadvertently throws the baby out of his hands, when Valente (Ignazio Oliva) tries to talk to him. His reaction is even entertaining, as the viewers barely see Lenny in such a nervous and vulnerable condition.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister is waiting for the pope in the Vatican, sceptical about the buzz around Lenny's personality. Although he's warned to be careful in communication with the pope, he doesn't take the premonitions seriously. Well, he'd better think twice, as Lenny gets straight to an unpleasant point, criticizing Prime Minister's inability to hold adequate policy within the country. But there's no need to worry, as Lenny has a to-do list ready for the Prime Minister, which includes banning common-law and gay marriages, financial benefits to the Holy See and prohibition of abortion with no exceptions, to mention a few. The conversation goes negative when they both start exchanging witty remarks on each other's legacies. Lenny has the last word, saying he "would be happy to help God eradicate that 41 percent" of people who vote for the Prime Minister. "And if you don't stop to play the idiot, I'm gonna be forced to prove you that God does exist," he tells the Prime Minister, inviting him to respond on his demands.
Although impressed by the pope's bold manners, the Prime Minister takes a risk to analyze Lenny's papacy, churning out reasons not to support the Vatican on the government level. He explains that he's intended to free Italy from the Church's traditional vetoes in order to modernize the country. "To cut a long story short, Holy father, thanks to you, I can start a revolution," he says, expecting the pope to give up. However, Lenny comes up with a terrific story of how he can prevent all Italian Catholics from voting on the elections, which is actually makes sense. And the pope is not afraid of criticism from masses, as God won't be able to share his condemnations in social networks. Fair enough. It seems like the Prime Minister will have to strongly consider the pope's to-do list.
The audience sees Lenny in rage as he faces priests protesting. The pope promises he won't mind waging a war against them if necessary. While Lenny is determined to throw his anger on anyone who is at odds with his policy, Voiello has an anxious visitor who wants to find the truth about Tonino Pettola's (Franco Pinelli) disappearance. The viewers know that the pope's activities can be put under scrutiny while the investigation proceeds.
"The Young Pope" airs on HBO, Sundays and Mondays at 9 p.m.
Reach Staff Reporter Mariia Kovaleva here.
Annenberg Media