“The Two Popes’', the film that about Benedict XVI and Pope Francis: where to watch it
What is the “The Two Popes” about and how is the relationship between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in real life?
The Two Popes is a 2019 biographical drama film that centers around Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), the soon-to-be-elected Pope Francis, and the aging Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins). Inspired by true events, the film is predominantly set in the Vatican City in the aftermath of the Vatican leaks scandal, bringing the two popes’ ideological and temperamental differences, as well as the religious debates that flow between them, driving the movie’s action as the leaders quarrel over the future of 21st-century organized religion.
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The Two Popes ends on a light note, with Francis and Benedict XVI watching the World Cup as they eat pizza, with conversations about the pleasures of watching the sport brought into the light.
While the end seems smooth between the two popes, the real-life relationship between them hasn’t exactly been the same. In 2019, Benedict XVI released a 6,000-word letter on the clergy sex abuse scandal. He blamed the crisis on liberal theological ideas within the church and a sexually permissive culture in western countries.
On February 8, 2022, the Vatican released a letter by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI where he asks forgiveness for his failings in regard to the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.
Where to watch “The Two Popes” film?
The Two Popes is available to watch on Netflix.