TORONTO, Canada—Thank God for Ralph Fiennes, whose charismatic gravity is the bulwark against Conclave’s escalating absurdity. As the man tasked with overseeing the selection of a new pope, Fiennes is a marvel of sobriety and meticulousness, his humble stature and by-the-books demeanor a sign of not simply his piousness but his unassuming attention to detail.
Confessing that he’s “fussy,” Fiennes’ man of the cloth is a uniquely understated center of attention, and considering...