Godless (2024) Movie Script
1
Ma'am?
- Is it my mother?
- Yes, ma'am.
Put her through.
The doctor said there's
nothing to do but wait.
- I'll be fine.
I know.
Mami.
I know!
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
No, I'm sorry. That's
not going to work.
The governor has a 4:00 p.m.
meeting with the Black Caucus
and then we're scheduled
to tape for a talk show.
Governor's reading mean tweets.
No, tweets.
Hold on. I'll ask.
Um, how do we look at 6:30?
Who is it?
- Seven.
- How is 7:00 p.m.? Okay.
Yes, I understand.
I'll tell her verbatim.
Uh-huh, okay.
6:30.
- Okay, where were we?
- Oh, we're up 18 points.
Adelson is trying to jump
on the gay marriage legislation
- saying he supported it from
inception. - My inception.
And now with the abortion bill
moving through the Senate,
he's trying to gain
some momentum as speaker.
Can he catch me?
He has some time
before the primary,
but yesterday was
a good day for us.
Uh-huh. Can he catch me?
Not unless there's
a catastrophe.
When would the bill
land on my desk?
If it gets out of the senate
before the break,
- October, November.
- So theoretically,
it could pass
before the election.
Maybe.
Oh, I had an idea.
How about you preside
over the first gay
marriage in the state?
It's been 24 hours
since you signed the bill.
They already have
10,000 applications.
We could hold a lottery.
And the winner would
have you preside.
- A celebrity couple.
- Ooh.
Someone that you'd call
a friend so it doesn't seem
- like they're paying for it.
- Don't worry.
I'll find you some gay friends.
- I have gay friends.
- Who?
- You.
- Besides me.
- Well, that was interesting.
- What is?
Carl Reyes is seeking
the Republican nomination.
- How do you know?
- They just offered me a job.
- Take it. - Could Reyes split
the Latino vote?
- Reyes is a nobody. - Yeah, but
how many votes could he pull?
Reyes is a nobody.
He'll run strong
on Long Island and upstate,
so without knowing more
about him, 20 points?
And he has some
money behind him.
- How much money?
- Who's behind him?
I don't know and I don't know.
- Well, find out for
me. - Done.
Oh, and then take the job?
Governor?
Father Jamie Allante is here
from Bishop Roland's office.
Who's Bishop Roland?
- I know who he is. -
Does he have an appointment?
- No.
- Is the bishop here?
Only Father Jamie.
Um, thank you, Mia.
Can you give us a minute?
- You know that drives me crazy.
- What?
When she speaks
to you in Spanish.
You don't like it
when people speak Spanish?
Yeah. She does it so that I
don't know what she's saying.
- So learn Spanish. I did.
- Oh, yeah? What did she say?
- That you're an asshole.
- Okay, it's a habit.
- I have known her forever. -
Whatever. Who is Bishop Roland?
He's the
bishop of my diocese.
He wrote me a letter when I was
pushing the gay marriage bill.
- Saying? - Saying that hell is
a reality and I'm free to choose
it.
- Ouch.
- Yeah.
And that it's his responsibility
to make sure I'm not
going down the wrong path.
That even though
I'm a politician,
- I can't divorce my faith.
- Why didn't you tell me?
Well, it's not really
something I wanted to publicize.
- So why is a priest here?
- Well, I signed the bill.
He's probably here to tell me
not to receive communion.
Yeah. I'm
gonna get rid of him.
No, it's okay. I expected this.
Just send him in.
Mia, send in Father Jamie.
Por favor.
- Excuse me.
- Father Jamie,
this is Nico Pappas,
my chief of staff.
Jessica Sahn, public
relations director.
- How may I help you?
- Um, Bishop Roland
asked me to deliver this
to you personally.
Is it an invitation?
I'm sorry, Father,
I don't speak Latin.
- Excuse me. The Timesis
on two.
Excuse me.
- Bishop Roland.
- Bishop Roland, here.
Bishop Roland.
The fact remains
that you cannot,
as a sincere Catholic,
support practices
that the Church has deemed
subversive to its teachings.
And those practices would be?
In general terms, uh,
gay marriage, abortion, heresy.
But do you have
the authority to excommunicate?
Are you asking me
if the Holy See has given me
the express authority
to excommunicate Governor Porra?
I'm asking if you
have the authority to
excommunicate anyone.
When Governor Porra first
supported the same-sex marriage
bill,
I sent her a personal letter
letting her know
that she was acting contrary
to the Church's teachings,
and as a Catholic,
she was moving into
treacherous waters, so to speak.
- When
she signed that bill into law,
she chose not to
heed my warnings.
I imposed a canonical penalty,
which I have every right to do.
Is the
Vatican on board with this?
Like I said, I
have the authority
to excommunicate the governor.
That doesn't answer my question.
Bishop Roland. Bishop Roland.
Bishop Roland.
When Governor Porra signed the
marriage equality legislation
into effect,
she ceased living as
a Catholic, period.
Now she's committed
to this late-term abortion bill
- moving through the Senate.
- Bishop Roland...
Ladies and gentlemen,
I, I need to cut this short.
I apologize.
Father Jamie.
Cardinal Russo.
Yes, six o'clock is fine.
- This is a shit show. We need
to make a statement. - We need
to strike back.
- How the hell do we strike back
against the Church? - I'll think
of something.
- What about the Vatican?
- I already reached out.
- What did they say?
- They weren't in.
Fucking hysterical, Jess.
What about
Cardinal Russo?
He deflected to the bishop.
Who is the Catholic liaison
- to our office?
- The newest-appointed bishop.
- Who is that?
- Bishop Roland.
Jesus Christ.
- I wanna know everything there
is about this bishop. - I'm on
it already.
- First Adelson is up six
points. - Shit.
- Reyes has called a
press conference. - Shit.
- Shit!
- So has Adelson.
Governor.
What?
- I will call him back.
- And...
What?
Just... she can hold.
I want someone from the Church
to turn this around.
How many Catholics
are there in the state?
Over five million, at least.
And the primary's ten days away.
You can discount 70% of the
Catholics voting in that,
anyway.
Let's just get through
the primary and then regroup.
I've set up meetings with the
laborers' unions, the teachers
and the PBA.
We need a strong push, and now.
Set up a press conference
for tomorrow morning.
Hola, mami.
His Eminence is here. Early.
Your Eminence.
Bishop Roland.
Can I offer you anything?
Jamie, did you offer
the Cardinal tea? Coffee?
Just some privacy.
Your Eminence.
Reggie. Reggie.
What have you done?
What I had to.
You should have asked me.
- And what would you have said?
- To wait.
Wait until what?
She's president?
- We had a plan.
- This is the plan.
The plan was to make sure we had
a candidate who would be on
board.
We have that.
- With no loose ends?
- I met with him myself.
The funds to make
this a reality?
It's taken care of.
Finally, the support of Rome?
Ah. Reggie.
I don't need the
support of Rome.
Oh, Reggie, come on!
Please.
Thank you.
I sent her the letter
requesting she change her ways.
- I know. - When she first
proposed the gay marriage bill.
- I remember.
- I was very discreet.
I told her the risk
she was taking.
- What did she do?
- She signed the bill.
That's right. And so now,
I sent another letter.
And you had to CCThe Times?
Seventy million Catholics.
If she becomes the president,
this is who they will look to.
They'll look to Rome.
Now they will.
I gave you this position
and there was pushback.
- I know.
- Your time in Vietnam.
- Chris...
- You've been here ten months.
I need this?
If this goes south
and they strip you
of your title, what then?
- If that must be.
- Damn it, Reggie!
- We had a plan.
- This is the plan.
This is not the plan!
I gave you this picture.
The Prince of Peace.
I bought it in a flea market.
Sarasota, Florida.
I remember. You'd just
been appointed bishop.
An Italian from New York City.
And you had just
started at St. Peter's.
That church had bad plumbing,
but the town had great conch
fritters.
That is not a good combination.
No, it's not.
I did hate to leave though.
Well, Lord takes you
where the Lord takes you.
You took me north.
And now look at you,
front page of The
New York Times.
This is gonna fall
on me, Reggie.
Good morning.
Thank you all for coming today.
In my 25 years of
public service,
I never thought that
I would be addressing you
from this podium
about matters of my faith.
First and foremost,
I want to say
that I consider
myself a Catholic.
I was baptized, I went
to St. Mary's High School,
I was married at our Lady of
Mount Carmel Church in Brooklyn
and I attend mass every Sunday.
Well, almost every Sunday.
I believe in the Holy Trinity,
the forgiveness of sins
and the Holy Father in Rome.
But I also believe that
love is not limited
to just a man and a woman.
When I proposed the marriage
equality legislation last year,
I did so with the belief that
it was the right thing to do.
Everyone, regardless of
whether you are gay or straight,
has the right to marry.
I did this with a
clear conscience
and I did this with the belief
that it is my duty
as your governor
to represent this state
to the best of my ability,
so help me God.
Now you are all aware
of the unprecedented letter
I received from Bishop
Reginald Roland.
In it, he has informed me
that based upon my actions
as your governor,
specifically lobbying for
and ultimately signing
the marriage
equality legislation,
that I have been excommunicated
under Canon 1371,
that states that
Bishop Roland may apply
a just penalty upon someone
who "obstinately rejects
an authoritative
teaching of the Church."
I have been in contact
with the Vatican,
Cardinal Christopher
Russo's office
and the Vicar General
here in New York
as to whether I have
indeed been excommunicated
as Bishop Roland
has unilaterally decreed.
As far as I am concerned,
one man without the support
of the Roman Catholic Church
cannot excommunicate me.
Now as you know, a
bill which expands
a woman's right to choose
has been introduced
to our legislature.
As I believe my oath dictates,
if it is the will of the people,
I will sign that bill into law.
This I also do with
a clear conscience.
I say to you all that I still
consider myself a Catholic
and I will see you
at mass on Sunday. Thank you.
Heretic!
Heretic! Do not call
yourself a Christian.
You do not serve our Lord
by your own greed.
The false prophet.
"And a wolf shall come before us
preaching perverse words
- "and she will lead the true
faithful unto worship." - All
right, all right.
- Come on. Come on. - Get,
get your hands off of me.
Bishop Roland has
issued his decree!
This is America!
This is America!
- Get your hands...
- What a fiasco.
We need to make a statement.
I don't think we should say
anything at all.
I'm getting on the phone
with the Vatican in an hour.
Every newspaper
has picked this up.
We concluded the synod, and they
wanna know if the Pope is behind
us.
I can't tell them
we're doing nothing.
I think, Your Eminence,
that is exactly
what we tell them.
We say we'll
investigate the matter,
see where the dust settles,
and then we'll go from there.
But if we take a stance
admonishing the bishop's
position,
we risk alienating
the Catholics,
not just in the US, but abroad.
- And if we support it? - Then
there will be a call for the
Church
to excommunicate all politicians
who have ever
supported abortion,
gay rights or, or assisted
suicide and the list goes on.
- Which is what we want.
- Which is what you want.
- Excuse me?
- If I remember correctly,
we were supposed to get on board
with this fellow Reyes,
give him some money and chip
away at the governor's base.
- Slowly, surely.
- No, no, no.
You wanted to move
slowly and surely.
- Notwe. I want a change.
- This is not change, Reggie.
Change happens by degrees.
There are different
ways to go about it.
- This is not change.
- Then what is it?
This is a nuclear bomb.
You know you never had
the stomach for this, Jack.
The stomach for what?
- To do what's needed! God...
God... - Hey Reggie!
We're in this together.
Don't forget that.
I know.
So don't beat up Jack
when you jumped the gun.
I apologize.
Jack, I apologize.
We're already dealing
with a crisis of faith
from the abuse scandals,
so this is not coming
at a good time.
Ramming this down
the throats of the faithful
especially since Rome
has not yet made a stance on it.
- The synod has. - The synod
made a recommendation.
There's a difference.
But our bishop has.
But the bishop is not Rome.
But the bishop
is representative of the Church,
under you, of course.
And to the Catholics
in the United States,
Bishop Roland and the Vatican
are not mutually exclusive.
- If the synod has concluded...
- Can I say something?
No!
All right.
I have an idea.
What do you
have to say, Roland?
I say the die is cast.
Please, Your Eminence,
we need to see where this goes.
If the governor
loses the primary,
every Catholic politician
in the United States
will think twice before
proposing, voting,
signing into law any bill
that supports her views.
Even if she squeaks by,
the damage will be done.
Look, I was never
in favor of excommunication.
I think that Bishop Roland
should have advised her
simply not to take communion.
Thank you.
It would've sent a message
and it would follow suit
with what all the other bishops
have done in the past.
- Thanks, Jack.
- Let me finish.
It was a drastic step.
And maybe you're right.
Maybe what this country needs
is a big kick in the ass.
The bishop is right.
If this goes the way we hope,
it could be a big game changer.
But we have to address
what's in front of us.
To address it now
would be a mistake.
You're sure?
What other choice do we have?
I think that choice
has been taken away
from us already.
By whom?
The governor herself.
This is Father Elias.
In the first reading,
the Lord speaks of the role
of a prophet as a watchman.
As the name suggests,
a watchman is a lookout,
someone who warns us
of impending danger
so that we may take
the appropriate action.
I think we're all watchmen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The
Times article should drop today.
Also, um, I've arranged
for a piece to be done
about states that allow
late-term abortion.
Women who have to travel when
their home state outlaws them.
- What's the angle?
- Cost.
If you're poor, you're screwed.
You have to cover
doctors, travel, hotel.
- What about insurance?
- Depends on the state.
- Focus on the ones that don't.
- I already did.
I also made sure that each woman
I interviewed was Catholic
and had complications that would
endanger her life or the
child's.
Beautiful. You see,
this is why I love you.
Oh, if only you could.
Governor?
Governor?
S?
Hola?
- Eh?
- No.
Chairman Bill
Styles is here.
Please send him
into the conference room.
Governor?
- Yeah?
- Bill Styles is here.
Okay.
Chairman.
- Angela. Ah.
- Hi.
You know everyone.
- Nico.
- Chairman.
So.
I saw you had a
little excitement
- at the press conference?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- I'm a little shook up.
- Who was he?
- Some loon.
We think he was
a plant by Reyes.
- They lock him up? -
They held him for 24 hours.
- What? - He never threatened
me. He just called me heretic
and told me to burn in hell.
The DA said they'd be lucky
- to get disorderly conduct.
- Maybe harassment.
- Did he have a weapon?
- He had rosary beads.
I consider that a weapon.
So, how's Brooklyn?
Good. I saw your
mother the other day.
- Where?
- Leaving church.
Oh, she was praying for my soul.
Undoubtedly.
You know, they egged her stoop.
- Well, that's terrible.
- Yeah.
I had to put a detail on her
around the clock.
This is getting out of control.
- I just saw Chief Guadino.
- What's he say?
That he met with Carl Reyes.
Why is he meeting
with Carl Reyes?
They're having second
thoughts on you.
What?
The PBA is
the biggest endorsement I have.
- They can't pull it. - They're
not pulling anything yet.
- You just said...
- What they said
is they're having
second thoughts.
What I'm saying is I need you
to clean this shit up.
90% of that union is Catholic.
They won't get behind
you if you're out
in left field fighting
the Catholic Church.
I'm not fighting
the Catholic Church.
Oh, no? Well, let's look at it
from their point of view.
You've been excommunicated
for allowing
the gays to marry.
Correct?
- Correct?
- Correct.
Now you commit to
this abortion bill
and not just abortion,
but late-term abortion?
- So? - So late-term abortion is
more prevalent
in what strain of
the population?
- Minorities.
- Minorities!
And how's the police
department's relationship
with minorities these days?
Now tack on a Latina governor
who promotes killing minorities
before they're even born?
- You see what I'm saying? - All
due respect, I think that's a
stretch.
Well, not to Guadino. And as we
all know, perception is reality
and that's his perception,
which makes it our reality.
You tell Guadino
that I will fuck him
six ways to Sunday
in the next labor agreement.
Governor, let's, uh,
just take it easy, okay?
Uh, uh, nobody is losing
anything right now.
Chief Guadino is gonna
come to his senses
once he realizes
that even without the PBA,
we still have the teachers,
and we're gonna pull this out.
The fact of the matter
is the Catholic base
is not as prevalent
as it once was,
and the police cannot afford
to not have a friend
in the governor's office.
I would agree. But
this is different.
How?
Because Bishop Roland
has every priest
on every pulpit denouncing you.
Not just gay marriage
and abortion, but you.
Heresy has a face,
and it's Governor Angela Porra
on her knees denied
the sacrament.
- Reyes is making up posters for
Christ's sake. - This is a
nightmare.
Does the Church understand
that the governor didn't
legalize abortion?
She's just signing a law
that was already on the books.
- Doesn't matter.
- It should.
It doesn't.
What exactly do you think
this is all about, anyway?
An attack on your
"right to choose"?
The sanctity of Roe v. Wade?
Without stating
the obvious, yes.
Wrong. We are just a litmus test
for the Catholic Church
to see if their base
will vote. That's it.
They know if we
lose this election
that any blue state
on the fence can flip.
And if that happens,
then all bets are off.
The Church will have every
Catholic politician shitting in
their pants.
Then you can worry
about your right to choose.
But today, our only focus
is how to win. Okay?
All right, now what
do we know about this bishop?
Jess.
Um,
so originally from Florida,
played football for a
year at Florida State.
- Football?
- Football.
- Okay.
- 1970, joined the army.
Was sent to Vietnam.
Did he enlist or was he drafted?
Uh, I don't have
his official record,
but I'm not sure of
the significance.
The significance is
did he wanna go fight
or did they have to go
get him to go fight?
It tells us about the man
we're dealing with.
Did you enlist?
I'm sorry, what?
Did you enlist?
- Marines. - How does
that not surprise me?
Jess, please just continue.
Returned in 1972, and then,
kind of fell off the map.
Um, ultimately got
his college degree
and entered the seminary.
Ordained into the
priesthood in 1977.
Received his first
pastoral assignment
at St. Peter's near Edgewater,
and then worked directly
for the Diocese of Orlando.
Transferred to New York
about three years ago.
Settled in Brooklyn, appointed
last year as the bishop of that
diocese.
- How can we get to him? -
That's what we're trying to
figure out.
- Family?
- One sister.
- Have you reached out to her?
- No.
- Why not?
- Because she's dead.
- Right, what about Cardinal
Russo? - Roland is his protg.
They met when Russo
was the bishop of Orlando.
When he was elected Cardinal, he
brought Roland up here with him.
Oh.
Appointed. You're not elected
Cardinal. You're appointed.
Sorry. Either way,
they go back 40 years.
Okay, so call him.
- You don't think we have?
- What did he say?
- He's looking into it.
- Oh, what a prince.
Our guess is he's, uh,
waiting for the primary,
- seeing if we survive.
- We can't just survive.
Well, what would you
have me do, Bill?
I am in crisis mode here.
It's not your ass on the line.
Hey, a president from New York
helps everyone.
We both have a lot
to lose in this election.
- Yeah, especially you. - Yeah,
you're goddamn right. Me!
I backed you when you were a law
grad running for city council,
- then made you head of the taxi
commission. - Chairman.
Borough president, AG, governor.
I am fully aware of
my political history
and everybody
who got me here, big and small.
And if I am not mistaken,
you have been paid back
in spades, okay?
So don't give me any shit
when you're the insurance broker
for half the bids in the city.
Listen, Angela, I have a meeting
with both the state
and national chairman.
How you handle this
fiasco will dictate
- where we all are in four
years. -
How do your numbers
look in the city?
It's early, but, uh,
we've taken a hit.
We'll pull it out
in the primary.
And nationally?
- We're still waiting.
- I'm suffering.
But we're
on the cover of People.
TMZ, Twitter, our
website's blowing up.
- The college kids have really taken this on.
- - Oh, joy.
Chairman, my generation doesn't
wanna be dictated to, especially
by the Church.
Sweetheart, your generation
lives at home.
- Yeah, but we can still pull a
lever. - Jess.
I need you to look at
the big picture here.
Unless you win this election
by double digits,
you will not get the nod
to run for president.
What do you want me to do?
- Well, you went to Catholic
school? - Yeah?
- It's called contrition. -
That's not an option.
- Why do you keep speaking?
- I agree with Jess.
- I think we need to go on the
offensive. -
- Now we're taking orders from the intern?
- - Okay, Bill,
first of all, she's
not an intern.
Second of all, I give her
as much credence as I give you.
- Let me tell you something...
- No, let me tell you something.
I got here because
of two things:
my guts and my balls.
And both are telling me
we go on the offensive.
Oh, well, you tell your
guts and your balls
that my polls say
that they're wrong.
That the polls say that instead
of the Catholic faithful
focusing on cleaning
up their own house,
they're focusing on you
and they're gaining momentum.
And I bet they're just waiting
for you to call them out.
And when they don't back down,
what are you gonna do then?
- Divorce your faith?
- No.
- No.
- Make a deal?
This isn't some political hack
that'll owe you one
down the road, you know.
This is the Roman
Catholic Church,
and you've pissed them off.
They can outspend
you and outlast you.
They've been around
for 2000 years
and they'll be
around for 2000 more.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you think it's a coincidence
that Carl Reyes, a Latino,
has entered the race?
Or that he's a devout Catholic?
Please, do yourself a favor.
Ask for forgiveness,
receive holy communion,
and do not sign
that abortion bill
if it ever crosses your desk.
Mm.
The Times
article just hit.
What does it say?
That you would make
a great president.
Your Eminence.
Jack.
Reggie.
What's the camera for?
I'm being interviewed
during the primary.
The feed will be national.
It's really nothing.
Can I get you a drink?
Not today, Reggie.
I see.
Please, sit.
- The primary.
- Yes.
- What do you think? - My sense
from the parishioners is they're
committed.
I have a meeting with the
bishops of the New York
province.
Several of the New York senators
are wavering on the abortion,
but I'd like to get
them locked down.
I think denying them communion
is not out of order.
That's not going to happen.
It's a thought.
This hasn't gone as planned.
Of course it has.
The abortion bill is stalled.
Now we just need
Porra to collapse.
This has not gone as planned.
Says who?
Our polls.
- Oh. - Governor Porra is going
to win the primary.
- Maybe. - Maybe? There's been a
backlash.
- Against her.
- Against us.
Do you know how much money we've
raised since the
excommunication?
There's been a slight bump.
A bump?
The diocese has doubled.
Last year's ask, doubled.
There have been a few
of our wealthier parishioners.
I don't care who it's from.
All I know is that the
base is behind this
and the fringes are
falling into line.
The faithful have something
they can get behind.
They need something they
can get behind, to unify us.
The word from Rome
is that this has created
more harm than good.
There's been
a negative reaction
toward what you've done,
not just here, but
across the country.
Your polls are wrong.
You'll see.
This needs to play out.
Besides if I lift
the excommunication now,
it may just push that
bill over the edge.
It doesn't have the votes.
Are you willing to
take that chance?
It's been decided.
I'm sorry.
"Dear Governor Porra,
any excommunication
that is imposed
by a bishopferendae sententiae
has the desired effect
to force one to see
the error of their ways
and ultimately come
back to the Church.
I imposed your excommunication
because I felt it was
in the best interest
of your spiritual well-being.
That you repent and reconsider
your support in matters
in direct contrast
to the teachings of the Church.
I believe that in
your circumstances
this has been accomplished.
The issue of your faith
should now be an internal matter
between you and your confessor.
I hereby remove
the excommunication penalty
imposed upon you by my authority
as bishop of your diocese.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Reginald Roland,
"Bishop Diocese of Brooklyn."
- That's very eloquent. Did you
write that, Jack? - Reggie.
- No, I'm not signing my name to
this. - Reggie.
We'll see what happens tonight.
We spoke about this.
And we, we agreed.
We wait until after the primary.
Jack, you were there.
I go on air in an hour.
If I bow down now,
how will it look?
To whom, Reggie?
How would it look to whom?
Why are you digging
your heels in on this?
- You've made your point.
- My point is that the Church
needs to draw a
line in the sand.
A line that not
only the faithful,
the committed can adhere to,
but one that these
cafeteria Catholics,
like Angela Porra can
adhere to as well.
The three of us, we would talk
about how we were gonna
make change on a global scale,
if that was even possible.
You remember, Jack?
I remember.
I also remember.
We had a plan.
A plan to get the
support of Rome.
Support we didn't get.
This is change.
The world is watching us.
Regardless of what
happens tonight,
you're going to
sign this letter.
And if I don't?
Then he will.
And now we turn to New York.
In one of the most
hotly-contested primaries,
incumbent Governor Angela Porra
has come under extreme fire
from the Catholic voting base
due to her excommunication
at the hands of Bishop
Reginald Roland,
bishop of the
Diocese of Brooklyn.
Once
carrying a double-digit lead
- against Senator Bruce
Adelson... - Boo!
Speaker of the Senate,
we saw that margin close
by a mere two points. So,
it's more than surprising
that Governor Porra
has such a commanding lead
as the numbers come in.
This is
staggering. Our numbers show
that she's carrying
a 30-point lead.
Her strategy has helped her
immensely. Going on the
offensive?
- Told you. - The ad
with Catholic politicians
voicing their support
for her was masterful.
Ooh, all her.
- Well done.
- You're welcome.
- That's called retaliation.
- It's not a retaliation.
- It's an uprising.
- It's not an uprising.
Well, what would you call it?
- A primary.
- A primary.
We need to build
on this momentum.
Governor.
Senator Adelson.
Hello, Senator.
Thank you, Bruce.
It was hard-fought.
Well, take a few days
and we will get back to work.
I know it's shy a few votes.
I'll do what I can.
That sounds fine.
Thank you for calling.
- How was that?
- He hates me.
Yeah, but he needs your help.
Yeah, he wants me
to stump for votes
to pass the abortion bill.
You want me to set
up some meetings?
Mm-mm. Let him
get his own votes.
You're not going soft on this?
I've got three networks
that will give us a special.
First thing tomorrow,
I'll lock it down.
First thing tomorrow, set up
a meeting with Bishop Roland.
Ooh.
Wow. This is bigger
than the governor's mansion.
Please, don't be an asshole.
I'll try.
- Does the bishop live here alone?
- - Not always.
- I mean,
visiting clergy and special
guests are welcome.
And we have over 50 rooms,
so we can always accommodate.
And there's a dining hall,
um, several chapels,
even a crypt.
It's like a retreat
in some ways.
Oh, it's beautiful.
Well, you are always
welcome, Governor.
You too, Mr. Pappas.
- I'm Jewish.
- So was Christ.
Mm. Look what happened
to him.
Apologies, Father.
Please, okay, come this way.
Governor, I have to apologize,
but I'm a bit taken aback.
I was under the impression
that this was to be
a private meeting.
Well, I thought it was best
if Nico were here
to help us work through this.
Confession is not
a public forum.
Bishop, I'm not
here for confession.
I'm here to see
if we can work through this.
Work through what?
This... misunderstanding?
Governor, the Church
doesn't make deals.
Our doctrines are
not la carte.
We don't have the
ability to choose
what we will abide
by and what we won't.
You either subscribe
to the Church's teachings
I'm fully aware
that the Roman Catholic Church
is not in the business
of making exceptions.
So then, what do you propose?
Well, first, if it's okay,
I would like to understand why.
Canon law states...
No, uh, sorry, not the Canon law
for which you base
the excommunication,
but why I was singled out.
Other Catholic politicians
have been challenged
for taking stances
that are in direct contradiction
to the Church's teachings,
even presidential hopefuls.
But Governor Porra
is the first in recent memory
to be excommunicated.
So again, why?
I take it you've spoken
with the cardinal.
- Yes.
- What did he say?
He said that he was confident
that we could work this out,
uh, but that you are
the shepherd of your flock
and I reside in your diocese,
so ultimately the
decision is up to you.
So then the why is irrelevant.
- Is that a fact?
- It is a fact.
You, Governor, are Catholic,
and you have an
obligation to your faith.
I will not legislate my beliefs
upon another who does not share
those same beliefs.
- You know, I've heard
that before. - From whom?
Pontius Pilate.
I'm sorry, are you
comparing me to Pontius Pilate?
The fact is, Governor,
that if you refuse
to legislate your
beliefs on another,
you would not
have pushed Bruce Adelson
into sponsoring the gay marriage
bill in the first place.
Gay marriage is here.
There's nothing that I or anyone
can do to change that.
I just got out in front of it
before someone else did.
Legislation needs to be passed
to address the changing times.
Even if you don't agree with it,
you have to realize the need.
I don't see the need.
Well I, as your governor, do.
Human law cannot,
in each and every instance,
mirror divine law.
It's a hopeless expectation.
Just ask your other friend.
Who is that?
Thomas Aquinas.
What about this abortion bill?
Is there a need?
I did not push that bill.
No, but you will sign it
if it crosses your desk.
Is that what this is about?
This is about how God's laws
should be your
motivation, not votes.
Please, don't presume
to tell me what my
motivations are.
I do what I do
because my conscience
tells me to
and my constituents tell me to.
And I can guarantee
you one thing.
I will not be dictated to by you
or Cardinal Russo or Rome.
Well, that's a moot
point now, isn't it?
Nico, will you give me a moment
with the bishop, please?
Bishop.
Nico.
Will you call my mother? She's
called twice since we've been
here.
Of course.
My mother is quite anxious
to hear about our meeting.
Sorry.
- Is that her now?
- Mm-hmm, apologies.
Please take the call.
Thank you. One moment.
Okay, adis.
Apologies.
Family is important.
Family can be a pain
in the you know what.
So what's
your favorite?
Uh, my favorite?
You said she was cooking
your favorite dinner.
You speak Spanish.
Any other languages
I should be aware of?
Italian.
Oh.
And, of course, I speak Latin.
Oh, well, you got me on Latin.
Well, that's what priests speak
when we don't want anyone
knowing what we're talking
about.
That's funny.
Oh, well, to answer
your question,
it's rice and beans.
Hmm.
- Rice and beans.
- Mm-hmm.
I, um
I noticed that you have The
Prince of Peace on your wall.
- You know of it. - Yeah, I went
to an all-girls Catholic school
and sister Catherine Immaculate
had one hanging on the wall
outside of her office.
I remember 'cause
I would stare at it
while I was waiting
for her to administer
some form of punishment.
Do you know the story behind it?
I asked her why
Jesus would knock,
why he wouldn't just walk in.
He was... Jesus
Christ after all.
And she said it was
because the United Nations
didn't allow prayers
in the building.
Jesus couldn't force them to.
He could only
let them know he was there.
I see it differently.
I believe it shows
that Christ has an interest
in the affairs of all nations
and he's telling them
that they have to
follow his teachings
if there is to be peace.
Do you think excommunicating me
would bring peace?
I'm hoping it
stops the bleeding.
I won the primary.
I know.
I'll win the election.
I have the votes.
You have the Jewish vote.
And you also have Carl Reyes.
Carl Reyes served
one term in Senate.
He's nobody.
No name recognition, nothing.
Carl Reyes is
a devout Catholic and a Latino.
He'll split your vote
and take the Catholics with him.
I also hear he has money.
What do you want?
Confess your sins.
Repent and come
back to the Church.
I didn't come here
for forgiveness.
Hey, boss.
- Governor?
- Huh?
We're almost ready. We'll do
a brief meet and greet outside,
bring everybody back
in, sign the bill.
You okay?
Yeah.
How many are out there?
Mm, 10,000.
I shipped in extra
cops for crowd control.
You ordered riot gear?
Just a precaution.
What's that in your hand?
A letter from my mother
begging me not to sign the law.
Why?
I mean, I can guess why.
What does she say?
She said that it's
a sin against God
and that she didn't
raise me to be this way.
- What way?
- Impio.
Means "wicked," "godless."
- That I'm damned.
- Please.
Think the bishop is behind this?
She's still a parishioner
in his diocese.
This has nothing to do
with him. This is about me.
We start in 30 minutes.
Press are already here.
Senator Adelson's on his way up.
You're not thinking
of, uh, delaying this?
We're up 35 points.
Shut up, Jess.
Stall him?
What's the matter?
You know how I got around
the same-sex marriage bill?
As a Catholic, I mean.
As a Catholic, you are
taught to love one another,
to be tolerant, right?
Do for others.
But in my mind, I'm like,
"Look, you wanna love someone,
who am I to tell you that
you can't be together, right?
You're not hurting anyone."
I mean, it might not
be natural, but...
It's natural to me.
That's not what I mean.
Nico, you know that.
The point is, I can wrap my head
around the same-sex
marriage bill
because I can rationalize it.
That's why I can give Roland
the big fuck you.
But this... is different.
How is this different?
- How is this different?
- Because I can't defend it.
I don't need you to defend it.
I don't need you
to believe in it.
I just need you to sign it.
- Well, it's not that simple.
- It is that simple.
I wanna show you something.
These are the pictures
that they stuff
into my hate mail.
- These should have been vetted.
- Yeah, well, apparently they
weren't vetted
- on my mother's stoop.
- Jesus Christ.
- Or my kids' locker.
- I will get this resolved.
Don't bother. I took care of it.
The point is that I
have a real problem
signing this bill.
We don't have that luxury.
The bill is passed.
It's sitting on your desk.
You're committed to it.
I'll delay.
And do what? Pin
it on your mommy?
Fuck you.
You're the one
out front on this,
and I built a
platform around it.
The first governor to sign
marriage equality into law,
and now late-term abortion.
We need to show
that you're progressive.
We need to show
that you have the ability
to go against the establishment.
And, and we need both
those things if you're to get
- the presidential nomination.
- I know.
And now you have both those.
So what's the problem?
This never should have passed.
It didn't have the votes.
Not until you were
excommunicated.
Look at what we've
had to overcome.
Carl Reyes is history.
It's because Carl Reyes
has a penchant for
22-year-old interns.
I'm glad we leaked that.
It's all come together for us.
The tide has changed.
You are on the verge of history.
I want a delay.
How long a delay?
In ten days,
it becomes law unless you veto.
Oh, that is such
a fucking cop out.
- Nico.
- Nico what?
You don't wanna sign
it? Don't sign it.
I'll let everyone know
that you had a change of heart,
that you realize it's a sin
and that everything you've said
for the past four years
is bullshit.
Just understand,
if you don't sign this
bill into law, it's over.
I'm not even talking
about the riots outside.
- I mean your career, gone.
- Yeah, well, maybe I'm worried
- about something more than my
career. - Oh, don't be so
dramatic.
If you can't sign this bill,
what are you gonna do when it's
time
to send in the troops?
That's a sin.
Or push the button.
My point is, if you
can't sign this bill
based on what Roland believes...
What the Church believes.
What the Church believes,
then you are no different
than any extremist
who's willing to strap
a bomb to his chest
because their Holy Book says so.
They're ready for you.
Nico.
What if it's what I believe?
Listen, you're not their pope,
you're not their savior.
You're their governor,
and this is what they want.
Governor, may I
tell you something?
Why not?
Everybody else is.
- Today isn't about your faith.
- Oh, no?
- No. - I don't think you know
what you're talking about.
And I think you're wrong.
Today isn't about faith,
but about free will.
Catholics, they go hand in hand.
Not your free will,
but mine.
What you're doing today
is giving me the right
to make one of the most
difficult decisions
I may ever have to make.
And if you're willing
to defend that right,
even though you may be
personally against it
that's what makes you
not only a great governor,
but a great human being.
And for that, I just
wanna thank you.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Wheels up in 20 minutes.
- Okay.
At 11:05, you have
one video conference
with the Secretary
of Transportation
on gas emissions
and proposal S213.
Mm. Bump that.
Do you want me
to swap in your biographer?
No.
Wheels down at 11:35,
exit AF1, 11:53.
- Press?
- Open press.
There will be three greeters
at the base of the stairs,
Senator Gaines,
Mayor Elise Tandor of Orlando
and Councilman Yosef Shaw
of District Three.
Proceed to rope line
of military family and friends,
ten minutes right to left,
then directly to the limo
where you will have further
briefing in the car.
And then once we reach
the convention center,
then we'll be going over
directly to holding.
We're adding a stop.
Your visitor is here.
- Bishop.
- Madam President.
I'm no longer your bishop.
Yes, sorry. But you
are still a bishop.
Just a title. I'm only a servant
in the eyes of God.
We both are.
Either way, it's
good to see you.
You, too. Although under cover
of darkness.
Well, that's for
security purposes.
I understand.
May we talk?
Of course.
Thank you, Jamie.
Jamie, come here.
Father Jamie Allante,
this is our president,
Angela Porra.
- We've met.
- Oh, that's right. Forgive me.
This time under
better circumstances.
- I hope so.
- Me too.
It's a pleasure
to see you again.
Jamie's
become a fine priest,
and a good friend.
He cares for you.
He was offered his own parish,
but he elected
to come down here with me.
Loyalty.
You began here.
I was born in a small
town up the road.
This parish was my
first assignment.
It's beautiful.
I'm told that people come from
all over the country to hear you
speak.
Gathered quite a following.
I saw the tents as we came in.
I hope I have something to say.
And there was some land
cleared down the road?
- You saw that?
- Well, I'm told.
Oh, yeah, one of our
parishioners donated the land.
We're gonna build a new parish
and an outreach center for
teens.
A new parish?
- New parish.
- And an outreach center.
Heroin has made a comeback.
Yeah, I know. It's terrible.
Terrible.
I'm sorry, but
what is that smell?
Bad plumbing.
You don't mind?
They say a shepherd
should smell like his sheep.
I think the shepherd
needs a plumber.
You don't mind me
coming here to talk to you?
Why should I mind?
It's not every day the president
comes to Edgewater.
I hope you didn't come
down here just for me.
Are you not important enough
to fly down for?
Not anymore.
- That's not true.
- Sure it is.
Just ask the Pope.
Well, I came down here
to ask you for your help.
Why? The Church seems
to have welcomed you back.
Have they?
I hear my replacement
gives you communion
every Sunday.
Yes, when I'm in New York.
The new bishop is very kind.
So I take it you've
confessed your sins?
The new bishop is very kind.
I guess he is.
Cardinal Russo retired.
Yes.
And you've come
home to Edgewater.
See there? Everybody's happy.
I was thinking
about the last
time that we spoke,
when you said that you wanted
to stop the bleeding.
I remember.
Well what if I offered you
a way to stop the bleeding?
I want to form a
religious coalition
made up of all faiths.
I would try to
find some funding.
The board would be charged
with bridging the gap
between religion and politics.
See what values we share,
where they're lacking.
Let's look at the
underlying laws
and see what those laws
could be, what they should be.
And I would like you to be the
board's representation to the
Vatican.
How is the president
gonna explain
why she placed the man
who excommunicated her,
was subsequently disgraced
and is now a parish priest,
under such a powerful
and influential board?
Because I'm...
Magnanimous?
Well, I wouldn't
say magnanimous.
That word has an air
of condescension to it. Um
I just think you could
do a lot of good.
I do good here.
So I smell.
Sorry.
That was a cheap shot.
I just... I really think
you could do a lot of good
on the national stage.
I'd love to give you
that opportunity.
I appreciate it.
I need to think about it.
That sounds fair.
I've been following
your presidency.
- How am I doing?
- You've had some challenges.
That's the job.
I think you're a
little heavy handed
with the trade restrictions.
- Maybe.
- And if we're being honest,
I think that's a reflection
of your foreign
policy in general.
We have problems at home.
I think we need
to get our people
back to work here.
You've increased
spending on education,
- which is a good thing.
- Thank you.
Although at the
expense of welfare.
That's kind of the point.
Mm.
I'm a lot better than
who the Republicans are pushing.
- He's a little tough to
swallow. - Yeah.
- Have you met him?
- I have.
Well, he seems to be a lot
more in line with your feelings.
- My feelings?
- Your point of view.
I think he understands
that the country's divided
and, rightly or wrongly,
religion is a factor.
That's what I'm afraid of.
- Either way, it's coming.
- What is?
A reckoning.
I did what I thought was right.
I never said you didn't.
Wait until you have
to make a decision
that affects a life
or a million lives,
and then we'll see
how quick you are to judge.
- I'm not judging you.
- Then what are you doing?
I'm trying to understand.
Please, don't take
this the wrong way,
but understanding is
not your strong suit.
I'm working on it.
Forgive me, I didn't mean
to jump down your throat.
Can we start over?
Okay.
How's your family?
Good.
Good. My oldest, Tomas, is 17
and he's starting college.
- Where?
- Yale.
He must be very bright.
Not terribly.
And my youngest,
Elena, mi cielito,
she is starting high school.
High school. It's a big change.
Indeed.
It doesn't help that
she's beautiful.
Like her mother.
Flatterer.
She's starting to date?
Oh, there are boys
sniffing around,
but being guarded by
the Secret Service
can be a great deterrent.
- Perks of the job.
- Indeed. Yes, sir.
And, uh, how have they, uh,
adjusted to your presidency?
They had a taste of public life
when I was governor,
but now they're much more aware.
I must say, it is not healthy
to hear your name slandered.
Kids are resilient.
They, uh, understand a lot more
than we give him credit for.
It's true. But it doesn't
make it any easier.
The press can be cruel.
And your husband, how is he?
He's good. He's fine.
He's happy to be in the shadow.
We worked in a bodega together
when we were kids,
and he was always
quiet like a mouse.
- I did most of the talking.
- You don't say?
I used to tell him
about my grandiose plans
to be on the city council.
I think you overshot.
You know that we
bought the building
that the bodega was in?
Has some apartments on top.
It was sort of a memento
to remind ourselves
where we came from.
If we had kids, we
could tell them,
"Look, this is the
hole that your parents
dug themselves out of.
Appreciate what you have."
Where was it located?
Williamsburg.
I wanted to move
my mother in there.
Yes, I wanted to say,
I read that she had passed.
- I'm sorry.
- Thank you.
I was traveling when
I received word.
So sudden.
I sent, uh, condolences
to the diocese.
She was a wonderful woman.
You'll be happy to know
that she never forgave me
for signing that bill into law.
Which one?
She said I needed
to make amends.
You know, she came to see me.
No, when?
Uh, after.
After my excommunication?
- She felt guilty.
- She felt guilty?
My mother felt guilty after you
excommunicated her daughter?
Always the martyr.
You know, she wore black
to my inauguration.
Which one?
She worried for you.
All mothers worry
for their daughters.
But all daughters
don't have the power
to make such change.
But change should not
only be for the few.
Seventy million
Catholics are not a few.
Neither are five million Jews
or ten million Muslims
or 100 million women
for that matter.
But you're not a Jew, Angela,
a Muslim, or an atheist.
You're a Catholic.
Baptized and confirmed.
No matter how you slice it,
you have an obligation
to your faith.
'Cause you may be a president,
but in the end,
you're just one woman.
You will be judged.
You sound just
like her.
She was a smart woman.
I miss her.
I miss talking to her.
You can always talk to me.
It would be good
to have someone to talk to,
someone who's not
gonna "yes" me to death.
Well, I'd be happy
not to yes you to death.
Clearly.
So we can do this
every once in a while?
I'd like that.
Just you and I, no, no press.
Whatever you want.
Good. Because with
our history...
Our history's history.
Well, yeah, it's
not that simple.
I begin my run
for reelection in six months,
and there are some states
that will be important to me.
And after I became president
and you, um... left Brooklyn
the controversy surrounding
my excommunication
has not gone away.
In fact, it's kicked up some.
And not by the Church, mind you.
It's this subsection
that's hanging their hat on it,
my excommunication.
We call them
Roland's Crusaders.
- Sounds like a rock band.
- No.
Well, a rock band I can handle,
celebrities I can handle.
But your support in
the state of Florida
would not be a bad thing.
- I see.
- But I don't want you to think
I came down here for that
because I didn't.
I just need to be smart.
And if we go public
with our friendship
too far ahead of the election,
it could hurt me in states
where I have a plurality.
That makes sense.
But I would still like
to be able to call upon you?
- And you can.
- To talk?
Just to talk.
Good. Good.
How are you adjusting here?
Is there anything that I can do?
Get a new pick for
the Supreme Court.
Within reason.
Well, the town
has issued us some violations
when the parishioners
set up the tents.
They say we need a permit.
I can do that. What else?
When the time is right,
you can come to mass.
- Will you fix the plumbing?
- Probably not.
It's a date.
- Good.
- Good.
I love the silence of a church.
Me too.
I wanna say, at the
risk of being forward
how sorry I was to hear
about the loss of your baby.
Thank you.
Your mother said
there were complications.
That was not for publication.
I've told no one.
No, I mean
she knew that was
not for publication.
Angela, we talked once a month.
We were friends.
She told me in confidence
and that's what it
is, in confidence.
What else did she say?
She told me how happy she was
that you were pregnant
and that there
were complications.
And, uh...
A few days before you
issued the press release,
she told me that
you lost the baby.
Were those her exact words?
I don't understand.
Were her exact words
that I "lost the baby"?
She said that you were working
too hard, that, uh, there were
complications
and you... suffered
a miscarriage.
It had nothing to do with work.
They said it had to do with age.
Originally, when they
did the ultrasound,
they picked up something
in the kidneys.
- Yours?
- No, the baby's.
And the brain.
It had gaps, I guess?
I thought I would wait and
hopefully that it would develop.
Even if it had disabilities,
it could live a life.
I could give it a life.
It?
Him.
I will pray.
I did pray.
I did pray.
Every day I prayed.
And they told us
he was never gonna get better.
My boy was never
gonna get better.
And I waited as long as I could.
- Angela. - The doctors told us
to expect the worst.
Maybe take steps.
And that's when I realized.
God has cursed me.
Please don't believe that.
I remember
that day in my office
signing the bill,
- and I struggled.
- I know you did.
But I thought, "It isn't me.
This is, this is someone else.
And if this is what they want,
I will give it to them."
I have... read all the research,
I've seen the graphs,
the pie charts.
I've read it all.
I thought I understood
the reasons.
But despite all of that,
despite the politics,
despite my mother, despite
what I thought I believed,
what it came down
to was it wasn't me.
It wasn't
my own.
Until it was.
How am I supposed to bring
a child into this world
whose only purpose
is to breathe through a tube,
to eat through a tube
that I could never kiss or hold
and I would just watch him
waste away to nothing?
I couldn't. I couldn't
bear that pain.
- Let me help you.
- You cannot.
Why not?
Because I don't want
your forgiveness.
What else can I give you?
Your understanding?
Do you know I played football
for Florida State?
- I'm sorry?
- Football.
I was good. I was
on scholarship.
Yeah, I think I did know that.
Anyway, I was a defensive back.
I, uh, started, which was
no small feat for a freshman.
I could read an
offense like a book.
I hit like a truck.
Now this was 1970,
and there was a war going on.
Most of my classmates
were protesting,
going on marches,
burning the flag.
But as students,
we were deferred from the draft,
so what did I care?
I was the big man on campus,
I got my beer for free,
I was dating this cute little
Creole gal from Louisiana.
Her name was Dapheen Gaffney.
She was beautiful.
I had the world at my feet,
so, of course, I flunked out.
And then I got drafted.
My parents were mortified.
I was terrified.
Dapheen said that
she would write.
I shipped out for
Vietnam in early '71.
They say it's beautiful now.
Anyway, uh, within
my first few weeks
we suffered casualties.
No one spoke their language.
To us, everybody looked
pretty much the same,
so it was easy to get ambushed.
Just... never knew
where it was coming from.
The villages that we swept
were forced to harbor
Viet Cong soldiers
or stash their weapons.
If the villagers refused,
they were killed.
If we found them out...
Well...
One day, we came
upon this, uh... farmer.
He was tending his livestock.
His entire life, he
probably wouldn't travel
more than a few miles
from where he was born.
I'm sure his father
was a farmer,
his father's father,
right on down the line.
Just as I passed,
I heard this snap on my right.
Out of the jungle, I saw
something running right at us,
me and that
poor, ignorant, peasant farmer.
I raised my rifle.
That poor child never
knew what hit him.
And you know what I did?
I left his father
wailing on the road.
That kind of regret
it leaves you empty.
I needed something to fill
that hole inside of me
and I didn't find it in a
letter from Dapheen Gaffney.
For a while, I found
it in a needle.
After I got out of that haze,
I realized I needed
to believe in something
bigger than myself
if I was gonna survive.
For me, that was Christ.
For you, maybe
it's the knowledge
that your decisions are based
on something other than faith.
Maybe you just
believe it's right.
Forgive me.
The press are gathering outside.
Thank you, Jamie.
- Excuse me.
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, seems
you've been discovered.
- Yeah.
- What will you tell them?
That I came to see my friend.
Madam President,
they're ready for you.
Open the doors.
Ma'am?
- Is it my mother?
- Yes, ma'am.
Put her through.
The doctor said there's
nothing to do but wait.
- I'll be fine.
I know.
Mami.
I know!
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
No, I'm sorry. That's
not going to work.
The governor has a 4:00 p.m.
meeting with the Black Caucus
and then we're scheduled
to tape for a talk show.
Governor's reading mean tweets.
No, tweets.
Hold on. I'll ask.
Um, how do we look at 6:30?
Who is it?
- Seven.
- How is 7:00 p.m.? Okay.
Yes, I understand.
I'll tell her verbatim.
Uh-huh, okay.
6:30.
- Okay, where were we?
- Oh, we're up 18 points.
Adelson is trying to jump
on the gay marriage legislation
- saying he supported it from
inception. - My inception.
And now with the abortion bill
moving through the Senate,
he's trying to gain
some momentum as speaker.
Can he catch me?
He has some time
before the primary,
but yesterday was
a good day for us.
Uh-huh. Can he catch me?
Not unless there's
a catastrophe.
When would the bill
land on my desk?
If it gets out of the senate
before the break,
- October, November.
- So theoretically,
it could pass
before the election.
Maybe.
Oh, I had an idea.
How about you preside
over the first gay
marriage in the state?
It's been 24 hours
since you signed the bill.
They already have
10,000 applications.
We could hold a lottery.
And the winner would
have you preside.
- A celebrity couple.
- Ooh.
Someone that you'd call
a friend so it doesn't seem
- like they're paying for it.
- Don't worry.
I'll find you some gay friends.
- I have gay friends.
- Who?
- You.
- Besides me.
- Well, that was interesting.
- What is?
Carl Reyes is seeking
the Republican nomination.
- How do you know?
- They just offered me a job.
- Take it. - Could Reyes split
the Latino vote?
- Reyes is a nobody. - Yeah, but
how many votes could he pull?
Reyes is a nobody.
He'll run strong
on Long Island and upstate,
so without knowing more
about him, 20 points?
And he has some
money behind him.
- How much money?
- Who's behind him?
I don't know and I don't know.
- Well, find out for
me. - Done.
Oh, and then take the job?
Governor?
Father Jamie Allante is here
from Bishop Roland's office.
Who's Bishop Roland?
- I know who he is. -
Does he have an appointment?
- No.
- Is the bishop here?
Only Father Jamie.
Um, thank you, Mia.
Can you give us a minute?
- You know that drives me crazy.
- What?
When she speaks
to you in Spanish.
You don't like it
when people speak Spanish?
Yeah. She does it so that I
don't know what she's saying.
- So learn Spanish. I did.
- Oh, yeah? What did she say?
- That you're an asshole.
- Okay, it's a habit.
- I have known her forever. -
Whatever. Who is Bishop Roland?
He's the
bishop of my diocese.
He wrote me a letter when I was
pushing the gay marriage bill.
- Saying? - Saying that hell is
a reality and I'm free to choose
it.
- Ouch.
- Yeah.
And that it's his responsibility
to make sure I'm not
going down the wrong path.
That even though
I'm a politician,
- I can't divorce my faith.
- Why didn't you tell me?
Well, it's not really
something I wanted to publicize.
- So why is a priest here?
- Well, I signed the bill.
He's probably here to tell me
not to receive communion.
Yeah. I'm
gonna get rid of him.
No, it's okay. I expected this.
Just send him in.
Mia, send in Father Jamie.
Por favor.
- Excuse me.
- Father Jamie,
this is Nico Pappas,
my chief of staff.
Jessica Sahn, public
relations director.
- How may I help you?
- Um, Bishop Roland
asked me to deliver this
to you personally.
Is it an invitation?
I'm sorry, Father,
I don't speak Latin.
- Excuse me. The Timesis
on two.
Excuse me.
- Bishop Roland.
- Bishop Roland, here.
Bishop Roland.
The fact remains
that you cannot,
as a sincere Catholic,
support practices
that the Church has deemed
subversive to its teachings.
And those practices would be?
In general terms, uh,
gay marriage, abortion, heresy.
But do you have
the authority to excommunicate?
Are you asking me
if the Holy See has given me
the express authority
to excommunicate Governor Porra?
I'm asking if you
have the authority to
excommunicate anyone.
When Governor Porra first
supported the same-sex marriage
bill,
I sent her a personal letter
letting her know
that she was acting contrary
to the Church's teachings,
and as a Catholic,
she was moving into
treacherous waters, so to speak.
- When
she signed that bill into law,
she chose not to
heed my warnings.
I imposed a canonical penalty,
which I have every right to do.
Is the
Vatican on board with this?
Like I said, I
have the authority
to excommunicate the governor.
That doesn't answer my question.
Bishop Roland. Bishop Roland.
Bishop Roland.
When Governor Porra signed the
marriage equality legislation
into effect,
she ceased living as
a Catholic, period.
Now she's committed
to this late-term abortion bill
- moving through the Senate.
- Bishop Roland...
Ladies and gentlemen,
I, I need to cut this short.
I apologize.
Father Jamie.
Cardinal Russo.
Yes, six o'clock is fine.
- This is a shit show. We need
to make a statement. - We need
to strike back.
- How the hell do we strike back
against the Church? - I'll think
of something.
- What about the Vatican?
- I already reached out.
- What did they say?
- They weren't in.
Fucking hysterical, Jess.
What about
Cardinal Russo?
He deflected to the bishop.
Who is the Catholic liaison
- to our office?
- The newest-appointed bishop.
- Who is that?
- Bishop Roland.
Jesus Christ.
- I wanna know everything there
is about this bishop. - I'm on
it already.
- First Adelson is up six
points. - Shit.
- Reyes has called a
press conference. - Shit.
- Shit!
- So has Adelson.
Governor.
What?
- I will call him back.
- And...
What?
Just... she can hold.
I want someone from the Church
to turn this around.
How many Catholics
are there in the state?
Over five million, at least.
And the primary's ten days away.
You can discount 70% of the
Catholics voting in that,
anyway.
Let's just get through
the primary and then regroup.
I've set up meetings with the
laborers' unions, the teachers
and the PBA.
We need a strong push, and now.
Set up a press conference
for tomorrow morning.
Hola, mami.
His Eminence is here. Early.
Your Eminence.
Bishop Roland.
Can I offer you anything?
Jamie, did you offer
the Cardinal tea? Coffee?
Just some privacy.
Your Eminence.
Reggie. Reggie.
What have you done?
What I had to.
You should have asked me.
- And what would you have said?
- To wait.
Wait until what?
She's president?
- We had a plan.
- This is the plan.
The plan was to make sure we had
a candidate who would be on
board.
We have that.
- With no loose ends?
- I met with him myself.
The funds to make
this a reality?
It's taken care of.
Finally, the support of Rome?
Ah. Reggie.
I don't need the
support of Rome.
Oh, Reggie, come on!
Please.
Thank you.
I sent her the letter
requesting she change her ways.
- I know. - When she first
proposed the gay marriage bill.
- I remember.
- I was very discreet.
I told her the risk
she was taking.
- What did she do?
- She signed the bill.
That's right. And so now,
I sent another letter.
And you had to CCThe Times?
Seventy million Catholics.
If she becomes the president,
this is who they will look to.
They'll look to Rome.
Now they will.
I gave you this position
and there was pushback.
- I know.
- Your time in Vietnam.
- Chris...
- You've been here ten months.
I need this?
If this goes south
and they strip you
of your title, what then?
- If that must be.
- Damn it, Reggie!
- We had a plan.
- This is the plan.
This is not the plan!
I gave you this picture.
The Prince of Peace.
I bought it in a flea market.
Sarasota, Florida.
I remember. You'd just
been appointed bishop.
An Italian from New York City.
And you had just
started at St. Peter's.
That church had bad plumbing,
but the town had great conch
fritters.
That is not a good combination.
No, it's not.
I did hate to leave though.
Well, Lord takes you
where the Lord takes you.
You took me north.
And now look at you,
front page of The
New York Times.
This is gonna fall
on me, Reggie.
Good morning.
Thank you all for coming today.
In my 25 years of
public service,
I never thought that
I would be addressing you
from this podium
about matters of my faith.
First and foremost,
I want to say
that I consider
myself a Catholic.
I was baptized, I went
to St. Mary's High School,
I was married at our Lady of
Mount Carmel Church in Brooklyn
and I attend mass every Sunday.
Well, almost every Sunday.
I believe in the Holy Trinity,
the forgiveness of sins
and the Holy Father in Rome.
But I also believe that
love is not limited
to just a man and a woman.
When I proposed the marriage
equality legislation last year,
I did so with the belief that
it was the right thing to do.
Everyone, regardless of
whether you are gay or straight,
has the right to marry.
I did this with a
clear conscience
and I did this with the belief
that it is my duty
as your governor
to represent this state
to the best of my ability,
so help me God.
Now you are all aware
of the unprecedented letter
I received from Bishop
Reginald Roland.
In it, he has informed me
that based upon my actions
as your governor,
specifically lobbying for
and ultimately signing
the marriage
equality legislation,
that I have been excommunicated
under Canon 1371,
that states that
Bishop Roland may apply
a just penalty upon someone
who "obstinately rejects
an authoritative
teaching of the Church."
I have been in contact
with the Vatican,
Cardinal Christopher
Russo's office
and the Vicar General
here in New York
as to whether I have
indeed been excommunicated
as Bishop Roland
has unilaterally decreed.
As far as I am concerned,
one man without the support
of the Roman Catholic Church
cannot excommunicate me.
Now as you know, a
bill which expands
a woman's right to choose
has been introduced
to our legislature.
As I believe my oath dictates,
if it is the will of the people,
I will sign that bill into law.
This I also do with
a clear conscience.
I say to you all that I still
consider myself a Catholic
and I will see you
at mass on Sunday. Thank you.
Heretic!
Heretic! Do not call
yourself a Christian.
You do not serve our Lord
by your own greed.
The false prophet.
"And a wolf shall come before us
preaching perverse words
- "and she will lead the true
faithful unto worship." - All
right, all right.
- Come on. Come on. - Get,
get your hands off of me.
Bishop Roland has
issued his decree!
This is America!
This is America!
- Get your hands...
- What a fiasco.
We need to make a statement.
I don't think we should say
anything at all.
I'm getting on the phone
with the Vatican in an hour.
Every newspaper
has picked this up.
We concluded the synod, and they
wanna know if the Pope is behind
us.
I can't tell them
we're doing nothing.
I think, Your Eminence,
that is exactly
what we tell them.
We say we'll
investigate the matter,
see where the dust settles,
and then we'll go from there.
But if we take a stance
admonishing the bishop's
position,
we risk alienating
the Catholics,
not just in the US, but abroad.
- And if we support it? - Then
there will be a call for the
Church
to excommunicate all politicians
who have ever
supported abortion,
gay rights or, or assisted
suicide and the list goes on.
- Which is what we want.
- Which is what you want.
- Excuse me?
- If I remember correctly,
we were supposed to get on board
with this fellow Reyes,
give him some money and chip
away at the governor's base.
- Slowly, surely.
- No, no, no.
You wanted to move
slowly and surely.
- Notwe. I want a change.
- This is not change, Reggie.
Change happens by degrees.
There are different
ways to go about it.
- This is not change.
- Then what is it?
This is a nuclear bomb.
You know you never had
the stomach for this, Jack.
The stomach for what?
- To do what's needed! God...
God... - Hey Reggie!
We're in this together.
Don't forget that.
I know.
So don't beat up Jack
when you jumped the gun.
I apologize.
Jack, I apologize.
We're already dealing
with a crisis of faith
from the abuse scandals,
so this is not coming
at a good time.
Ramming this down
the throats of the faithful
especially since Rome
has not yet made a stance on it.
- The synod has. - The synod
made a recommendation.
There's a difference.
But our bishop has.
But the bishop is not Rome.
But the bishop
is representative of the Church,
under you, of course.
And to the Catholics
in the United States,
Bishop Roland and the Vatican
are not mutually exclusive.
- If the synod has concluded...
- Can I say something?
No!
All right.
I have an idea.
What do you
have to say, Roland?
I say the die is cast.
Please, Your Eminence,
we need to see where this goes.
If the governor
loses the primary,
every Catholic politician
in the United States
will think twice before
proposing, voting,
signing into law any bill
that supports her views.
Even if she squeaks by,
the damage will be done.
Look, I was never
in favor of excommunication.
I think that Bishop Roland
should have advised her
simply not to take communion.
Thank you.
It would've sent a message
and it would follow suit
with what all the other bishops
have done in the past.
- Thanks, Jack.
- Let me finish.
It was a drastic step.
And maybe you're right.
Maybe what this country needs
is a big kick in the ass.
The bishop is right.
If this goes the way we hope,
it could be a big game changer.
But we have to address
what's in front of us.
To address it now
would be a mistake.
You're sure?
What other choice do we have?
I think that choice
has been taken away
from us already.
By whom?
The governor herself.
This is Father Elias.
In the first reading,
the Lord speaks of the role
of a prophet as a watchman.
As the name suggests,
a watchman is a lookout,
someone who warns us
of impending danger
so that we may take
the appropriate action.
I think we're all watchmen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The
Times article should drop today.
Also, um, I've arranged
for a piece to be done
about states that allow
late-term abortion.
Women who have to travel when
their home state outlaws them.
- What's the angle?
- Cost.
If you're poor, you're screwed.
You have to cover
doctors, travel, hotel.
- What about insurance?
- Depends on the state.
- Focus on the ones that don't.
- I already did.
I also made sure that each woman
I interviewed was Catholic
and had complications that would
endanger her life or the
child's.
Beautiful. You see,
this is why I love you.
Oh, if only you could.
Governor?
Governor?
S?
Hola?
- Eh?
- No.
Chairman Bill
Styles is here.
Please send him
into the conference room.
Governor?
- Yeah?
- Bill Styles is here.
Okay.
Chairman.
- Angela. Ah.
- Hi.
You know everyone.
- Nico.
- Chairman.
So.
I saw you had a
little excitement
- at the press conference?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- I'm a little shook up.
- Who was he?
- Some loon.
We think he was
a plant by Reyes.
- They lock him up? -
They held him for 24 hours.
- What? - He never threatened
me. He just called me heretic
and told me to burn in hell.
The DA said they'd be lucky
- to get disorderly conduct.
- Maybe harassment.
- Did he have a weapon?
- He had rosary beads.
I consider that a weapon.
So, how's Brooklyn?
Good. I saw your
mother the other day.
- Where?
- Leaving church.
Oh, she was praying for my soul.
Undoubtedly.
You know, they egged her stoop.
- Well, that's terrible.
- Yeah.
I had to put a detail on her
around the clock.
This is getting out of control.
- I just saw Chief Guadino.
- What's he say?
That he met with Carl Reyes.
Why is he meeting
with Carl Reyes?
They're having second
thoughts on you.
What?
The PBA is
the biggest endorsement I have.
- They can't pull it. - They're
not pulling anything yet.
- You just said...
- What they said
is they're having
second thoughts.
What I'm saying is I need you
to clean this shit up.
90% of that union is Catholic.
They won't get behind
you if you're out
in left field fighting
the Catholic Church.
I'm not fighting
the Catholic Church.
Oh, no? Well, let's look at it
from their point of view.
You've been excommunicated
for allowing
the gays to marry.
Correct?
- Correct?
- Correct.
Now you commit to
this abortion bill
and not just abortion,
but late-term abortion?
- So? - So late-term abortion is
more prevalent
in what strain of
the population?
- Minorities.
- Minorities!
And how's the police
department's relationship
with minorities these days?
Now tack on a Latina governor
who promotes killing minorities
before they're even born?
- You see what I'm saying? - All
due respect, I think that's a
stretch.
Well, not to Guadino. And as we
all know, perception is reality
and that's his perception,
which makes it our reality.
You tell Guadino
that I will fuck him
six ways to Sunday
in the next labor agreement.
Governor, let's, uh,
just take it easy, okay?
Uh, uh, nobody is losing
anything right now.
Chief Guadino is gonna
come to his senses
once he realizes
that even without the PBA,
we still have the teachers,
and we're gonna pull this out.
The fact of the matter
is the Catholic base
is not as prevalent
as it once was,
and the police cannot afford
to not have a friend
in the governor's office.
I would agree. But
this is different.
How?
Because Bishop Roland
has every priest
on every pulpit denouncing you.
Not just gay marriage
and abortion, but you.
Heresy has a face,
and it's Governor Angela Porra
on her knees denied
the sacrament.
- Reyes is making up posters for
Christ's sake. - This is a
nightmare.
Does the Church understand
that the governor didn't
legalize abortion?
She's just signing a law
that was already on the books.
- Doesn't matter.
- It should.
It doesn't.
What exactly do you think
this is all about, anyway?
An attack on your
"right to choose"?
The sanctity of Roe v. Wade?
Without stating
the obvious, yes.
Wrong. We are just a litmus test
for the Catholic Church
to see if their base
will vote. That's it.
They know if we
lose this election
that any blue state
on the fence can flip.
And if that happens,
then all bets are off.
The Church will have every
Catholic politician shitting in
their pants.
Then you can worry
about your right to choose.
But today, our only focus
is how to win. Okay?
All right, now what
do we know about this bishop?
Jess.
Um,
so originally from Florida,
played football for a
year at Florida State.
- Football?
- Football.
- Okay.
- 1970, joined the army.
Was sent to Vietnam.
Did he enlist or was he drafted?
Uh, I don't have
his official record,
but I'm not sure of
the significance.
The significance is
did he wanna go fight
or did they have to go
get him to go fight?
It tells us about the man
we're dealing with.
Did you enlist?
I'm sorry, what?
Did you enlist?
- Marines. - How does
that not surprise me?
Jess, please just continue.
Returned in 1972, and then,
kind of fell off the map.
Um, ultimately got
his college degree
and entered the seminary.
Ordained into the
priesthood in 1977.
Received his first
pastoral assignment
at St. Peter's near Edgewater,
and then worked directly
for the Diocese of Orlando.
Transferred to New York
about three years ago.
Settled in Brooklyn, appointed
last year as the bishop of that
diocese.
- How can we get to him? -
That's what we're trying to
figure out.
- Family?
- One sister.
- Have you reached out to her?
- No.
- Why not?
- Because she's dead.
- Right, what about Cardinal
Russo? - Roland is his protg.
They met when Russo
was the bishop of Orlando.
When he was elected Cardinal, he
brought Roland up here with him.
Oh.
Appointed. You're not elected
Cardinal. You're appointed.
Sorry. Either way,
they go back 40 years.
Okay, so call him.
- You don't think we have?
- What did he say?
- He's looking into it.
- Oh, what a prince.
Our guess is he's, uh,
waiting for the primary,
- seeing if we survive.
- We can't just survive.
Well, what would you
have me do, Bill?
I am in crisis mode here.
It's not your ass on the line.
Hey, a president from New York
helps everyone.
We both have a lot
to lose in this election.
- Yeah, especially you. - Yeah,
you're goddamn right. Me!
I backed you when you were a law
grad running for city council,
- then made you head of the taxi
commission. - Chairman.
Borough president, AG, governor.
I am fully aware of
my political history
and everybody
who got me here, big and small.
And if I am not mistaken,
you have been paid back
in spades, okay?
So don't give me any shit
when you're the insurance broker
for half the bids in the city.
Listen, Angela, I have a meeting
with both the state
and national chairman.
How you handle this
fiasco will dictate
- where we all are in four
years. -
How do your numbers
look in the city?
It's early, but, uh,
we've taken a hit.
We'll pull it out
in the primary.
And nationally?
- We're still waiting.
- I'm suffering.
But we're
on the cover of People.
TMZ, Twitter, our
website's blowing up.
- The college kids have really taken this on.
- - Oh, joy.
Chairman, my generation doesn't
wanna be dictated to, especially
by the Church.
Sweetheart, your generation
lives at home.
- Yeah, but we can still pull a
lever. - Jess.
I need you to look at
the big picture here.
Unless you win this election
by double digits,
you will not get the nod
to run for president.
What do you want me to do?
- Well, you went to Catholic
school? - Yeah?
- It's called contrition. -
That's not an option.
- Why do you keep speaking?
- I agree with Jess.
- I think we need to go on the
offensive. -
- Now we're taking orders from the intern?
- - Okay, Bill,
first of all, she's
not an intern.
Second of all, I give her
as much credence as I give you.
- Let me tell you something...
- No, let me tell you something.
I got here because
of two things:
my guts and my balls.
And both are telling me
we go on the offensive.
Oh, well, you tell your
guts and your balls
that my polls say
that they're wrong.
That the polls say that instead
of the Catholic faithful
focusing on cleaning
up their own house,
they're focusing on you
and they're gaining momentum.
And I bet they're just waiting
for you to call them out.
And when they don't back down,
what are you gonna do then?
- Divorce your faith?
- No.
- No.
- Make a deal?
This isn't some political hack
that'll owe you one
down the road, you know.
This is the Roman
Catholic Church,
and you've pissed them off.
They can outspend
you and outlast you.
They've been around
for 2000 years
and they'll be
around for 2000 more.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you think it's a coincidence
that Carl Reyes, a Latino,
has entered the race?
Or that he's a devout Catholic?
Please, do yourself a favor.
Ask for forgiveness,
receive holy communion,
and do not sign
that abortion bill
if it ever crosses your desk.
Mm.
The Times
article just hit.
What does it say?
That you would make
a great president.
Your Eminence.
Jack.
Reggie.
What's the camera for?
I'm being interviewed
during the primary.
The feed will be national.
It's really nothing.
Can I get you a drink?
Not today, Reggie.
I see.
Please, sit.
- The primary.
- Yes.
- What do you think? - My sense
from the parishioners is they're
committed.
I have a meeting with the
bishops of the New York
province.
Several of the New York senators
are wavering on the abortion,
but I'd like to get
them locked down.
I think denying them communion
is not out of order.
That's not going to happen.
It's a thought.
This hasn't gone as planned.
Of course it has.
The abortion bill is stalled.
Now we just need
Porra to collapse.
This has not gone as planned.
Says who?
Our polls.
- Oh. - Governor Porra is going
to win the primary.
- Maybe. - Maybe? There's been a
backlash.
- Against her.
- Against us.
Do you know how much money we've
raised since the
excommunication?
There's been a slight bump.
A bump?
The diocese has doubled.
Last year's ask, doubled.
There have been a few
of our wealthier parishioners.
I don't care who it's from.
All I know is that the
base is behind this
and the fringes are
falling into line.
The faithful have something
they can get behind.
They need something they
can get behind, to unify us.
The word from Rome
is that this has created
more harm than good.
There's been
a negative reaction
toward what you've done,
not just here, but
across the country.
Your polls are wrong.
You'll see.
This needs to play out.
Besides if I lift
the excommunication now,
it may just push that
bill over the edge.
It doesn't have the votes.
Are you willing to
take that chance?
It's been decided.
I'm sorry.
"Dear Governor Porra,
any excommunication
that is imposed
by a bishopferendae sententiae
has the desired effect
to force one to see
the error of their ways
and ultimately come
back to the Church.
I imposed your excommunication
because I felt it was
in the best interest
of your spiritual well-being.
That you repent and reconsider
your support in matters
in direct contrast
to the teachings of the Church.
I believe that in
your circumstances
this has been accomplished.
The issue of your faith
should now be an internal matter
between you and your confessor.
I hereby remove
the excommunication penalty
imposed upon you by my authority
as bishop of your diocese.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Reginald Roland,
"Bishop Diocese of Brooklyn."
- That's very eloquent. Did you
write that, Jack? - Reggie.
- No, I'm not signing my name to
this. - Reggie.
We'll see what happens tonight.
We spoke about this.
And we, we agreed.
We wait until after the primary.
Jack, you were there.
I go on air in an hour.
If I bow down now,
how will it look?
To whom, Reggie?
How would it look to whom?
Why are you digging
your heels in on this?
- You've made your point.
- My point is that the Church
needs to draw a
line in the sand.
A line that not
only the faithful,
the committed can adhere to,
but one that these
cafeteria Catholics,
like Angela Porra can
adhere to as well.
The three of us, we would talk
about how we were gonna
make change on a global scale,
if that was even possible.
You remember, Jack?
I remember.
I also remember.
We had a plan.
A plan to get the
support of Rome.
Support we didn't get.
This is change.
The world is watching us.
Regardless of what
happens tonight,
you're going to
sign this letter.
And if I don't?
Then he will.
And now we turn to New York.
In one of the most
hotly-contested primaries,
incumbent Governor Angela Porra
has come under extreme fire
from the Catholic voting base
due to her excommunication
at the hands of Bishop
Reginald Roland,
bishop of the
Diocese of Brooklyn.
Once
carrying a double-digit lead
- against Senator Bruce
Adelson... - Boo!
Speaker of the Senate,
we saw that margin close
by a mere two points. So,
it's more than surprising
that Governor Porra
has such a commanding lead
as the numbers come in.
This is
staggering. Our numbers show
that she's carrying
a 30-point lead.
Her strategy has helped her
immensely. Going on the
offensive?
- Told you. - The ad
with Catholic politicians
voicing their support
for her was masterful.
Ooh, all her.
- Well done.
- You're welcome.
- That's called retaliation.
- It's not a retaliation.
- It's an uprising.
- It's not an uprising.
Well, what would you call it?
- A primary.
- A primary.
We need to build
on this momentum.
Governor.
Senator Adelson.
Hello, Senator.
Thank you, Bruce.
It was hard-fought.
Well, take a few days
and we will get back to work.
I know it's shy a few votes.
I'll do what I can.
That sounds fine.
Thank you for calling.
- How was that?
- He hates me.
Yeah, but he needs your help.
Yeah, he wants me
to stump for votes
to pass the abortion bill.
You want me to set
up some meetings?
Mm-mm. Let him
get his own votes.
You're not going soft on this?
I've got three networks
that will give us a special.
First thing tomorrow,
I'll lock it down.
First thing tomorrow, set up
a meeting with Bishop Roland.
Ooh.
Wow. This is bigger
than the governor's mansion.
Please, don't be an asshole.
I'll try.
- Does the bishop live here alone?
- - Not always.
- I mean,
visiting clergy and special
guests are welcome.
And we have over 50 rooms,
so we can always accommodate.
And there's a dining hall,
um, several chapels,
even a crypt.
It's like a retreat
in some ways.
Oh, it's beautiful.
Well, you are always
welcome, Governor.
You too, Mr. Pappas.
- I'm Jewish.
- So was Christ.
Mm. Look what happened
to him.
Apologies, Father.
Please, okay, come this way.
Governor, I have to apologize,
but I'm a bit taken aback.
I was under the impression
that this was to be
a private meeting.
Well, I thought it was best
if Nico were here
to help us work through this.
Confession is not
a public forum.
Bishop, I'm not
here for confession.
I'm here to see
if we can work through this.
Work through what?
This... misunderstanding?
Governor, the Church
doesn't make deals.
Our doctrines are
not la carte.
We don't have the
ability to choose
what we will abide
by and what we won't.
You either subscribe
to the Church's teachings
I'm fully aware
that the Roman Catholic Church
is not in the business
of making exceptions.
So then, what do you propose?
Well, first, if it's okay,
I would like to understand why.
Canon law states...
No, uh, sorry, not the Canon law
for which you base
the excommunication,
but why I was singled out.
Other Catholic politicians
have been challenged
for taking stances
that are in direct contradiction
to the Church's teachings,
even presidential hopefuls.
But Governor Porra
is the first in recent memory
to be excommunicated.
So again, why?
I take it you've spoken
with the cardinal.
- Yes.
- What did he say?
He said that he was confident
that we could work this out,
uh, but that you are
the shepherd of your flock
and I reside in your diocese,
so ultimately the
decision is up to you.
So then the why is irrelevant.
- Is that a fact?
- It is a fact.
You, Governor, are Catholic,
and you have an
obligation to your faith.
I will not legislate my beliefs
upon another who does not share
those same beliefs.
- You know, I've heard
that before. - From whom?
Pontius Pilate.
I'm sorry, are you
comparing me to Pontius Pilate?
The fact is, Governor,
that if you refuse
to legislate your
beliefs on another,
you would not
have pushed Bruce Adelson
into sponsoring the gay marriage
bill in the first place.
Gay marriage is here.
There's nothing that I or anyone
can do to change that.
I just got out in front of it
before someone else did.
Legislation needs to be passed
to address the changing times.
Even if you don't agree with it,
you have to realize the need.
I don't see the need.
Well I, as your governor, do.
Human law cannot,
in each and every instance,
mirror divine law.
It's a hopeless expectation.
Just ask your other friend.
Who is that?
Thomas Aquinas.
What about this abortion bill?
Is there a need?
I did not push that bill.
No, but you will sign it
if it crosses your desk.
Is that what this is about?
This is about how God's laws
should be your
motivation, not votes.
Please, don't presume
to tell me what my
motivations are.
I do what I do
because my conscience
tells me to
and my constituents tell me to.
And I can guarantee
you one thing.
I will not be dictated to by you
or Cardinal Russo or Rome.
Well, that's a moot
point now, isn't it?
Nico, will you give me a moment
with the bishop, please?
Bishop.
Nico.
Will you call my mother? She's
called twice since we've been
here.
Of course.
My mother is quite anxious
to hear about our meeting.
Sorry.
- Is that her now?
- Mm-hmm, apologies.
Please take the call.
Thank you. One moment.
Okay, adis.
Apologies.
Family is important.
Family can be a pain
in the you know what.
So what's
your favorite?
Uh, my favorite?
You said she was cooking
your favorite dinner.
You speak Spanish.
Any other languages
I should be aware of?
Italian.
Oh.
And, of course, I speak Latin.
Oh, well, you got me on Latin.
Well, that's what priests speak
when we don't want anyone
knowing what we're talking
about.
That's funny.
Oh, well, to answer
your question,
it's rice and beans.
Hmm.
- Rice and beans.
- Mm-hmm.
I, um
I noticed that you have The
Prince of Peace on your wall.
- You know of it. - Yeah, I went
to an all-girls Catholic school
and sister Catherine Immaculate
had one hanging on the wall
outside of her office.
I remember 'cause
I would stare at it
while I was waiting
for her to administer
some form of punishment.
Do you know the story behind it?
I asked her why
Jesus would knock,
why he wouldn't just walk in.
He was... Jesus
Christ after all.
And she said it was
because the United Nations
didn't allow prayers
in the building.
Jesus couldn't force them to.
He could only
let them know he was there.
I see it differently.
I believe it shows
that Christ has an interest
in the affairs of all nations
and he's telling them
that they have to
follow his teachings
if there is to be peace.
Do you think excommunicating me
would bring peace?
I'm hoping it
stops the bleeding.
I won the primary.
I know.
I'll win the election.
I have the votes.
You have the Jewish vote.
And you also have Carl Reyes.
Carl Reyes served
one term in Senate.
He's nobody.
No name recognition, nothing.
Carl Reyes is
a devout Catholic and a Latino.
He'll split your vote
and take the Catholics with him.
I also hear he has money.
What do you want?
Confess your sins.
Repent and come
back to the Church.
I didn't come here
for forgiveness.
Hey, boss.
- Governor?
- Huh?
We're almost ready. We'll do
a brief meet and greet outside,
bring everybody back
in, sign the bill.
You okay?
Yeah.
How many are out there?
Mm, 10,000.
I shipped in extra
cops for crowd control.
You ordered riot gear?
Just a precaution.
What's that in your hand?
A letter from my mother
begging me not to sign the law.
Why?
I mean, I can guess why.
What does she say?
She said that it's
a sin against God
and that she didn't
raise me to be this way.
- What way?
- Impio.
Means "wicked," "godless."
- That I'm damned.
- Please.
Think the bishop is behind this?
She's still a parishioner
in his diocese.
This has nothing to do
with him. This is about me.
We start in 30 minutes.
Press are already here.
Senator Adelson's on his way up.
You're not thinking
of, uh, delaying this?
We're up 35 points.
Shut up, Jess.
Stall him?
What's the matter?
You know how I got around
the same-sex marriage bill?
As a Catholic, I mean.
As a Catholic, you are
taught to love one another,
to be tolerant, right?
Do for others.
But in my mind, I'm like,
"Look, you wanna love someone,
who am I to tell you that
you can't be together, right?
You're not hurting anyone."
I mean, it might not
be natural, but...
It's natural to me.
That's not what I mean.
Nico, you know that.
The point is, I can wrap my head
around the same-sex
marriage bill
because I can rationalize it.
That's why I can give Roland
the big fuck you.
But this... is different.
How is this different?
- How is this different?
- Because I can't defend it.
I don't need you to defend it.
I don't need you
to believe in it.
I just need you to sign it.
- Well, it's not that simple.
- It is that simple.
I wanna show you something.
These are the pictures
that they stuff
into my hate mail.
- These should have been vetted.
- Yeah, well, apparently they
weren't vetted
- on my mother's stoop.
- Jesus Christ.
- Or my kids' locker.
- I will get this resolved.
Don't bother. I took care of it.
The point is that I
have a real problem
signing this bill.
We don't have that luxury.
The bill is passed.
It's sitting on your desk.
You're committed to it.
I'll delay.
And do what? Pin
it on your mommy?
Fuck you.
You're the one
out front on this,
and I built a
platform around it.
The first governor to sign
marriage equality into law,
and now late-term abortion.
We need to show
that you're progressive.
We need to show
that you have the ability
to go against the establishment.
And, and we need both
those things if you're to get
- the presidential nomination.
- I know.
And now you have both those.
So what's the problem?
This never should have passed.
It didn't have the votes.
Not until you were
excommunicated.
Look at what we've
had to overcome.
Carl Reyes is history.
It's because Carl Reyes
has a penchant for
22-year-old interns.
I'm glad we leaked that.
It's all come together for us.
The tide has changed.
You are on the verge of history.
I want a delay.
How long a delay?
In ten days,
it becomes law unless you veto.
Oh, that is such
a fucking cop out.
- Nico.
- Nico what?
You don't wanna sign
it? Don't sign it.
I'll let everyone know
that you had a change of heart,
that you realize it's a sin
and that everything you've said
for the past four years
is bullshit.
Just understand,
if you don't sign this
bill into law, it's over.
I'm not even talking
about the riots outside.
- I mean your career, gone.
- Yeah, well, maybe I'm worried
- about something more than my
career. - Oh, don't be so
dramatic.
If you can't sign this bill,
what are you gonna do when it's
time
to send in the troops?
That's a sin.
Or push the button.
My point is, if you
can't sign this bill
based on what Roland believes...
What the Church believes.
What the Church believes,
then you are no different
than any extremist
who's willing to strap
a bomb to his chest
because their Holy Book says so.
They're ready for you.
Nico.
What if it's what I believe?
Listen, you're not their pope,
you're not their savior.
You're their governor,
and this is what they want.
Governor, may I
tell you something?
Why not?
Everybody else is.
- Today isn't about your faith.
- Oh, no?
- No. - I don't think you know
what you're talking about.
And I think you're wrong.
Today isn't about faith,
but about free will.
Catholics, they go hand in hand.
Not your free will,
but mine.
What you're doing today
is giving me the right
to make one of the most
difficult decisions
I may ever have to make.
And if you're willing
to defend that right,
even though you may be
personally against it
that's what makes you
not only a great governor,
but a great human being.
And for that, I just
wanna thank you.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Wheels up in 20 minutes.
- Okay.
At 11:05, you have
one video conference
with the Secretary
of Transportation
on gas emissions
and proposal S213.
Mm. Bump that.
Do you want me
to swap in your biographer?
No.
Wheels down at 11:35,
exit AF1, 11:53.
- Press?
- Open press.
There will be three greeters
at the base of the stairs,
Senator Gaines,
Mayor Elise Tandor of Orlando
and Councilman Yosef Shaw
of District Three.
Proceed to rope line
of military family and friends,
ten minutes right to left,
then directly to the limo
where you will have further
briefing in the car.
And then once we reach
the convention center,
then we'll be going over
directly to holding.
We're adding a stop.
Your visitor is here.
- Bishop.
- Madam President.
I'm no longer your bishop.
Yes, sorry. But you
are still a bishop.
Just a title. I'm only a servant
in the eyes of God.
We both are.
Either way, it's
good to see you.
You, too. Although under cover
of darkness.
Well, that's for
security purposes.
I understand.
May we talk?
Of course.
Thank you, Jamie.
Jamie, come here.
Father Jamie Allante,
this is our president,
Angela Porra.
- We've met.
- Oh, that's right. Forgive me.
This time under
better circumstances.
- I hope so.
- Me too.
It's a pleasure
to see you again.
Jamie's
become a fine priest,
and a good friend.
He cares for you.
He was offered his own parish,
but he elected
to come down here with me.
Loyalty.
You began here.
I was born in a small
town up the road.
This parish was my
first assignment.
It's beautiful.
I'm told that people come from
all over the country to hear you
speak.
Gathered quite a following.
I saw the tents as we came in.
I hope I have something to say.
And there was some land
cleared down the road?
- You saw that?
- Well, I'm told.
Oh, yeah, one of our
parishioners donated the land.
We're gonna build a new parish
and an outreach center for
teens.
A new parish?
- New parish.
- And an outreach center.
Heroin has made a comeback.
Yeah, I know. It's terrible.
Terrible.
I'm sorry, but
what is that smell?
Bad plumbing.
You don't mind?
They say a shepherd
should smell like his sheep.
I think the shepherd
needs a plumber.
You don't mind me
coming here to talk to you?
Why should I mind?
It's not every day the president
comes to Edgewater.
I hope you didn't come
down here just for me.
Are you not important enough
to fly down for?
Not anymore.
- That's not true.
- Sure it is.
Just ask the Pope.
Well, I came down here
to ask you for your help.
Why? The Church seems
to have welcomed you back.
Have they?
I hear my replacement
gives you communion
every Sunday.
Yes, when I'm in New York.
The new bishop is very kind.
So I take it you've
confessed your sins?
The new bishop is very kind.
I guess he is.
Cardinal Russo retired.
Yes.
And you've come
home to Edgewater.
See there? Everybody's happy.
I was thinking
about the last
time that we spoke,
when you said that you wanted
to stop the bleeding.
I remember.
Well what if I offered you
a way to stop the bleeding?
I want to form a
religious coalition
made up of all faiths.
I would try to
find some funding.
The board would be charged
with bridging the gap
between religion and politics.
See what values we share,
where they're lacking.
Let's look at the
underlying laws
and see what those laws
could be, what they should be.
And I would like you to be the
board's representation to the
Vatican.
How is the president
gonna explain
why she placed the man
who excommunicated her,
was subsequently disgraced
and is now a parish priest,
under such a powerful
and influential board?
Because I'm...
Magnanimous?
Well, I wouldn't
say magnanimous.
That word has an air
of condescension to it. Um
I just think you could
do a lot of good.
I do good here.
So I smell.
Sorry.
That was a cheap shot.
I just... I really think
you could do a lot of good
on the national stage.
I'd love to give you
that opportunity.
I appreciate it.
I need to think about it.
That sounds fair.
I've been following
your presidency.
- How am I doing?
- You've had some challenges.
That's the job.
I think you're a
little heavy handed
with the trade restrictions.
- Maybe.
- And if we're being honest,
I think that's a reflection
of your foreign
policy in general.
We have problems at home.
I think we need
to get our people
back to work here.
You've increased
spending on education,
- which is a good thing.
- Thank you.
Although at the
expense of welfare.
That's kind of the point.
Mm.
I'm a lot better than
who the Republicans are pushing.
- He's a little tough to
swallow. - Yeah.
- Have you met him?
- I have.
Well, he seems to be a lot
more in line with your feelings.
- My feelings?
- Your point of view.
I think he understands
that the country's divided
and, rightly or wrongly,
religion is a factor.
That's what I'm afraid of.
- Either way, it's coming.
- What is?
A reckoning.
I did what I thought was right.
I never said you didn't.
Wait until you have
to make a decision
that affects a life
or a million lives,
and then we'll see
how quick you are to judge.
- I'm not judging you.
- Then what are you doing?
I'm trying to understand.
Please, don't take
this the wrong way,
but understanding is
not your strong suit.
I'm working on it.
Forgive me, I didn't mean
to jump down your throat.
Can we start over?
Okay.
How's your family?
Good.
Good. My oldest, Tomas, is 17
and he's starting college.
- Where?
- Yale.
He must be very bright.
Not terribly.
And my youngest,
Elena, mi cielito,
she is starting high school.
High school. It's a big change.
Indeed.
It doesn't help that
she's beautiful.
Like her mother.
Flatterer.
She's starting to date?
Oh, there are boys
sniffing around,
but being guarded by
the Secret Service
can be a great deterrent.
- Perks of the job.
- Indeed. Yes, sir.
And, uh, how have they, uh,
adjusted to your presidency?
They had a taste of public life
when I was governor,
but now they're much more aware.
I must say, it is not healthy
to hear your name slandered.
Kids are resilient.
They, uh, understand a lot more
than we give him credit for.
It's true. But it doesn't
make it any easier.
The press can be cruel.
And your husband, how is he?
He's good. He's fine.
He's happy to be in the shadow.
We worked in a bodega together
when we were kids,
and he was always
quiet like a mouse.
- I did most of the talking.
- You don't say?
I used to tell him
about my grandiose plans
to be on the city council.
I think you overshot.
You know that we
bought the building
that the bodega was in?
Has some apartments on top.
It was sort of a memento
to remind ourselves
where we came from.
If we had kids, we
could tell them,
"Look, this is the
hole that your parents
dug themselves out of.
Appreciate what you have."
Where was it located?
Williamsburg.
I wanted to move
my mother in there.
Yes, I wanted to say,
I read that she had passed.
- I'm sorry.
- Thank you.
I was traveling when
I received word.
So sudden.
I sent, uh, condolences
to the diocese.
She was a wonderful woman.
You'll be happy to know
that she never forgave me
for signing that bill into law.
Which one?
She said I needed
to make amends.
You know, she came to see me.
No, when?
Uh, after.
After my excommunication?
- She felt guilty.
- She felt guilty?
My mother felt guilty after you
excommunicated her daughter?
Always the martyr.
You know, she wore black
to my inauguration.
Which one?
She worried for you.
All mothers worry
for their daughters.
But all daughters
don't have the power
to make such change.
But change should not
only be for the few.
Seventy million
Catholics are not a few.
Neither are five million Jews
or ten million Muslims
or 100 million women
for that matter.
But you're not a Jew, Angela,
a Muslim, or an atheist.
You're a Catholic.
Baptized and confirmed.
No matter how you slice it,
you have an obligation
to your faith.
'Cause you may be a president,
but in the end,
you're just one woman.
You will be judged.
You sound just
like her.
She was a smart woman.
I miss her.
I miss talking to her.
You can always talk to me.
It would be good
to have someone to talk to,
someone who's not
gonna "yes" me to death.
Well, I'd be happy
not to yes you to death.
Clearly.
So we can do this
every once in a while?
I'd like that.
Just you and I, no, no press.
Whatever you want.
Good. Because with
our history...
Our history's history.
Well, yeah, it's
not that simple.
I begin my run
for reelection in six months,
and there are some states
that will be important to me.
And after I became president
and you, um... left Brooklyn
the controversy surrounding
my excommunication
has not gone away.
In fact, it's kicked up some.
And not by the Church, mind you.
It's this subsection
that's hanging their hat on it,
my excommunication.
We call them
Roland's Crusaders.
- Sounds like a rock band.
- No.
Well, a rock band I can handle,
celebrities I can handle.
But your support in
the state of Florida
would not be a bad thing.
- I see.
- But I don't want you to think
I came down here for that
because I didn't.
I just need to be smart.
And if we go public
with our friendship
too far ahead of the election,
it could hurt me in states
where I have a plurality.
That makes sense.
But I would still like
to be able to call upon you?
- And you can.
- To talk?
Just to talk.
Good. Good.
How are you adjusting here?
Is there anything that I can do?
Get a new pick for
the Supreme Court.
Within reason.
Well, the town
has issued us some violations
when the parishioners
set up the tents.
They say we need a permit.
I can do that. What else?
When the time is right,
you can come to mass.
- Will you fix the plumbing?
- Probably not.
It's a date.
- Good.
- Good.
I love the silence of a church.
Me too.
I wanna say, at the
risk of being forward
how sorry I was to hear
about the loss of your baby.
Thank you.
Your mother said
there were complications.
That was not for publication.
I've told no one.
No, I mean
she knew that was
not for publication.
Angela, we talked once a month.
We were friends.
She told me in confidence
and that's what it
is, in confidence.
What else did she say?
She told me how happy she was
that you were pregnant
and that there
were complications.
And, uh...
A few days before you
issued the press release,
she told me that
you lost the baby.
Were those her exact words?
I don't understand.
Were her exact words
that I "lost the baby"?
She said that you were working
too hard, that, uh, there were
complications
and you... suffered
a miscarriage.
It had nothing to do with work.
They said it had to do with age.
Originally, when they
did the ultrasound,
they picked up something
in the kidneys.
- Yours?
- No, the baby's.
And the brain.
It had gaps, I guess?
I thought I would wait and
hopefully that it would develop.
Even if it had disabilities,
it could live a life.
I could give it a life.
It?
Him.
I will pray.
I did pray.
I did pray.
Every day I prayed.
And they told us
he was never gonna get better.
My boy was never
gonna get better.
And I waited as long as I could.
- Angela. - The doctors told us
to expect the worst.
Maybe take steps.
And that's when I realized.
God has cursed me.
Please don't believe that.
I remember
that day in my office
signing the bill,
- and I struggled.
- I know you did.
But I thought, "It isn't me.
This is, this is someone else.
And if this is what they want,
I will give it to them."
I have... read all the research,
I've seen the graphs,
the pie charts.
I've read it all.
I thought I understood
the reasons.
But despite all of that,
despite the politics,
despite my mother, despite
what I thought I believed,
what it came down
to was it wasn't me.
It wasn't
my own.
Until it was.
How am I supposed to bring
a child into this world
whose only purpose
is to breathe through a tube,
to eat through a tube
that I could never kiss or hold
and I would just watch him
waste away to nothing?
I couldn't. I couldn't
bear that pain.
- Let me help you.
- You cannot.
Why not?
Because I don't want
your forgiveness.
What else can I give you?
Your understanding?
Do you know I played football
for Florida State?
- I'm sorry?
- Football.
I was good. I was
on scholarship.
Yeah, I think I did know that.
Anyway, I was a defensive back.
I, uh, started, which was
no small feat for a freshman.
I could read an
offense like a book.
I hit like a truck.
Now this was 1970,
and there was a war going on.
Most of my classmates
were protesting,
going on marches,
burning the flag.
But as students,
we were deferred from the draft,
so what did I care?
I was the big man on campus,
I got my beer for free,
I was dating this cute little
Creole gal from Louisiana.
Her name was Dapheen Gaffney.
She was beautiful.
I had the world at my feet,
so, of course, I flunked out.
And then I got drafted.
My parents were mortified.
I was terrified.
Dapheen said that
she would write.
I shipped out for
Vietnam in early '71.
They say it's beautiful now.
Anyway, uh, within
my first few weeks
we suffered casualties.
No one spoke their language.
To us, everybody looked
pretty much the same,
so it was easy to get ambushed.
Just... never knew
where it was coming from.
The villages that we swept
were forced to harbor
Viet Cong soldiers
or stash their weapons.
If the villagers refused,
they were killed.
If we found them out...
Well...
One day, we came
upon this, uh... farmer.
He was tending his livestock.
His entire life, he
probably wouldn't travel
more than a few miles
from where he was born.
I'm sure his father
was a farmer,
his father's father,
right on down the line.
Just as I passed,
I heard this snap on my right.
Out of the jungle, I saw
something running right at us,
me and that
poor, ignorant, peasant farmer.
I raised my rifle.
That poor child never
knew what hit him.
And you know what I did?
I left his father
wailing on the road.
That kind of regret
it leaves you empty.
I needed something to fill
that hole inside of me
and I didn't find it in a
letter from Dapheen Gaffney.
For a while, I found
it in a needle.
After I got out of that haze,
I realized I needed
to believe in something
bigger than myself
if I was gonna survive.
For me, that was Christ.
For you, maybe
it's the knowledge
that your decisions are based
on something other than faith.
Maybe you just
believe it's right.
Forgive me.
The press are gathering outside.
Thank you, Jamie.
- Excuse me.
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, seems
you've been discovered.
- Yeah.
- What will you tell them?
That I came to see my friend.
Madam President,
they're ready for you.
Open the doors.