Is The Young Pope drama series based on a true story?

With the recent passing of Pope Francis, the satirical HBO drama television series The Young Pope has generated traction. The show was released between October 21, 2016, and November 18, 2016. It stars Jude Law as Pope Pius XIII.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

In the show, Pius, a former Archbishop of New York, is the newly elected Pope of the Catholic Church after the contending members of the Papal Conclave failed to secure a win. That being said, with the show enjoying a resurgence among audiences, many have been curious about the story's origins. Is the series based on a true story? The answer to that is no.

The Young Pope's story is fictional and not based on real-life characters or occurrences. According to an article published on The Verge on January 6, 2017, there was a real-life Pope Pius XIII. However, he was not technically a Pope. He was elected Pope in 1988 by a small group of conservative Catholics who had severed ties with the Catholic Church.

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The Young Pope on HBO is not based on a true story

The HBO series is fictional (Image via HBO)

As mentioned, the plot of The Young Pope is not based on real life. Jude Law's character or the other characters in the show are also not based on specific people.

However, it is possible that the show's creators took some creative liberties and were inspired by popular events and people during the making of the show. An article by The Verge highlights:

"On the show, Jude Law plays Pope Pius XIII (born Lenny Belardo), a former Archbishop of New York. In real life there was a Pope Pius XIII (born Earl Pulvermacher), but he wasn't really the Pope. He was elected "Pope" in 1998 by a small, conservative group of Catholics who had splintered off from the main church. He lived in Springdale, Washington. The actual Pope at the time was Pope John Paul II."

It also notes:

"The main similarities are the names (duh!) and the fact that the Young Pope is very conservative. You might have thought a show called The Young Pope would be about a Pope who shakes things up in a hippie liberal kind of way, but it's the opposite. Another theme: irony."

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What is the show about?

Created, written, and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, The Young Pope on HBO chronicles the life of the fictional Pope Pius XIII after he is appointed the new Pope of the Catholic Church. Featuring Jude Law in the primary role, the show explores Pope Pius's actions and beliefs, directly contrasting with what is considered acceptable from a person of his stature.

The official synopsis for the show reads:

"Lenny Belardo is no ordinary Pope. He is the youngest and first American Pope in history. We find him on the morning of his first day in office, preparing to enter into the power struggles inside the closed, secretive Vatican state."

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All episodes of the show are available for streaming on HBO Max.