Joseph Tremblay

Full name
Joseph Tremblay

Nicknames
Cardinal Tremblay
Joe,
Your Eminence

Origin
Conclave

Occupation
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
Archbishop Emeritus of Quebec

Powers/Abilities
Charisma
Fortune

Goals
Ruína Ayedemi (succeeded).
Bribing his fellow cardinals to be elected Pope (failed).

Crimes
Simony
Corruption
Bribe
Sabotage

Type of villain
A corrupt and power-hungry priest.

Cardinal Tremblay: This report is completely false.
Cardinal Lawrence: If the report is false, why did the Holy Father, in his last official act as Pope, request your resignation?
Trembley argues with Lawrence in front of everyone after Lawrence exposes his corruption.

Joseph Tremblay is one of the two main antagonists (along with Cardinal Tedesco) in the 2024 political thriller film Conclave, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris.

In his portrayal, he is a corrupt Canadian cardinal who seeks to seize the papacy by force, humiliating one of his rivals, Cardinal Adeyemi, and bribing other cardinals to vote in his favor. Therefore, he is the arch-enemy of both Adeyemi and the protagonist himself, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence.

Tremblay possesses a professional, yet condescending demeanor, along with an egocentric and proud belief that he will be elected the next pope.

Cardinal Tremblay arrives at the Vatican after the Pope's death and quickly becomes one of the leading candidates for the papacy. However, rumors surface that he has been removed from his posts for "serious misconduct." During the conclave, Tremblay attempts to eliminate his rivals, especially Adeyemi, by manipulating situations to harm them and increase his own chances.

Cardinal Lawrence investigates the case and discovers secret documents revealing that Tremblay practiced simony, bribing cardinals to obtain votes and sabotaging opponents. Even after Bellini tries to hide the truth to prevent the election of another rival, Lawrence publicly exposes Tremblay's crimes.

Humiliated before the other cardinals and confirmed by Sister Agnes, Tremblay loses almost all support in the conclave. In the end, his candidacy fails completely, while Cardinal Benítez is elected the new Pope, leaving Tremblay defeated and silent.

Thomas Lawrence — Cardinal responsible for conducting the conclave after the Pope's death. Intelligent, calm, and torn by his own crisis of faith, he investigates the secrets and corruption hidden among the candidates for the papacy.

Goffredo Tedesco — An ultra-traditionalist and xenophobic Italian Cardinal. He wishes to restore ancient Church customs and defends extremist positions against modernism and Islam.

Aldo Bellini — A progressive Cardinal and close ally of Lawrence. Although he does not truly desire the papacy, he remains in the race to prevent Tedesco from assuming power.

Joshua Adeyemi — A conservative Nigerian cardinal and one of the frontrunners for the papacy. His candidacy is destroyed after an old scandal involving a nun is revealed.

Vincent Benítez — A mysterious cardinal from Kabul, secretly appointed by the late Pope. Humble, peaceful, and different from the others, he ends up winning over the cardinals and being elected the new Pope.

Sister Agnes — Supervisor of the nuns at the Vatican. Observant and discreet, she plays an important role in confirming Tremblay's crimes in front of everyone.

Janusz Woźniak — Prefect of the Papal Household responsible for the Pope's apartments. He is one of the first people to report suspicious information involving Tremblay.