Robert Harris examines absolute papal power in Conclave

By Susan Chenery
Updated December 14 2016 - 1:09pm, first published December 2 2016 - 11:00pm
Robert Harris doesn't want to waste time on anything but writing his books. Photo: supplied
Robert Harris doesn't want to waste time on anything but writing his books. Photo: supplied

The great stone walls of the Vatican. The dome of St Peter's Basilica that hovers above the city of Rome. The shafts of celestial light that drift through the great church. The marble floors, the pillars, the colossal statues of saints. So vast that humans are as small as ants. A flash of red, a cardinal among the ceaseless crowds of tourists. A sliver of purple, a bishop.