Sinning with the father

Showmax is blessing viewers with the unmissable 10-episode first season of drama series The Young Pope before anyone else on the continent. What makes it a must-see, regardless of your faith? Well, there’s the ridiculously awesome and accurate costumes and sets that put you in the middle of the Vatican City. Plus, there are twists, turns and backstabbing around every corner for drama fans.

But what’s going to grab viewers’ attention most is the man in the middle – Pope Pius XIII, played by the devilishly fabulous Jude Law. Born Lenny Belardo and the former Archbishop of New York, Pope Pius is thrust into the limelight as leader of the Catholic world. The role comes with stress and pressure, so we’re okay with the young Pope committing one or two minor “sins”. After all, how do you argue with a “spiritually divine leader” who says that “every rule has its exceptions”?

Here are Pope Pius’s commandments … to himself.

Thou shalt be allowed a healthy ego

He’s one of the most famous people in the world, so surely Lenny’s allowed a bit of a superiority complex? It’s not like he’s setting his bodyguards on unsuspecting fans who just want an autograph. Using his position as God’s representative on Earth means that it’s okay to press that nifty little buzzer under his desk to summon a minion with a half-baked excuse about “nap time” or “time to take your afternoon vitamins” to end a boring meeting early.

Thou shalt be allowed to throw the cat among the pigeons

The Catholic church is steeped in history and tradition. But that’s ancient history for Pope Pius. He has new ideas, new thoughts and a new way of doing things. Does that upset his cardinals, bishops and the Vatican publicist? Of course! Does Pius care? No way! In fact, he’s not even bothered about the special chef who’s been brought in to prepare his meals. Instead, he has a can of Cherry Coke and a smoke for breakfast and no one can argue.

Thou shalt be allowed a vice or two

The young Pope needs to relieve the stress of running one of the most important (and wealthiest) faiths in the world. For Lenny, that means doing two things: playing tennis and smoking. Sure, the latter isn’t the healthiest option, but hey – he wasn’t always a man of the cloth, and once your body’s used to nicotine, it’s difficult to give up. At least he’s counterbalancing it by getting in some cardio on the tennis court, even if he plays in his vestments and a wide-brimmed hat that make running around like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal nigh impossible.

Thou shalt be allowed to wield thy power with prejudice

He’s the Pope … and that means he has a lot of power. And it’s not like Pope Pius asked for the job – he was handed his seat by the papal conclave, a gathering of powerful bishops who vote for their new leader. Would it not be wrong to do the job you’ve been charged with and lead by example? So when Pope Pius chooses to send troublesome church elders to remote destinations, like, say, Alaska, no one should argue and they should do as they’re told. It’s not like they won’t be given gloves, a warm overcoat and a first-class plane ticket…

Thou shalt be allowed to keep thy past a secret

When the young Pope takes office, precious few in the Vatican are aware of his past. And we’re not talking about something small like an arrest or two – it turns out Pope Pius really is spiritually divine and in his youth, he literally saved lives just by praying and touching people. That’s been kept hush-hush with a fib or two by his most trusted ally in the church, his “adoptive” mother-figure Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), who also happens to be his new private secretary.