Can miracles happen?

That's the question pondered on The New Pope Season 1 Episode 7 as Lenny finally comes out of his coma and leaves Rome to recover.

And while the show is still hard to follow, at least we got some Jude Law eye candy at the beginning of the hour when he walked out of the ocean and strolled down the boardwalk with nothing on than a very skimpy white bathing suit.

So, the question might be -- is Lenny's recovery a miracle? Is it a sign from God that he should be in the Papal seat rather than Pope John?

Lenny certainly seems as though he is a better fit for the job. 

Unlike Pope John, he doesn't make himself out to be something that he's not.

He was resting at a friend's home and was asked by them to cure their son, Eric. Lenny said straight out that he doesn't perform miracles and wasn't about to pretend he was some sort of saint.

I am not a saint. I did not rise from the dead. And I don't perform miracles.

Lenny

• Permalink: I am not a saint. I did not rise from the dead. And I don't perform miracles.

Yet, he tried anyway. And not because he wanted to impress his friends, but because he wanted to show them that what they were creating in their minds about him was nothing more than myth.

Still, in the end, he wanted to show them a "miracle" before he left to go back to Rome, and in that vision, Eric was rising to the light.

Whether or not that means that Eric is dying or Eric will be healed is unclear, but something's going on with Lenny, whether he wants to admit it or not.

And the truth of it is that when he was on his knees begging for God to make Eric a "man" again, the miracle that was happening wasn't with Eric but with Pope John.

At that moment, Pope John confessed all his faults to Gutierrez, including the fact that he stole his brother's writings after his death and claimed them as his own.

So, if you think about that, Lenny's miracle was that he made Pope John a man because it had to be hard as hell for Sir John to admit to any wrongdoing. 

He's a fraud. He knows he's a fraud, and now Gutierrez knows it, too.

Gutierrez, of course, isn't going to do anything about it. The only loyalty he has is to himself. 

And the only reason he's on Pope John's side is because Pope John is going to open the door for homosexuality not to be a sin in the eyes of the Church and change the rules for priests who are homosexual.

Lenny, on the other hand, won't tolerate that because he's a man of God. 

And whether or not changing the rules regarding homosexuality is the right thing to do in the whole scheme of things, the fact is that according to the Word of God, it's a sin.

However, there's also a conflict in Lenny's thinking.

It's clear he harbors some feelings for Esther much in the same way Pope John harbors feelings for Sofia.

Lenny's hell, apparently, is that he can be surrounded by naked and fawning women (i.e., the opening sequence), and there's nothing he can do about it.

Dia: You know what hell is like?
Lenny: Yes, I do.

• Permalink: You know what hell is like?

He wants to do it, and he'll test the waters, even if getting as close to Esther as he did was just in his head, but he won't act on it.

So, does that make him a better Pope than Pope John? 

The other point to consider is that while Lenny has an ego, his ego isn't as blown out of proportion as Pope John's. 

Pope John needs validation from everyone around him because he doesn't know what his identity is.

Lenny doesn't need validation and isn't seeking validation, either. 

People love him for who he is and what he represents (even if they don't agree with his views), without him lying about things or changing policy to make himself popular.

They're both flawed, but who would you rather have in the Papal seat?

Someone who is true to the Bible and the teachings of the Church? Or someone who wants to change policy because it'll make him more popular?

It begs the question about the purpose of the Church. Are they going to go off on a whim to satisfy popular opinion or stay true to their foundation?

If they change policy due to popular opinion, how can they then claim to be the messengers of God if they change and interpret God's words to suit their needs?

And that's why Lenny is going back to Rome to take back the Papal chair, presumably.

He would have been more than happy to stay in the shadows enjoying life without Rome, but he knows that he needs to take the Church back and set it back on the path where it belongs.

Now that we know Pope John is a fraud, it's more clear than ever that he would have no problem getting rid of the enemy.

And with Gutierrez on Pope John's side, Lenny has a battle ahead of him.

Whose side each of the other main cardinals takes is going to be telling as well why they would be taking such positions.

Voiello just wants his job back, so he'll side with whoever will get him what he wants. And the rest of them are the same way -- it's all about their self-serving needs and not about what's good for the Church or their followers.

It's a great question to consider in terms of any religion. What is the truth behind the reasons people preach what they're preaching?

Over to you!

What do you think will happen when Lenny gets back to Rome?

Will Pope John try to kill him, or will he retreat?

Whose side will Spalletta take? What about Sofia?

Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

If you need to catch up, you can watch The New Pope online right here via TV Fanatic.