Adapted from the book of the same name, “Conclave” is a gripping story about the election of a new pope, with the ups and downs of a fictional plot set against the real ideological battles waged every day between conservatives and conservatives. liberal groups within the Catholic Church.

But you don’t need to go to the movies like I did this weekend to experience this dramatic clash of values. You can watch it play out in a discussion about its closing. annual A week-long camp for mentally and physically disabled children and adults has been canceled by the Diocese of Manchester after 60 years of operation on the grounds that it violated “Catholic culture”.

Visible violation: Displaying a Pride flag during a camp session known as “Extraordinary Citizens Week,” The Guardian reported. New Hampshire Union Leader And WMUR. Two people I spoke to who were affiliated with camp programs run by the diocese and asked not to be named also said the closure was linked to the Pride flag.

The diocese operates two camps: Bernadette and Fatima, which hosts Exceptional Citizens Week for campers of all faiths. These offerings “exist to reflect the highest ideals of our camps and camp programs,” Bishop Peter A. Libasci wrote in a notice sent Oct. 18 to camp alumni, staff and volunteers. By their very nature, they must advance this common mission, create a strong and healthy Catholic culture, remain faithful to Church teaching, and most importantly, reinforce the values ​​of the Camps. These obligations supersede any program of the organization and are the reason why EC Week will not continue at Camp Fatima.” In response to an emailed request for comment, a spokesperson for the diocese said unspecified: “Code of Conduct violations have occurred at EC Week over the years… However, there have been no reported incidents of abuse.”

Hundreds of people expressed their anger at this decision Extraordinary Citizens Week Facebook page and some identified the Pride flag as motivation. A Facebook poster named Dana Wood, King of Chelmsford, told me that her 31-year-old daughter Maggie, who has extensive mental and physical disabilities, had “experienced things at Camp Fatima that she had never experienced” and that going there “was the best thing in our lives.” World.” As for the Catholic values ​​the bishop mentioned, he said: “You would think that they would welcome everyone, no matter what your abilities, no matter what their gender, no matter who they love.”

Such decisions are nothing new for the Catholic Church. Two years ago, Bishop Robert J. McManus said Worcester Nativity School could no longer call itself Catholic because school officials rejected his request to take down Black Lives Matter and Pride flags. “Having these flags flying in front of a Catholic school creates a mixed and confusing feeling.”, and gave a scandalous message to the public about the Church’s position on these important moral and social issues.” McManus wrote at the time.

But depending on your perspective, the real scandal lies in a church that is supposed to be about love and charity but makes harsh and discriminatory judgments about who is worthy of it. Even Pope Francis, the most welcoming of pontiffs when it comes to welcoming gay Catholics, has a history of sending mixed messages.

Like Recently summarized by the Associated Press: Francis, in his first press conference as pope, “Who am I to judge?” he said. when asked about a gay priest. He also told a gay man, “God created you this way and He loves you.” Later, after saying “Being homosexual is not a crime”, implying that it is a sin, he said: “When I said it was a sin, I was only referring to the Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual relationship outside of marriage is a crime.” a sin.” Francis signed a document allowing transgender people to be baptized and serve as godparents and approving blessings for same-sex couples. But he also said that gender confirmation surgery, along with abortion and euthanasia, was a violation of human dignity. Last May, he used a vulgar term for gay men and apologized for it.

This pope is certainly under great pressure from the conservative wing of the church; this reflects the pressures dramatized in the “Conclave”; By the way, it’s worth seeing just to watch Isabella Rossellini. As Sister Agnes, deliver the following sentence: “Even though we sisters are invisible, God still gave us eyes and ears.” What has been said about the role of Catholic women deserves an article in itself, especially after a month-long summit at the Vatican ended with a call for women to have more leadership roles. but without greater equality.

These civil wars at the highest levels of the Catholic Church are more than just plot points for a book or movie. With the cancellation of Exceptional Citizens Week, campers and their families are losing something precious: a place that values ​​love and inclusion for all. So is the church.

Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @joan_vennochi.