Vatican goes viral: TikTokers fascinated by pope election

As the world waited this week to see who would be elected the next pope, the major event also took social media by storm, with content creators weighing in with memes and comedic skits about the tradition they dubbed the "Catholic Superbowl."

The conclave — the highly secretive ritual of selecting a new pope — began on Wednesday, following Pope Francis' death on April 21. A group of 133 cardinals from the College of Cardinals met at the Vatican to vote through secret ballot, with a two-thirds majority required to select the Catholic Church's next leader.

On Thursday afternoon, white smoke was seen billowing from the Sistine Chapel, signaling a new pope had been elected. The conclave later announced that Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church — which has around 1.4 billion members worldwide.

For some members of Generation Z, it was the first conclave they really remembered – the last took place in 2013 – and they took a surprising interest in the hallowed tradition.

WHITE SMOKE OVER SISTINE CHAPEL AS NEW POPE CHOSEN

Nuns react to white smoke from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a new pope has been elected, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (Marko Djurica/REUTERS)

Content creators on TikTok and Instagram playfully covered the solemn proceedings this week as if it were a sports contest, with popular accounts dubbing the conclave the "Catholic Superbowl" or the "Pope Games." 

The conclave inspired memes, songs, reality television show parodies, skits and comparisons to the NFL draft that have reached millions of views on social media, Axios reported.

Even social media users without any religious beliefs weighed in with their choices for the next pope. One video from an atheist TikToker wishing that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle would emerge the winner, has racked up over 4 million views. 

Tagle was dubbed the "Asian Pope Francis" and appeared to be a favorite among liberal TikTokers because of his approachable demeanor and progressive views, according to a columnist at National Catholic Reporter.

‘CONCLAVE’ DIRECTOR SAYS CONTROVERSIAL SCENES IN MOVIE ABOUT PAPAL ELECTIONS ‘NOT A TAKEDOWN OF THE CHURCH’

Ralph Fiennes starred in the 2024 Oscar-winning film, "Conclave," which has seen a surge of interest in recent weeks after the death of Pope Francis. (Alamy)

Social media users also took inspiration from clips from the 2024 Oscar-winning film "Conclave," which experienced a spike in streaming since the death of Pope Francis in April.

Politico reported that some cardinals who have never experienced a conclave before looked to the film for guidance on Vatican protocol and proceedings.

The White House also joined in the online speculation over the new pope last week, with President Donald Trump jokingly posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social. 

President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social on Friday, May 2, 2025. (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

Prevost, the first pope ever from North America, chose the papal name Leo XIV.

Social media users were quick to make jokes about the new pontiff being an American. 

Some liberals hoped the new pontiff would share their political leanings, including former Obama aide Jon Favreau, who cheered the pope for his past posts criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policy.

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Fox News' Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this article.