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Pope Election Sparks Online Frenzy: TikTok Users Captivated by Vatican's Electoral Process

Week-long focus on the selection of a new pope dominates social media, with TikTok users sharing comedic skits and humorous memes centering around the significant Catholic Church ritual.

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Pope Election Sweeping Social Media: TikTok Users Share Skits and Memes, Focusing on Catholic...
Pope Election Sweeping Social Media: TikTok Users Share Skits and Memes, Focusing on Catholic Church Tradition

Here Comes Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope Steps into the Vatican Spotlight

Pope Election Sparks Online Frenzy: TikTok Users Captivated by Vatican's Electoral Process

The Catholic Church has a new leader. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as Pope Leo XIV, marking history as the first American pope. He made his initial public appearance at the Vatican to greet the faithful and deliver his inaugural prayer.

As the world eagerly awaited the selection of the next pope, social media buzzed with excitement. Content creators jumped on the bandwagon, turning the tradition into a digital spectacle they termed the "Catholic Superbowl" or the "Pope Games."

The conclave, a highly secretive ritual to pick a new pope, was held at the Vatican. A group of 133 cardinals from the College of Cardinals convened to vote through secret ballot, with a majority vote necessary to select the Catholic Church's new head.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, signaling a new pope had been chosen. The conclave later revealed that Cardinal Robert F. Prevost had been selected as the new leader of the Catholic Church, which boasts approximately 1.4 billion members worldwide.

For many Gen Z members, the 2025 conclave was their first memorable experience, as the last one took place in 2013. This event sparked surprise interest from this generation.

White Smoke Signals a New Pope

Nuns react to white smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney, signifying a new pope in the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (Marko Djurica/REUTERS)

Content creators on TikTok and Instagram kept the serious proceedings entertaining with sports-like coverage, christening the conclave the "Pope Games." The digital frenzy saw memes, songs, reality TV show spoofs, skits, and comparisons to the NFL draft reaching millions on social media, as reported by Axios.

TikTok Takes Over the Conclave

@heartthrobert

@venuzflytrapzzz

@thejasonforbes

An atheist TikToker's video wishing for Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to emerge victorious racked up over 4 million views. Tagle, popularly known as the "Asian Pope Francis," was a favorite among liberal TikTokers due to his casual demeanor and progressive views, as suggested in a column from the National Catholic Reporter.

The 2024 Oscar-winning film "Conclave" also saw a resurgence of interest after Pope Francis' passing. Social media users looked to clips from the movie for guidance on Vatican protocol during the conclave. The White House even joined in on the guessing game, with President Donald Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social.

Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV. As the first pope from North America, online jokes about American-ness quickly followed. Some liberals expressed hope that the new pontiff would lean politically left, including former Obama aide Jon Favreau, who celebrated the pope's past antipathy towards the Trump administration's immigration policy.

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Our website's Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this article.

Kristine Parks is an associate editor for our website Digital. Read more.

  1. Notrandompostsguy opines that the 2025 conclave, with its digital spectacle on social media, resembles a sports event, dubbing it the "Pope Games."
  2. As the new pope, Pope Leo XIV announces his papal name as Leo XIV, sparking jokes about his American-ness.
  3. Content creators on TikTok and Instagram, including @heartthrobert, @venuzflytrapzzz, and @thejasonforbes, produce entertainment content about the conclave, using sports-like coverage and memes.
  4. An atheist TikToker's video wishing for Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to win the conclave becomes popular, with over 4 million views, due to Tagle's casual demeanor and progressive views among liberal TikTokers.
  5. The Oscar-winning film "Conclave" experiences a resurgence of interest after Pope Francis' passing, with social media users seeking guidance on Vatican protocol during the conclave.
  6. Even the White House gets involved in the anticipation, with President Donald Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope on Truth Social.

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