Omg…this is just like ‘Conclave’ the movie…
The 2025 Papal conclave hasn’t just sparked global religious interest—it has ignited a meme-fueled frenzy across social media. In the wake of Pope Francis’s death on April 21, the internet is treating the election of the next pope like the Oscars, the Met Gala, and the Iowa caucus rolled into one, fueled largely by the hit 2024 film Conclave. From parody accounts like Pope Crave (@ClubConcrave) endorsing their favorite (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle) to memes about cardinals with names like “Pizzaballa,” it’s clear: the Vatican may be sealed off, but the timeline is wide open.
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Pope Francis was considered progressive by papal standards, and now the battle is on to see whether they’ll elect another left-leaning guy, or maybe the first Black pope, criticised by the right even though he is one of the more conservative options. We’ve got movie-level Catholic drama here, folks.
The election of a new pope is always huge news, and the 2025 Papal conclave is the first one since the early social media days. When it happens so soon after a hit film came out about the process, which saw its own meme explosion, what we’re seeing today was inevitable.
The film Conclave was a critical success and fueled interest in the election that the Catholic church hasn’t seen since long before we had the internet, TV, or films. What was once a blip in the news for non-Catholics is now an official trending topic on X. The Pope Crave account—a huge fan of the movie and all-around Pope meme source—is going wild. “May God grant us a Pope who is progressive and Filipino, amen,” they wrote, endorsing Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Fans of Pope Francis are hoping for a similar choice, such as Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle—a progressive who would be the first Filipino pick. There is also the liberal Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a favorite among meme fans because he’s an Italian with the word “pizza” in his name.
On the right, there’s a highly entertaining fight going on over the conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea. Moderate conservatives crave his promised return to the Pope Benedict XVI era doctrine. Go further right, however, and you’ll soon find people furious at the very thought of a Black pope.
How does a Papal conclave work?
After the death (or rare resignation) of a pope, the College of Cardinals meets and 138 electors gather to discuss and vote. They seal the doors for every session, keeping the proceedings as concealed as possible.
The cardinals vote with secret, handwritten ballots, and any candidate needs a two-thirds majority. If they can’t reach this consensus, they’ll repeat the voting process for up to three days. If this fails for a third day, they burn the ballots, sending up black smoke to signal that they’re going back to the discussion phase.
Once they reach a two-thirds consensus, they create white smoke to signal that a new pope is born. That man then must accept the office, choose his new name, change into his fancy clothes, and greet the public.
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