What are the Pope Games? Inside TikTok’s conclave obsession

The conclave was briefly the world’s most riveting ‘sporting’ event

A hot new high-stakes competition show went viral on the internet this week that had fans placing bets, joining fantasy leagues, tweeting live updates, and posting daily recaps. But it wasn’t Love Island or Survivor. It was the conclave.  The conclave is the Catholic Church’s traditional process for picking a new pope. It involves sequestering dozens of cardinals in a locked-down Sistine Chapel for an indefinite period, during which time they us…

What are the Pope Games? Inside TikTok’s conclave obsession

The process to elect the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church involves confiscated phones, blacked-out windows and high-stakes diplomacy – which also makes it perfect fodder for social media obsession.

Why Do Young People Care About The 2025 Conclave Timeline?

Something we didn’t see for 2025? Catholicism is going viral. The death of Pope Francis has triggered a 2025 conclave hot on the heels of a well-timed Oscar-winning film. And, the papal election is starting to feel like the newest reality TV show, and TikTok is lighting up with users cutting the traditional rite to episodes of The Real Housewives and RuPaul’s Drag Race as cardinal’s embark on the hunt for Pope Francis’s replacement. “Conclave 20…