Benedetta Di Placido is the Southern Europe correspondent for The European Correspondent outlet, and editorial manager of Generazione Magazine.
The upcoming papal election isn’t just a pivotal moment for the Catholic Church, it’s a full-blown Gen Z obsession. The Conclave is now trending, and what was once a solemn closed-door ritual has become a pop culture moment, complete with memes, fan cams and online debates.
On X, users are dissecting the “papabiles” like they’re fantasy football picks. And while last year’s hit film “Conclave” lit the spark of interest, TikTok poured gasoline on it, with videos of cardinals striding through St. Peter’s Square like they’re headlining Coachella, robes billowing, holy swagger intact.
In a wild twist of digital fate, Gen Z is transforming the most sacred of elections into the Vatican’s viral era.
But it also goes beyond that. Users are sharing their opinions on potential candidates, weighing the pros and cons of each cardinal. Their memes and anecdotes are assigning personalities to faces that were previously unknown to the public — and rightfully so.
In the history of an institution as old as the Catholic Church, few moments are as important as this upcoming Conclave. And Gen Z’s engagement marks a significant shift in how young people view religion: Long seen as an institution for the devout, for many Gen Zers, the Church and the papacy have become political and cultural issues.
Francis understood this shift and positioned himself at the crossroads of Gen Z’s most urgent concerns. With his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’,” he issued a forceful call to action on climate change, denouncing political leaders for their inaction and moral complacency. For a generation facing an uncertain future, his moral clarity filled the void left by governments that fail all too often to deliver credible solutions.
The same was true of Israel’s war on Gaza: While world leaders were busy debating military support and escalation, Francis was already appealing for a ceasefire.
All of this played a role in Gen Z’s heightened interest in the pope’s passing, as well as the upcoming Conclave. However, their interest is also driven by a lingering unease stemming from their generational anxieties. Francis never spoke with hostility, but his support for LGBTQ+ rights and women’s issues were whispered. And though his rhetoric signaled a shift in the Vatican’s tone, for many outside the Church, it was insufficient, leaving the Church seen as a relic of an older, exclusionary era.
So, with Francis’ progressive legacy in the balance, Gen Z is paying close attention to who succeeds him.
Nearly 70 percent of the cardinals eligible to vote were appointed by Francis himself — a striking number, but not enough to guarantee a future aligned with his vision. Moreover, several front-runners, including U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, are firmly rooted in the Church’s conservative wing, worlds apart from Francis, and even further from the values and preoccupations of younger generations.
Looking at the online discourse, though, three candidates have emerged as Gen Z favorites: The current standout is Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi — the Archbishop of Bologna, known for his progressive stance and alignment with Francis. Zuppi has taken bold steps to make the Church more inclusive, openly welcoming LGBTQ+ individuals, supporting blessings for same-sex couples, and hinting at broader recognition of same-sex unions within a Christian framework. While drawing sharp criticism from conservative factions, his positions have resonated with a younger and more progressive audience.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem appointed by Francis in 2020, is another emerging progressive favorite. Demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the Palestinian cause, he has expressed solidarity with Palestinian Christians facing marginalization in the Holy Land. He has also advocated for welcoming refugees and assuming responsibility for their care, and he’s pushed for women to be in leadership roles.
A third favorite is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from Manila in the Philippines. Speaking out against the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people and the exclusion of divorced and remarried individuals from receiving Communion, he’s considered the progressive standard-bearer of the Asian Church.
But Gen Z’s newfound interest isn’t just about religious identity — it’s also about power dynamics. As institutions like the Church are increasingly called to account for their role in shaping our society, the stakes of the Conclave go far beyond who occupies the papal throne. It speaks to the Church’s relationship with the next generation.
And young people are making their voices heard, expressing their preferences with unexpected, and unprecedented, energy. The question is, will the Conclave choose a pope who will move the Church closer to the issues that matter to Gen Z?
Reinforcing outdated doctrines and further alienating a generation already feeling disconnected from traditional religious institutions might not be the wisest move. This isn’t just about theology or liturgy — it’s about the very future of the pope as a leader.
Gen Z is demanding more from its institutions, and the Church’s response will determine whether it can remain relevant in the decades to come.
The post Why Gen Z cares about the next pope — and what it says about the Church appeared first on Politico.
