Gen Z social media mob proclaims next Pope. The spectacular instead of the sacred.

What made Tagle such a popular figure are also some clips that have become “memes” on the web

“Our favorite is him, the Asian Francis”: the social media cheering for Cardinal Tagle. Here’s why he’s Gen Z’s favorite at the Conclave

Smartphones in the air and a shower of memes have made the conclave more social than ever. The election of the new Pope began on Wednesday, May 7, and St. Peter’s Square was immediately crowded and ended momentarily with black smoke. In the meantime, the first memes have started to go viral on the web, and Generation Z has already made its choice. Its favorite Pope is Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, nicknamed the “Asian Francis”.

Tagle has become such a popular figure thanks to some clips that have become memes in just a few hours. In one, he laughs and says: “I know three words in Polish: kielbasa, pierniczki and vodka”. In another, he sings “Imagine” by John Lennon. But this performance has raised an indignant reaction from some conservative Catholic circles. The LifeSiteNews website commented: “Shocking”, adding that “the lyrics of the song directly contradict Catholic doctrine”. On X, it reads: “An atheist hymn that rejects religion, heaven and the kingship of Christ”.

The response from the web, however, was not long in coming. Thousands of users have sided with the cardinal. “He sang a song about world peace. If that’s really the most filth you can find about him, he’d make a great pope”, wrote one user. Another added: “God forbid a pastor advocates for peace”.

Cathcon:  He sang a bowdlerised version of the song without the wicked atheism.   He is still effectively promoting the evil lyric.

Not everyone, however, is in favor of this “social exposure” of the process of choosing the new pontiff. Also taking a stand was Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Filipino like Tagle and considered among the papabili. In a post on Facebook he wrote: “Creating or sharing videos of election campaigns, even with good intentions, risks turning a sacred discernment into a worldly spectacle. It could inadvertently pressure or politicize the consciences of voters and distract from the silence and prayer needed to truly hear the voice of the Spirit.”

Source