The internet is having fun with the announcement of the new pope. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected the 267th pope on Thursday, May 8, after two days of voting. Prevost (who will go by Pope Leo XIV) was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania, making him the first American pope in history. His Chicago roots are spurring countless TV-themed tweets in response. Before those tweets, the announcement caused a hilarious interruption on the Jenna & Friends hour of Today.
Matt Rogers, actor and cohost of the popular Las Culturistas podcast with Saturday Night Live‘s Bowen Yang, is currently cohosting Jenna & Friends with Jenna Bush Hager. Rogers called Yang via FaceTime for an interview with Hager when, suddenly, the new pope announcement interrupted them mid-call. Viewers clipped the video and posted it on social media.
“The announcement of a new pope coming as we all knew it would: interrupting Jenna Bush Hager interviewing Bowen Yang by FaceTime,” an X (formerly known as Twitter) user captioned the video, which shows Hager and Yang talking and Rogers smiling big as an “Election of the Pope” title card cuts off the interview. NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt appears right after, preparing to go live with the new pope news.
The announcement of a new pope coming as we all knew it would: interrupting Jenna Bush Hager interviewing Bowen Yang by FaceTime pic.twitter.com/gnyplIDWgj
— Steve Morris (@stevemorris__) May 8, 2025
One X/Twitter user joked this moment was like an “Other Two episode button.”
There are a lot of TV-themed responses about the new pope in general on Twitter and BlueSky. Social media’s full of posts about the new pope having been to WalMart, serving deep dish pizza in Italy, references to The Bear (which is set in Chicago) and, of course, to Conclave, 2024’s Oscar-winning film about electing a new pope. A fan account called Pope Crave was created because Conclave. The account got so popular, the person who runs it was in Vatican City on Thursday to cover the real-life conclave on social media.
“The pope is set to direct multiple episodes of The Bear,” one Twitter user joked.
“Dick Wolf’s CHICAGO POPE coming this fall to NBC,” teased another.
“DA POPE,” another user posted, referencing the “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” SNL sketch.
“Walton Goggins as Chicago Pope will go crazy on SNL this weekend,” posted another user.
Goggins is hosting the penultimate episode of SNL Season 50 this Saturday, May 10, to promote his HBO shows, The White Lotus and The Righteous Gemstones, the latter of which just aired its series finale on May 4. The religious comedy had Goggins make a fake show called Teenjus (a.k.a. Teen Jesus) in the final season and play Teenjus himself. It’s hard to imagine that SNL won’t capitalize on having the Uncle Baby Billy as host right when a new pope has been chosen.
It’s been a fun day on the internet, to say the least. See some of the funniest social media reactions to the new pope news in the roundup below.
the pope is set to direct multiple episodes of the bear
— bald ann dowd (@ali_sivi) May 8, 2025
DA POPE pic.twitter.com/V6vVObfK0a
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) May 8, 2025
Walton Goggins as Chicago Pope will go crazy on SNL this weekend
— Paul McCallion (@OrangePaulp) May 8, 2025
you’re welcome
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog.lol) May 8, 2025 at 1:52 PM
feels like this was the music they should’ve used to announce him
— Mike Drucker (@mikedrucker.bsky.social) May 8, 2025 at 1:40 PM
— Steve Morris (@stevemorris__) May 8, 2025
Love the lil flex when they realise they just became the most famous bird in the world.
— Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) May 8, 2025 at 12:26 PM
the seagull: https://t.co/t0bHhlqEHR pic.twitter.com/2SRJhFBW0F
— Saint Hoax (@SaintHoax) May 8, 2025
a pope that has been to wawa
— maha (@mahaaaay) May 8, 2025
THIS IS TAKING ME OUT 😭 pic.twitter.com/jCES3NqIm9
— not lena (@bluegreytan) May 8, 2025
Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago — introducing himself pic.twitter.com/kEcZvD26nf
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) May 8, 2025
dick wolf’s CHICAGO POPE coming this fall to nbc
— Alison Herman (@aherman2006) May 8, 2025
yoooo we got a Pope that’s been to WalMart now
— lea (@bigfatmoosepssy) May 8, 2025
nobody who’s ever been to walmart should be pope i’m sorry
— sabrina ✭ (@whisperyzarry) May 8, 2025
imagine growing up in chicago and becoming pope just so you can move to italy and tell people you prefer deep dish
— erin chack (@ErinChack) May 8, 2025
New Pope serving the body of Christ at mass pic.twitter.com/retLuaWp0o
— Asscela Express 🚅 (@biz_socks) May 8, 2025
The Pope probably: AND WHEN I’M BACK IN CHICAGO I FEEL ITTTTT
— ًً (@spidysnse) May 8, 2025
Dean of the College of Cardinals who is going to be okay pic.twitter.com/TlffRW8FFp
— Focus Features (@FocusFeatures) May 8, 2025
Chicago Pope, Tuesdays on NBC
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) May 8, 2025
from ope to pope. send tweet
— demi adejuyigbe (@electrolemon) May 8, 2025
Chicago pope pic.twitter.com/FGfUPfrW8t
— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) May 8, 2025
The father, the son and da Bears, amiright?
— Ali B (@wtflanksteak) May 8, 2025
new pope is cousin! from hit show the bear
— Lolo (@LolOverruled) May 8, 2025
CHICAGO POPE. NO MORE BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HAIL MARYS! pic.twitter.com/qFXpp6AaqX
— Tony Bearprano (@BearsSopranos) May 8, 2025
CHICAGO POPE HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE BEAR
— Travis Helwig (@travishelwig) May 8, 2025
This is the traditional time when the pope-elect tells the dean of the college of cardinals that he is intersex.
— Guy Branum (@guybranum) May 8, 2025
on sunday we will find out that nathan fielder helped the cardinals rehearse their conclave
— bald ann dowd (@ali_sivi) May 8, 2025
how it feels being a conclave fan and seeing the white smoke pic.twitter.com/KM7DBsFGJP
— gab (@kenobitrinity) May 8, 2025
learning there’s a new pope via pope crave. the way the catholic church intended.
— monica (@waystarroyhoe) May 8, 2025
the pope from chicago receiving a message from god pic.twitter.com/leYJd6liu9
— patrick. (@imPatrickT) May 8, 2025
Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to know exactly what Dave Matthews did on Aug. 8, 2004.
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) May 8, 2025
The Rizzler is 3 degrees of separation from the new Pope https://t.co/5mOt3am1Z7 pic.twitter.com/rbxTrAqo7R
— carl marks (@lethalrejection) May 8, 2025
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