People who use the online platform TikTok may be tempted to take part in one take on fantasy football — only this one is built around who will be the next Pope.
The death of Pope Francis and all that surrounds this kind of event have drawn tens of millions to view media coverage. That is sure to continue as the Conclave of Cardinals begins on May 7 to choose Francis's successor.
The Washington Times reported that the Pope League on TikTok is the creation of Max (@itismaxhooray), who said, "There are 10 times the number of people in this sweepstakes as there are cardinals in the Catholic Church, making it bigger and therefore more legitimate than the real conclave."
The league reportedly runs much like fantasy football, and users get points based on how the cardinal they're rooting for does in the voting. The report said the TikTok game has essentially gone viral, with more than 2,000 participants signing up on the first day after being viewed more than 100,000 times.
A majority of the cardinals voting in the conclave were appointed by Pope Francis, leading to questions about whether the next Pope will be aligned with what some considered his left-leaning leadership or present a potentially more moderate approach to the church. The new league is attempting to tap into that level of interest.