A fantasy league to choose the Pope? It exists and you shouldn't miss it

This Wednesday, the Sistine Chapel will become the stage for the conclave, a crucial event in the history of the Catholic Church in which more than 100 cardinal electors will lock themselves in to decide who will be the next Pope. This traditional selection process involves multiple rounds of voting, a system that has been maintained over the years, but has also generated renewed interest in public participation through digital platforms.

Fantasy football, but choosing your dad

In this context, the video game Fantapapa has captured the attention of 75,000 participants who have been able to engage playfully in the papal selection process. In this game, users must form a team of 11 cardinals, choosing those they believe are most likely to be selected as the new pontiff. “You must choose 11 cardinals. The one you think is most likely to be selected as Pope is your captain,” explained Pietro Pace, one of the creators of Fantapapa, in an interview with Euro News.

This approach, reminiscent of a Catholic fantasy football style, also refers to an older method of selecting Popes. Before the implementation of the Conclave, Roman citizens could participate in the election of the pontiff, reflecting the importance and power that this position entails both locally and internationally.

The creators of Fantapapa, Mauro Vanetti and Pietro Pace, see their project as a fun way to engage the public in such a significant event. “It’s a historic event, and we thought it would be interesting to approach it from a lighter side, but based on real data”, they stated, highlighting the relevance of religious hierarchy in contemporary politics.

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