A. Widhi on Vaticanboo Era

Pope Leo XIV waving outside ITA Airways airplane

Cardinal Dominique Mamberti at a Mass at Saint Peter Basilica

For last one year, I’ve been following Vatican fandom, from Pope to clergy members in Vatican City. I follow Vatican fandom because of Pope Leo XIV and Catholic figures, mainly cardinals who I liked a lot. My love of Pope Leo XIV made me invented Vaticanboo term which is inspired by weeaboo. Vaticanboo made Vatican City my favorite microstate during my three decades of live. Vatican City inspires me for years, but I only entered Vatican fandom in late April to early May 2025.

How do I following Vatican fandom and declaring myself as Vaticanboo? After death of Pope Francis on 21st April 2025, I started to follow Vatican fandom a bit because I was looking forward for the future Pope. During Pope Francis era, I only followed Vatican fandom a bit because I had so many interests which are changing frequently. Days before conclave, I saw, read, and heard news about the papabili or Pope candidates online which was the starting point of the Vaticanboo journey.

Prior of 2025 conclave, I learned about cardinals who are a level below the Pope who are going to be the next Pope. After following pre-conclave news, there were cardinal electors from different countries, even countries like Sweden, Myanmar, until South Sudan have cardinals. I knew that cardinals who participated on 2025 conclave are coming from 71 countries which is huge number as Pope Francis created cardinals from countries and archdioceses without cardinals during his pontificate. I thanked Pope Francis for cardinals from different countries, including countries with low Catholic populace.

In 2025, I had many favorite papabili, mainly liberal and moderate cardinals as I’m moderate to liberal leaning person. My picks on 2025 conclave were Cardinal Matteo Zuppi from Italy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline from France, and cardinals from smaller countries like Luxembourg. I was the big fan of them prior of 2025 conclave because I thought that world needed the reformist leaders. However, there were no campaigns on conclave as conclave is the religious event unlike presidential election.

During 2025 conclave on 7th and 8th May 2025, I was anxious to wait the next Pope after Pope Francis. I became anxious on conclave despite being non-Catholic because I worried that the next Pope could be conservative or traditionalist and wrecking policies of the previous Pope. During this time, I thought that the next Pope could be the liberal one and/or comes from an Asian or African country. Then, I gave up about the conclave results after first few ballots.

When I checked my phone on 9th May 2025 in the morning and I searched Pope keyword, I found that the elected Pope is Pope Leo XIV, previously Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago, Illinois, USA. When I found out about the election of Pope Leo XIV, I laughed because his papal name is the scientific name of lion and the zodiac name. Since then, Pope Leo XIV is my favorite Pope and head of state during my three decades of live. I became starstruck with Pope Leo XIV since the election in May 2025.

Why do I became starstruck with Pope Leo XIV? After the election of Pope Leo XIV, I frequently looked for Pope contents online and I instantly liked him since beginning. For me, Pope Leo XIV changed me as the person because of his calm facial expression and he supports peace issue. I fell in love more with Pope Leo XIV after seeing him on Regina Caeli prayer on Sunday after the election because I like his singing voice.

Beside of the Pope, I also like the cardinals who are as interesting as him. I’m into the cardinals because they’re the important parts on Catholic Church and looked interesting to me. Cardinals who I liked are mostly Europeans from Italy, France, even Sweden, Africans, Latin Americans, North Americans, and few Asians like Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines who is Roman Curial member like Pope Leo XIV few years prior elected as the Pope on 8th May 2025. For me, cardinals are fairly similar with entertainers and athletes, but wiser and cleaner, plus they’re also attractive despite being much older.

After Pope Leo XIV, I also becoming starstruck with the cardinals for several reasons. The first cardinals who made me starstruck are Cardinal Matteo Zuppi from Italy and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines because they were the liberal and reformist cardinals. Then, there comes Cardinal Pietro Parolin from Italy who is the main papabile, he is the current Secretary of State who has been on this position since 2013 during Pope Francis pontificate, he’s similar to Prime Minister and refers as the vice Pope. And don’t forget the cardinal who announced Pope election, cardinal protodeacon who I liked since beginning, he’s Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, French cardinal who announced Pope Leo XIV on 8th May 2025, I liked him because of his facial expression when announcing the new Pope and he comes from Italian descent.

How does Vatican City becoming my favorite microstate? Vatican City is the center of Catholic Church for centuries and the global moral compass in time of the turmoil in different parts of the world, from Gaza genocide to national political polarization. Vatican City declared as the independent state in 1929 within Lateran Treaty signed by Italian Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, King Vittorio Emanuele III, and Pope Pius XI after an issue lasted during 1870–1929. Vatican City is the distinct country with theocracy ideology.

Anyway, what is Vaticanboo? I invented Vaticanboo during 2025 after Pope Leo XIV elected as 267th Pope and I instantly starstruck with him since beginning. For starters, Vaticanboo is the people who obsessed with Vatican City, papacy, and Catholicism. Vaticanboo is derived from weeaboo, non-Japanese people who obsessed with Japanese culture like manga and anime. Vaticanboo is similar with weeaboo for Japanese culture and Koreaboo for Korean culture, but wiser and cleaner.

After becoming Vaticanboo, I mostly seeing, reading, and hearing Vatican news online, from news site, especially Vatican News which is my favorite news site since mid-2025 to TikTok. As a Vaticanboo, I know a lot about Vatican City, papacy, until the cardinals, but not as much as the others. I become a Vaticanboo because of Pope Leo XIV and the cardinals from different countries. Vaticanboo makes me eager to learn more about Vatican City and Catholicism despite being non-Catholic.

Why do I decided to become a Vaticanboo? One day in 2025, I read an article about which explained about celebrity culture after Pope Leo XIV elected. After reading that article, I realized that celebrity culture isn’t long lasting. Then, I became drawn into Vatican stuffs as Catholic Church is almost 2.000 years old which is the oldest institution in the world. Catholic Church lifespan is far longer than most kingdoms and dynasties which are vanished after centuries due to conflicts until colonization and also modern countries because there were modern countries which didn’t lasting for centuries like Soviet Union. Cleric career span is also longer than career spans in entertainment and sports industry where clerics are serving to the Church for live.

What happened after I become a Vaticanboo? I mainly following Vatican news online including on social media on regular basis and I still follow current affairs until sports news despite drawn to Vatican stuffs. My favorite public figures are Popes, cardinals, until nuns from different countries. Being a Vaticanboo made me know more public figures from different countries, not just politicians, entertainers, and athletes.

Being Vaticanboo taught me several things which made I changed within one year. First, Catholic Church has been existing for almost 2.000 years as the oldest institution in the world and lasts longer than most kingdoms and dynasties, even modern countries. Second, cleric career span is generally longer than entertainment and sports industry which tend to have shorter career spans due to aging and changing tastes. Finally, Pope is not only a religious leader, but also head of state and moral figure of the world regardless the backgrounds.