“No other religion goes as hard”: Did Pope Crave, the “Conclave” parody account on X, recieve official Vatican credentials?

Pope Crave, initially a parody fan account on X, launched in December 2024 by artist Susan Bin.

At first, it spoofed celebrity culture accounts by covering the 2024 film Conclave with memes and fan art. But when Pope Francis died in April 2025, the account pivoted to real-time coverage of the actual papal conclave—and attracted nearly 100,000 followers fast.

Rather than just sharing memes, Pope Crave evolved into a hybrid platform: vibrant Discord discussions with over 200 members, a contributor-driven fan zine, and charitable efforts raising between $45,000 and $75,000 for causes like intersex and human rights.

Is Pope Crave actually accredited now?

On July 18, the account posted a screenshot allegedly confirming it had received press credentials from the Holy See Press Office—the Vatican’s official media arm. That means Pope Crave is now formally recognized as a member of the press corps covering Vatican affairs.

“(BREAKING) Pope Crave has received the divine mandate of the Holy See Press Office!” they wrote on X.

To receive credentials from the Holy See Press Office, media outlets typically need to prove they’re actively reporting on Vatican affairs.

That means submitting recent coverage, verifying editorial staff, and passing a formal review by Vatican authorities. Accreditation gives press access to in-person briefings, official events, and sometimes closed-door moments like papal conclaves or addresses.

A follow-up post showed a badge with the caption, “The Vatican hates to see us coming.”

We reached out to Pope Crave via DM on X to confirm the badge’s authenticity. They replied, “Developing story! 🤗 But we’ll keep y’all posted 💕”

Of note, Pope Crave released the latest edition of their Conclave zine just days later.

The internet is eating it up

Online reactions to the news were quick—and very supportive.

“Watching Pope Crave go from an entertainment account, to an actual knowledgeable resource, to breaking exclusives, and now actually becoming a part of papal history is easily one of the coolest social media journeys I’ve witnessed,” one user wrote on X.

“This is the best thing I’ve seen today. Congratulations Pope Crave,” another shared.

Under the post itself, commenters added:

“I’m not even a Catholic, but I’ve indeed enjoyed your content throughout the conclave. Congrats!”

“An icon. I remember following you when you had like 4k followers and were just a stan account.”

“Catholic church having it’s own gossip account… no other religion goes as hard, i fear,” a third commenter jokes. 

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