There’s a new pope in town, and he’s kinda a jerk—at least according to this worker.
Pope Francis died just under a month ago, and there’s a new guy (always a guy) taking his place.
Pope Francis is leaving behind a legacy of creating a more inclusive and welcoming Catholic Church, calling on the integration of marginalized communities, like LGBTQ+ people and migrants. He was also vocal about the socioeconomic impacts of climate change and the need to address the global issue.
Replacing him is 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope (though he spent many years in Peru and is a dual citizen), the BBC reported.
Pope Leo is expected to continue with Francis’ legacy of reforming the church in favor of migrants, the poor, and the environment, but it is unclear where he stands on other social issues. The new pope has also been accused of mishandling or failing to act on reports of sexual abuse in the church, The Washington Post reported.
While Leo has yet to show what kind of pope he’ll be, some people are already passing judgments about what he’s like when he’s not in the public eye.
Is the new pope a jerk?
Dylan shouldn’t be telling us this—he literally signed an NDA—but he’s going to anyway.
“All of the people I’m gonna share tea about are currently locked up in a conclave, so I figured I would spread some goss,” he says.
In a trending video with more than 210,000 views, filmmaker Dylan Guerra (@dilbertreigns) claims that he’s been working in Rome for the past two weeks on a documentary about the election of the new pope and getting interviews with the candidates.
He says the film is a “not-yet-announced” Werner Herzog documentary. The filmmaker behind docs like 2005’s Grizzly Man and narrative classics like Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) has, indeed, yet to announce a documentary project on the papal election.
Guerra specifically says he works in specialty craft services, which involves tailored food (like making sure dietary restrictions are met and specific food orders are taken) for crew and guests.
Because of this, Guerra allegedly ended up chatting with several of the candidates while taking their food requests.
What did the potential popes order to eat?
Here’s his verdict on each of them:
- Robert Francis Prevost (aka the new pope) from the U.S. – “[Expletive] nightmare. He was so rude.” The new pope “demanded” his food in a specific way, saying the onions on his burger needed to be sautéed and he needed his blue cheese on the side. “Really specific, really demanding stuff.” On top of that, Guerra claimed he wouldn’t look him in the eyes.
- Matteo Zuppi from Italy – “We flippin’ love.” Guerra said he was rooting for him to win, especially since Zuppi is pro-LGBTQ+ inclusion (and has performed same-sex marriage ceremonies). “Woke pope,” Guerra called him. On the food side, Zuppi wanted a charcuterie board and requested carbonara from a specific restaurant, “which I was happy to get.” Guerra added that Zuppi is a “fun nice guy” who would sit and chat. “He had just such a vibe.”
- Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle from the Philippines – “Also a really nice guy,” though Guerra noted he’s more conservative. He also shared that Tagle shakes hands with both of his hands, “which I really loved.” “He just had like a very warm presence.” Tagle requested basic sandwich items and Hershey’s milk chocolate bars.
- Robert Sarah of Guinea – He was “nice” but initially said maybe five words to Guerra—that was until he heard Guerra worked on films. Piquing his interest, Sarah ended up asking Guerra about what it was like to work on one of the Avatar movies and how he got into documentaries.
“That’s my tea, that’s my truth, and I hope I get to work on part two of this documentary so I can spill about what happens once there is a vote,” Guerra concluded.
‘Not a potential pope asking for a girl dinner.’
“The new pope doesn’t like Trump or JD Vance. So I couldn’t care less if he was picky about a burger with grilled onions & bleu cheese. Imma call it a win,” a top comment read.
“Not Prevost being elected as pope and he’s the not nice one,” a person said.
“not a potential pope asking for a girl dinner,” another joked.
“The fact that it seems like most of these comments think this is real is very concerning…,” a commenter wrote.
Is Guerra’s story legit?
Guerra is a writer and filmmaker, with IMDB credits on shows like Max’s comedy series The Other Two. However, spilling secrets he shouldn’t under an NDA is a common theme in Guerra’s TikTok videos.
He’s claimed to be a production assistant (PA) on 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling and Avatar: The Way of Water. However, these credits are not listed on his website or his IMDB profile. While PAs are frequently not credited, it’s best to take Guerra’s papal claims with a grain of salt.
Remember: he’s a comedy writer.
@dilbertreigns I met the potential popes and I’m sharing my thoughts! 🔔 #conclave #filmtok #pope #church #movies #documentary ♬ original sound – Dilbert
The Daily Dot reached out to Guerra for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to Vatican media via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.