Local Catholic School Students Engage in Mock Conclave as They Await New Pope

GRANGER, Ind. -- Students at St. Pius X School are eagerly following the papal conclave process, joining millions of Catholics worldwide in anticipation of the next leader of the Catholic Church.

“It’s happening now live, so we kind of put our lessons on hold and focused on what’s going on in the conclave,” said Deacon Harry Verhiley, a faculty member at St. Pius X.

In the meantime, the students are diving into the intricacies of the conclave process. For many, this is their first time experiencing such a historic moment.

“This has never happened in our lifetime, so it’s going to be really cool to see how this process works out,” said Logan Brackett, an 8th grader at St. Pius X.

Deacon Harry’s 8th-grade class has been working on a project called "Papable" since the death of Pope Francis on April 21st. Students are exploring the lives of the front-running cardinals by creating posters.

“It’s been really exciting to see all these different cardinals around the world and how any of them could become the pope,” said Ben Allen, a 7th grader at St. Pius X.

Students from various grade levels participated in a mock conclave voting session, a simplified version of what happens at the Vatican, allowing them to step into the shoes of the College of Cardinals and cast their own votes for the next pope.

“I thought Louis Tagle would be a good pope,” shared 7th grader Ben Allen.

“I think Cardinal Sarah will win,” added 8th grader Logan Brackett.

Allen also shared the qualities he hopes to see in the next pope, reflecting on the legacy of Pope Francis:

“I hope the next pope continues the work that Pope Francis was doing around the world,” said the 7th grader.

Once a new pope is selected, the students will celebrate with a special mass at St. Pius X.