Rooftop VIP access: Seagulls take front seat at papal conclave awaiting for next pope
MANILA, Philippines — While many pope watchers have to make do with looking up at what is now probably the most-watched chimney in the world, a group of seagulls, including one of its chicks, has the best vantage view with the world’s most awaited news on the next supreme pontiff.
Since yesterday as the papal conclave is occuring, the audience outside the Sistine Chapel in Vatican and the millions glued to their screens took notice of a number of seagulls that stood still perched on the chapel’s roof.
As the first day of the conclave progressed, the seagull and his fellow feathered friends have been the distraction many online users welcome.
“Shoutout to that one seagull locked in on the Conclave proceedings,” Fr. Cassidy Stinson a.k.a The Happy Priest tweeted on X, formerly Twitter.
Two other users noted how the solitary seagull brought along friends, including a gull chick, whose young avian life is already witnessing a historic event.
“These seagulls are so funny (they even brought a baby seagull to the Conclave,” another X user wrote.
One user even took the effort to look for seagull accounts, with some tracing back to 2013 when the late Pope Francis was named the first Jesuit pontiff and pope from Latin America.
As of press time, 133 cardinal-electors have failed to reach a consensus on who the Catholic Church’s new leader after two black smokes emerged from the chimney since they were sequestered and locked inside its four walls yesterday, May 7.
Shoutout to that one seagull locked in on the Conclave proceedings pic.twitter.com/EwNdwjR19H
— Fr. Cassidy Stinson (@TheHappyPriest) May 7, 2025
these seagulls are so funny (they even brought a baby seagull to the conclave ????) pic.twitter.com/TBOSX1k7cE
— ames ???? | ???????????????????????????????????????????????? (@amxdiem) May 7, 2025
Was not expecting to find so many Twitter accounts dedicated to the seagull that hung out around the Vatican chimney during the last conclave in 2013. pic.twitter.com/PY44ifsYUu
— Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech (@AODNewz) May 7, 2025
RELATED: Black smoke rises anew: No new pope chosen yet after second, third ballots
