First Pope St. Peter From Galilee: Next One From Israel? Don’t Hold Your Rosary

In a moment that stunned both the Vatican and the world, the conclave elected its first-ever American pope this week: Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. The announcement came on May 8, 2025, with white smoke puffing over the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the 2,000-year-old institution had finally embraced the promise of diversity. Pope Leo XIV, hailing from Chicago, is poised to usher in a new era for the Catholic Church—perhaps one filled with deep-dish pizza replacing bread, Californian fruity red wine, and traveling by high-speed trains, and a pontificate that feels more like an episode of Saturday Night Live than a religious institution steeped in medieval rituals.

But as the world celebrates this historic election, some are asking: could an Israeli pope be next?

Let’s explore this improbable possibility with the appropriate blend of satire and skepticism.

The American Precedent: The American Dream, Now with Holy Water

The elevation of an American pope once seemed like an impossibility. After all, the Vatican, by its very nature, has long been dominated by European figures—men of velvet-robes and rosaries from ancient cities like Rome, Paris, and Madrid. But here we are, with a pontiff born in the heart of the American Midwest.

Pope Leo XIV’s election is the perfect blend of traditional Catholicism and modern-day Americanism: imagine papal addresses that sound like a cross between an Oprah Winfrey special and a Chicago Bears halftime show. His first address, possibly delivered via live-stream, might include a shout out to the Cubs, a heartfelt endorsement of universal healthcare, and a nod to deep-dish pizza as the holy grail of all cuisine.

And that’s not all. Pope Leo XIV will now have to navigate the delicate balance between his global duties and his distinctly American roots. How will the Church reconcile its conservative dogma with the forward-thinking ideals of Silicon Valley, pop culture, and the more evangelical flavors of American Christianity? The answer is: probably a lot of live-tweeted papal audiences and a few #Blessed memes on Instagram.

Imagining an Israeli Pope: Beyond the Improbable

Now, let’s entertain the far-flung notion of an Israeli pope. There’s one obvious hurdle: Israel’s Catholic population is tiny, numbering only around 200,000, most of whom are Arab Christians. With no Israeli cardinals, the possibility of a Jewish-born pope seems a distant pipe dream. Add to that the fact that Israeli politics is intricately woven into the fabric of the Middle East conflict, and you get a recipe for an ecclesiastical disaster.

But let’s indulge for a moment. Suppose an Israeli-born cardinal emerges, a theologian with charisma and a knack for navigating complex religious geopolitics. Perhaps he hails from a small town in Nazareth, fluent in Aramaic and Hebrew, with a stellar track record of reconciliation between Jews and Muslims.

On the day of his papal election, this hypothetical Israeli cardinal could choose the name “Pope Shalom I”—a symbol of peace for the region, bridging centuries of religious divides. His first papal address might include blessings in Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin, sending a powerful message of unity to the global Church and beyond.

Of course, the reality would be far more complicated. The Pope from Israel would find himself under intense scrutiny from the international stage—especially from nations like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and even the European Union. Diplomatically speaking, the Church might face accusations of “Zionism” or “political interference” from many corners of the world. And in Israel itself? Don’t expect much enthusiasm from the Chief Rabbinate, who might struggle to reconcile the fact that a man possibly raised as a Jew is now the leader of the world’s largest Christian denomination.

Pop Culture and Memes: The Age of the Viral Pope

And let’s not forget the role of pop culture in this hypothetical papacy. Imagine the memes that would flood the internet if Pope Shalom I ever took office. TikTok would explode with videos of the Pope attending peace rallies in Jerusalem, making impromptu speeches in Arabic, and probably learning how to play the oud just to keep things interesting.

There’s also the very real possibility that the Vatican’s attempts at modernizing would become a punchline on late-night shows, especially if the Israeli pope’s papal visits featured partnerships with brands like Sabra Hummus or even a collaboration with Nike to design a new line of sneakers for the Swiss Guard at the Vatican. After all, if you’re going to be the first pope from the Holy Land, you’d better look good while doing it.

A Historical Precedent: St. Peter, the First Pope from Israel

It’s important to remember, though, that the first pope in history, St. Peter, did come from the region now known as Israel. St. Peter was a Jewish fisherman from Galilee—modern-day northern Israel—who was one of Jesus’ apostles and became the first bishop of Rome, setting the foundation for the papacy.

Fast forward to today, and while the Catholic Church’s leadership has predominantly been European for centuries, the idea of an Israeli pope isn’t entirely out of the question. The problem lies in practical matters: with no Israeli cardinals and a minuscule Catholic population in Israel, the Vatican’s future papacy remains far from a region traditionally represented. However, the church’s very first leader came from the Holy Land, and that piece of history is worth remembering, however distant it may seem today.

A New Era: Will the Church Truly Change?

In the end, while the election of an Israeli pope remains a nearly insurmountable challenge, Pope Leo XIV’s ascension highlights a broader shift within the Catholic Church. The 2025 papacy marks a moment where a new kind of leadership may be possible—one that breaks from the past without abandoning tradition entirely. As the world becomes more interconnected and complex, so too must the papacy evolve.

For now, let’s enjoy the historic nature of Pope Leo XIV’s reign and the strange, wonderful idea that one day, the Vatican might just appoint a pope from a land once considered too contentious, too far removed from the papal tradition.

In the meantime, let’s all await Pope Leo XIV’s first Sistine Chapel Pop-Up Vape Shop. It’s bound to be an event, and I bet there’s going to be a pizza oven and a puff of black smoke.