September 17, 2015
The Tweeting Pope: A Sample From @Pontifex
At 78 years old, Pope Francis largely eschews technology. He says he doesn’t watch television any more, and can’t really use a computer. He communicates with the top cardinals by fax machine.
But there’s one social media tool Pope Francis has embraced. He’s a rock star on Twitter. Using the handle @Pontifex, which he inherited from Pope Benedict, he’s said to be the most influential tweeter on the planet.
It’s not that he has the most followers. Among English-language tweeters, Katy Perry and President Obama both have more. But Pope Francis tweets in nine languages, giving him 21 million followers worldwide. And many of those people retweet him. So the Pope’s brief missives can reach as many as 200 million people.
Below is a sampling of the tweets that demonstrate Pope Francis’s vision and his man-of-the-people humility.
A great challenge: stop ruining the garden which God has entrusted to us so that all may enjoy it.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 2, 2015
Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 19, 2015
Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 19, 2015
War is the mother of all poverty, a vast predator of lives and souls.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 4, 2015
May every parish and religious community in Europe host a refugee family. #Jubilee #refugeeswelcome
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 8, 2015
Now is the time for a change in mindset and to stop pretending that our actions do not affect those who suffer from hunger.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 15, 2015
When we cannot earn our own bread, we lose our dignity. This is a tragedy today, especially for the young.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) May 7, 2015
We should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
We need an integrated approach to combating poverty and protecting nature.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 19, 2015