TOnce Pope Leo XIV will be social. And not only out of necessity, but for vision. In an era in which the words travel faster than the light and the messages spread in an instant, The new pontiff confirms the desire to fully embrace the digital worldcontinuing on the open line from its predecessors: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, who transformed the image of the Vatican, bringing spirituality into contemporary visual language.
Pope Leo XIV Social: the new Vatican digital face
From the printing of the first sacred texts to the television broadcast of the papal celebrations, the Vatican communication has crossed centuries, adapting to the means and languages of every era. And that’s how, today, the Pope’s message has stopped appearing more only on TV and in the newspapers, But he began to flow into the feeds, to appear in notifications, to reach millions of people with a simple tap. Pope Leo XIV, does not escape this inheritance at all and not only collects it, but relaunches it: its global communication, in fact, will keep @pontifex on X, but lwill anchor on Instagram, His new @pontifex profile – Pope Leo XIV. A clear message that confirms that also for the new pontiff Faith knows no boundaries and the digital world is only another space in which to make the voice of the Church heard.
A digital tradition started with Benedict XVI
The Vatican’s digital turning point begins in 2012, when Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the @pontifex account on Twitter. It was an epochal change in the way the pontiff could interact with the world. Then starting from his renunciation of the pontificate, The profile was inherited by Pope Franciswhich transformed it into a daily tool to spread messages of peace, justice and solidarity. In 2016, the Argentine pontiff, extended the digital presence of the church also opening an account on Instagram, @Franciscuswhere images and words intertwined to tell moments of prayer, apostolic journeys and spiritual reflections. With the arrival of Pope Leo XIV, this communicative strategy continues, with a new momentum and particular attention to the spread of the evangelical message in an increasingly connected world.
The new Pope collects the digital inheritance of his predecessors: he will keep @pontifex on X, but will launch his new personal profile on Instagram (Getty)
X: The continuity of the @pontifex profile
The @pontifex account on x remain The main point of reference for papal communication. Currently, the profile has 52 million followers and is active in nine languages. In the meantime, of course, The contents published over the years by Pope Franciswill not be blocked, but preserved in a special section on the Holy See websiteunder the “Ad Memoriam” section, offering access to the contents shared over the years.
Instagram: Leone XIV’s social debut
In the world of images, however, Pope Leo XIV inaugurates a new chapter with @Pontifex – Pope Leo XIVwho will be his official account on Instagram. The profile follows the line of @franciscus, but with its well -defined identity. From its opening, the growth of followers has been immediate and significanta sign of a significant attention of the public towards the new Pope, also through social media.
The Pope’s communicative power on social media
The numbers are clear: the digital presence of the Pontiff has a huge impact. Pope Francis, during his pontificate, published about 50,000 postswidespread between X and Instagram. His evangelical messages have reached billions of people, becoming a global reference point in difficult times, such as the Pandemia of 2020, when his tweets were displayed 27 billion times. Now, Pope Leo XIV collects this inheritance and prepares to leave his mark in the digital panorama. His online path has just begun, but the first moves already show the clear will to use social media as a means of direct and widespread communication, capable of breaking down barriers and bringing the faithful closer to every corner of the planet.
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