Wait for Vatican white smoke fires up social media
PARIS: Hype has been building on social media around the Catholic Church's secretive, centuries-old tradition of conclaves to elect a new pope, animating users from the White House on down. US President Donald Trump on Saturday posted an apparently AI-generated image of himself wearing papal vestments and sitting on a throne, one finger directed to the heavens. The striking picture was the most notorious among thousands that have bubbled up since the death of Pope Francis on April 21 and ahead of the cardinals' gathering from Wednesday.
More than 1.3 million tweets have been published on X about the conclave, according to monitoring platform Visibrain, while TikTok videos on the topic have been viewed over 363 million times on the network with unparalleled reach among the young. Particularly passionate pope-watchers can fire up online game 'Fantapapa' to pick their favorite cardinals and make predictions for the next pontiff in a style similar to sports betting.
Pomp and secrecy
The mystery, pomp and ritual around the conclave — from the opulent Sistine Chapel surroundings to the ethereal black or white smoke signaling ballot results — 'lends itself to the narrative formats of social networks' said Refka Payssan, a researcher in information and communication sciences. 'A conclave means both gilt, protocol, ceremony, but also secrecy and mystery' cannily nurtured by the Vatican, agreed Stephanie Laporte, founder of digital strategy consultancy OTTA. 'Young people love to speculate' about outcomes, Laporte added.
'Everyone on social networks has an opinion and everyone wants to decode the news, look for clues, know which cardinal will become the pope. It's almost like an 'escape game',' she suggested. Payssan noted that the conclave fires up the 'curiosity of seeing history happen live', marking a rare event — the first in 12 years — with potential global consequences. Even if not Catholic themselves, 'young people are very conscious of the pope's influence on hundreds of millions, even billions of people, whether it's in his stance on contraception or the environment,' Laporte said.
Digital turn
Conclave fever is also a reflection of the Vatican's successful turn to digital communications in recent years to build bonds with younger generations. Created by Benedict XVI in 2012 but mostly used by Francis, the papal X account @pontifex reaches 50 million followers across its nine languages. And Francis's own Instagram account had more than 10 million followers. The Church has backed many cardinals' own ventures into the digital realm, with some becoming bona fide internet stars. New York prelate Timothy Dolan has been publishing videos about the run-up to the conclave to his almost 300,000 X followers and 55,000 on Instagram — without giving away any sensitive information.
Moderate Philippine cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has made his mark online with karaoke videos, tallying 600,000 Facebook followers. Selfie snapshots are in the mix, with Tokyo's archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi posting a photo with colleagues from the bus on the way to pray at Francis' grave. Cardinals 'are absolutely fascinating personalities who've taken their place in pop culture,' firing public enthusiasm for the event, Laporte said. That fascination has been stoked by pop culture blockbusters like Dan Brown's novel 'Angels and Demons', adapted for film in 2009, or the acclaimed thriller 'Conclave' released this year, based on a book by novelist Robert Harris. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
5 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Homeless seek refuge at Madrid airport as rents soar
BARAJAS: Victor Fernando Meza works during the day, but his salary is not enough to afford rent in the Spanish capital Madrid. So, once again, the 45-year-old Peruvian will spend the night at the airport. On a sweltering May evening, Meza arrived at Barajas airport before 9:00 pm - just in time to get past security. Any later, and people without a boarding pass are not allowed in under a new policy implemented a week ago to deter the hundreds of homeless people staying overnight. The measure aims to address the rising number of people sleeping in Spain's busiest airport - a situation thrust into the spotlight by images showing rows of people lying on the floor among bags and shopping carts, sparking a blame game between government officials. Those who call Barajas home say the increased scrutiny in Europe's fifth busiest airport is unwelcome. They doubt solutions will come and fear losing what they see as the safest place to sleep, compared to the streets or the metro in a city where homeless shelters have limited capacity. "We just want to be left alone," Meza told AFP. "To be treated like people, not animals." Meza blames Aena, the state-owned company that manages Spanish airports, for mishandling the humanitarian situation that has also occurred to a lesser extent in Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife. Aena argues its facilities were never meant to house hundreds of homeless people. 'Look down on you' Meza said the Barajas security guards know those who cause trouble in the airport. "The ones who smoke, the ones who drink every day. They should be the ones kicked out, not all of us," he said. Meza works occasional moving jobs and is hoping to save enough to rent an apartment with his brother. But like elsewhere in Spain, housing prices in the capital have soared and social housing is scarce. The average monthly rent for a 60-square-metre (645-square-foot) apartment in Madrid has almost doubled to 1,300 euros ($1,415) from about 690 euros a decade ago, according to figures from real estate website Idealista. Sleeping in Madrid's airport has taken a toll on Meza. "People look down on you, there's still a lot of racism here," he said, adding that he plans to return to Peru when he turns 50. Zow, a 62-year-old construction worker from Mali who spends his nights at Barcelona's airport, is also weary of the stares he gets. "I don't like sleeping here. It's awful, everyone looks at you like this," he said, imitating a look of disdain. Blame game Around 421 people were sleeping rough at Madrid's airport in March, a survey by a Catholic charity group counted. Most were men, half had been sleeping at the airport for over six months and 38 percent said they had a job. Nearly all of them would leave the airport during the day. The issue has exposed deep divisions among the institutions tasked with addressing homelessness. City and regional governments in Madrid have clashed with Aena, which operates under the control of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist administration. "Primary social care is the responsibility of the local government," Aena said in a statement, adding the city must fulfill its "legal duty to care for vulnerable populations". Madrid's conservative Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida fired back, arguing that the central government controls Aena and "what's happening depends on several ministries". The city insists that most of those sleeping in the airport are foreigners who should fall under Spain's international protection system. Despite the finger-pointing, both sides have agreed to hire a consultancy to count and profile those sleeping at the airport. The study results are expected by the end of June. But Meza is sceptical. "We don't want help. We don't want anything. We just don't want to be bothered," he said. - AFP
Kuwait Times
21-05-2025
- Kuwait Times
US VP invites Pope Leo to make official visit home
Meeting comes ahead of US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine war VATICAN CITY: US Vice President JD Vance met on Monday at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV, the first leader of the global Catholic Church from the United States, and extended an invitation for Leo to make an official visit home. Vance, who was sharply criticized by the late Pope Francis over the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies, gave Leo a letter he said was from US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania 'inviting you to come'. Leo, sitting across from Vance at his official desk in the Vatican's apostolic palace, took the letter and was heard to say 'at some point', according to handout video provided by the Vatican. The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the invitation. A Vatican readout confirmed that Vance and Leo had met but offered no details about their discussions. A Vance spokesperson said they met one-on-one before being joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic. As part of the meeting, Vance gave Leo a navy blue and orange jersey for the Chicago Bears, a US football team. It was adorned with his name, 'Pope Leo', and his number, 'XIV'. Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a relative unknown on the global stage, elected as the new pope on May 8. While a cardinal, he issued several disapproving posts about the administration's policies on his X account, reflecting his concern about migrants. The Vatican has not confirmed or denied that the posts were authentic. The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, was a champion of the poor and of immigrants and who frequently criticized the Trump administration. He called Trump's plan to deport millions of migrants a 'disgrace' and rebuked Vance for arguing that the Bible calls on Christians to prioritize love for their families and countrymen over strangers and foreigners. Vance met briefly with Francis on Easter Sunday, the day before the pontiff died. Ukraine ceasefire Vance and Rubio have been in Rome to lead the US delegation at Leo's inaugural Mass as pope, held on Sunday among crowds of an estimated 200,000 people in St Peter's Square. After meeting Leo, Vance met on Monday with officials at the Vatican's Secretariat of State, the Church's top diplomatic office. A Vatican readout called those talks 'cordial'. 'There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,' it said. The meeting was ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Leo, 69, has made peace the key word of his papacy so far and was expected to talk to Vance and Rubio about the US administration's role in pushing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in particular. There was a flurry of diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of Leo's inauguration, with world dignitaries discussing both the Zionist entity's offensive in Gaza and the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was present at the inauguration mass, met with Leo for his first private audience Sunday. He also sat down with Vance and Rubio to discuss 'their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine,' according to the vice president's office. Leo offered last week to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself 'will make every effort so that this peace may prevail'. And the pope's number two, Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, said Friday Leo 'may offer the Vatican for a direct meeting between the two parties', according to media reports. — Agencies
Kuwait Times
21-05-2025
- Kuwait Times
YouTube star educator Ms Rachel defiant in support of Gaza children
At first glance, the Instagram profile of Ms Rachel fits the image an influencer who has won millions of devoted subscribers for her sing-songy educational content for toddlers and parenting tips. In a pink hairband and denim dungarees, the 42-year-old mother-of-two doles out advice on potty training kids and moral support for struggling parents - always with a reassuring smile. So it was a welcome gesture when she spoke out about the plight of Palestinian children who are victims of the Zionist entity' genocide in Gaza, peppering her account with appeals for aid. "I think it should be controversial to not say anything," she said a recent interview with independent anchor Mehdi Hassan, of the mounting backlash against her fundraising and advocacy. "It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering. Silence wasn't a choice for me," she added. That compulsion has put a spotlight on the beloved figure in millions of households, the American early childhood educator and social media sensation known offline as Rachel Accurso. The fallout comes at a perilous moment for children in the Palestinian enclave, where the Zionist entity cut off aid for weeks, and where aid groups have sounded the alarm over food shortages and famine. But the backlash against her activism - which she has aimed at parents on social media, rather than in her videos for children - reflects broader polarization in the United States over the genocide that has swept campuses, offices and society at large. 'All children, in every country' In May last year, Accurso launched a fundraising drive that gathered $50,000 for Save the Children. But she spoke also spoke tearfully about the vitriol and "bullying" that came streaming in the form of allegations of bias against the Zionist entity. "Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US - Muslim, Jewish, Christian children - all children, in every country," she wrote in response. "Not one is excluded." Allegations of bias against the Zionist entity and anti-Semitism have only mounted since. And so too the toll among children in Gaza, where more than 10,000 children have been killed by Zionist military bombardment since October 2023. A privately funded pro-Zionist lobby group last month urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Accurso "is being funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israel propaganda to skew public opinion." The organization Stop Antisemitism, which describes itself as a grassroots watchdog, alleged Accurso was spreading "Hamas propaganda." But it also acknowledged that Accurso had posted in support of Ariel and Kfir Bibas who were the youngest hostages taken by Hamas and died in captivity. Accurso told The New York Times the accusation she is being funded by Hamas was "absurd" and "patently false." "The painful reality," the newspaper quoted her as saying, "is that Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by the thousands and continue to be killed, maimed and starved right now. The idea that caring about one group of children prevents us from caring about another group of children is false." 'You should be ashamed' Accurso has deactivated comments on some of her posts urging support for Palestinian children. But commentators on other posts reflect the depth and breadth of emotions that have erupted over her posts. "Love your show. Not your politics," one user wrote under a Ms Rachel Instagram post promoting an interview on her activism. Another commentator says: "Ms Rachel is a national treasure." Among those voicing support for the megastar was Tommy Vietor, who worked with former president Barack Obama and hosts the popular Pod Save America podcast. "Antisemitism is a real problem and cynically and dishonestly making those allegations for political purposes makes things worse, not better," Vietor wrote, dismissing the anti-Semitism allegations. Accurso has ultimately doubled down, despite the criticism. She recently posted images of her meeting with Rahaf, a three-year-old girl from Gaza who lost both her legs in an attack. "We know treating children like they are being treated in Gaza isn't right morally and ethically. We know it in our souls and hearts," she wrote along with a picture of the two embracing. "Leaders who are silent and not helping these children, you should be ashamed. Your silence will be remembered." - AFP
