Francis is the most informal and accessible pope in history - but is that a good thing?
by Fr Dwight Longenecker
Pope Francis is the most informal and accessible pope in the history of the papacy and much of his instant accessibility is due to modern communications.
The pope uses his cell phone to make personal phone calls, then the content of the phone call ends up on Facebook and goes global. In an informal conversation with reporters the pope says of a sincere homosexual who truly seeks God, “Who am I to judge?” and it becomes perhaps the quote of the century. Visiting with a friend, he makes an impromptu cell phone video greeting Protestant Pentecostals, takes selfies with the crowd, and makes off-the-cuff comments that often remain ambiguous and tantalizing. Like Benedict XVI before him, Francis uses Twitter to communicate the gospel worldwide. Through social media, the mainstream networks, television, YouTube, and the internet he is seen and heard by the whole world instantly.
Is this what the Pope should be doing? Should the Pope tweet? Should he give impromptu interviews, off-the-cuff press conferences, make personal phone calls, and express his personal opinion in such a carefree way? The answer must be "yes." As a global evangelist Pope Francis is adept at using every means to communicate the gospel of God to a needy world.
read more
Pope Francis is the most informal and accessible pope in the history of the papacy and much of his instant accessibility is due to modern communications.
The pope uses his cell phone to make personal phone calls, then the content of the phone call ends up on Facebook and goes global. In an informal conversation with reporters the pope says of a sincere homosexual who truly seeks God, “Who am I to judge?” and it becomes perhaps the quote of the century. Visiting with a friend, he makes an impromptu cell phone video greeting Protestant Pentecostals, takes selfies with the crowd, and makes off-the-cuff comments that often remain ambiguous and tantalizing. Like Benedict XVI before him, Francis uses Twitter to communicate the gospel worldwide. Through social media, the mainstream networks, television, YouTube, and the internet he is seen and heard by the whole world instantly.
Is this what the Pope should be doing? Should the Pope tweet? Should he give impromptu interviews, off-the-cuff press conferences, make personal phone calls, and express his personal opinion in such a carefree way? The answer must be "yes." As a global evangelist Pope Francis is adept at using every means to communicate the gospel of God to a needy world.
read more