Twitter Reacts to the New @Pontifex:
Francis I
Following a short conclave, the Vatican has announced the selection of a new Pope with its customary white smoke: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. The former Cardinal Bergoglio, who will be known as Pope Francis I, tweeted a felicitous announcement of his own shortly after word broke that a new pontiff will represent the world’s more than 1 billion Catholics.
Cardinal Bergoglio’s account had more than 785 followers at the time that tweet was posted, but as of this writing the number of followers has jumped to over 130,000.
The @Pontifex Twitter account was reactivated in the wake of the announcement and tweeted its own proclamation in Latin shortly afterward.
The day started with jokes and light-hearted banter, with Twitter accounts representing a bird perched atop the chimney of the Sistine Chapel emerging to keep followers entertained while awaiting word from the Vatican. Now that the identity of the next Pope is known, the conversation has now turned towards speculation about how Francis I will lead the Church. You can follow the discussion on Twitter using trending hashtags and keywords such as #newpope, #HabemusPapam and Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Rose de Fremery is Managing Editor of The Social Media Monthly.
