Transition of Pope Francis’ Social Media Accounts Following His Demise
Upon the passing of Pope Francis, a process known as conclave commenced to elect a new pontiff. This process also entailed the transition of his social media accounts, which are managed by the Dicastery for Communication.
Pope Francis’ Social Media Presence
Prior to his passing, Pope Francis maintained an account on nine languages across platform X (formerly known as Twitter), another on Instagram (he was the first pope to open an account there), and a YouTube channel. By the time of his demise, he had accumulated approximately 50 million followers on platform X, 10 million on Instagram, and the Vatican’s YouTube channel boasted 850,000 followers.
Post-Mortem Account Changes
Following Pope Francis’ death, the name on his X accounts transitioned to “Apostolica Sedes Vacans,” a Latin phrase signifying the vacant Apostolic See, a canonical term indicating the loss of the papal office through resignation or death. The Instagram account retained its name “Franciscus,” the Latin form of his name.
The X account, originally established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, months before his resignation, was taken over by Pope Francis in 2013. He aimed to connect more with the youth through Instagram, regularly posting messages around 1:30 PM Rome time on X and sharing photos and videos of his speeches on Instagram.
In 2015, Pope Francis established the Dicastery for Communication to oversee the Apostolic See’s communication system, encompassing Radio Vaticano, the daily L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s television channel, and social media. Since its inception, these digital platforms have gained equal significance to traditional media outlets.
Initiating the Conclave Process
With Pope Francis’ passing, the conclave process began where cardinals under 80 years of age will select a new supreme pontiff to bestow new identities on the social media accounts of the Bishop of Rome.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is a conclave? A conclave is the process by which cardinals under 80 years of age elect a new pope following the death or resignation of the previous pontiff.
- Who manages Pope Francis’ social media accounts? The Dicastery for Communication, established by Pope Francis in 2015, manages his social media accounts.
- What happened to Pope Francis’ social media accounts after his passing? The names on his X accounts changed to “Apostolica Sedes Vacans,” while the Instagram account retained its name “Franciscus.” The Dicastery for Communication will continue managing these accounts.
- What is the significance of Pope Francis’ social media presence? Pope Francis had a substantial following on multiple platforms, allowing him to connect with millions worldwide and share his messages, speeches, and insights.
