The Late Pontiff’s Connection to the New Orleans Saints
Most of the world awoke this past Monday morning to the unexpected news that Pope Francis I, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had died in Vatican City. The past week has been filled with outpourings of grief over the loss of this incredible leader, whose impact during his years of leadership has affected many people of different denominations, nationalities, and ethnicities. Most of the media’s reports have been focused on him being the first elected pontiff from the Western Hemisphere, his outreach to the poor, and his handling of contemporary issues within the Church. Interviews show a man with a soft voice whose words carried the weight of impacting millions in every diocese and parish. Making his teachings relevant and understandable to a 21st-century congregation was a challenge he undertook and in which he succeeded.
One of the late pontiff’s most memorable contributions during his papacy was his integration and avid use of social media. In addition to adhering to the traditional means of communicating to his assembly by making pronouncements from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, he also adopted the modern-day method of sending out tweets with hashtags included in his messages. In addition, he attached symbols, such as the well-known and recognized “fleur-de-lis,” within the text. The fleur-de-lis also happens to be utilized by the New Orleans Saints in their social media activity.
Although unintentional, one of the humorous instances that received the most media attention was his November 1st “All Saints’ Day” message. Beginning with the hashtag “#Saints” to denote those who have been canonized by the papacy, the message was followed by inadvertently describing the NFL team as “precious pearls and are always living and relevant, because they provide a fascinating commentary on the Gospel.” This was obviously high praise and encouragement from the world’s most well-known religious leader, and of course, was gladly accepted by the members of the organization. If you are an NFL team who is looking for an endorsement from a celebrity, you couldn’t go wrong with someone who is the leader of over one billion devout worshipers.
The body of Pope Francis is currently in an open coffin at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Public viewing by devout clergy and followers has been taking place for two days and will continue until Friday evening. The funeral Mass will be broadcast live on Saturday on countless news media around the world. He will be mourned by many people who will be brought together to pay their respects, regardless of their team or sports affiliation.
