The message of Pope Francis in time of pandemic: Engagement and sentiment on Twitter

Abstract

This article is an exploratory study aimed at analysing engagement and sentiment on Twitter of the tweets published about Pope Francis’s actions with regard to Covid-19. In this context, the analysis also focuses on the beginning weeks of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Covid-19 disease. One of the most important events held by Pope Francis was the extraordinary moment of prayer in time of pandemic in St. Peter’s Square, with the Urbi et Orbi blessing on 27 March 2020. The methodology used quantitative and qualitative techniques based on a strategic sample of English and Spanish tweets published between March and December 2020 with specific keywords and hashtags. The results place value on the importance of Pope Francis’s message, the value of the Urbi et Orbi blessing at the beginning of the pandemic and the symbolic impact of the content, images, and interaction in the communication shared on social media, specifically on Twitter.