The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters

by Michael O'Loughlin

Michael O'Loughlin, reporter for America  magazine and a frequent speaker and writer on Catholic topics, opens a wonderful window into the heart and revolutionary mission of Pope Francis by examining his extensive and revelatory use of social media--published to coincide with the pontiff's visit to the United States in September 2015.
O'Loughlin uses Pope Francis's almost daily "tweets" to his 21 million followers to explain why this pope has captured the world's imagination and to explore his strategy and vision for the Catholic Church. Grouped by the Pope's most pressing concerns--forgiveness, mercy, injustice, poverty, war, joy, the environment, and more-- The Tweetable Pope uses Francis' pithy 140-character (or fewer) missives as a prism to view the biographical, historical, and spiritual context of his messages and how each is part of a larger vision.
O'Loughlin contends that these seemingly simple communications provide a direct line to the Pope's heart, illuminating a peaceful, loving, and courageous visionary committed to restoring the church to the original Christian tenets of its founder, Jesus Christ--love, mercy, grace, and compassion--and reshaping it as a force for change to help the most needy. A thoughtful and enlightening examination of how the pope is using this exciting and fascinating new medium to communicate directly to his flock, The Tweetable Pope is an inspiring and moving testimony of how we, too, can be more centered on what matters most to God.

Genres: Social Media

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Praised by the National Catholic Reporter for having "a keen eye and an adroit pen," Michael J. O'Loughlin is the national reporter for Crux, The Boston Globe's publication covering "all things Catholic."

O'Loughlin writes regularly about contemporary Catholic issues, including religion and politics, Catholic young adults, the role of the Church in the public square, and much more.

He has also written for Foreign Policy, America, and the Advocate, and he has been interviewed by a number of media outlets, including NPR, Fox News, and MSNBC. He frequently gives talks on a range of Catholic issues.

Originally from Massachusetts, Michael lives in Chicago and reports occasionally from Rome. He is a graduate of Saint Anselm College and Yale Divinity School.

Reviews

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody but the ultra conservative seems taken with today’s Pope. A friend jokingly said that she believes in the second coming now, and this time Jesus is wearing a beanie.

Perhaps the most famous line uttered by Francis is in reply to a reporter who asked him about gay priests. The Pope replied, “who am I to judge?” Wait. The Pope doesn’t judge? No wonder Ted Cruz called for the Vatican to fire him.

It’s not that Pope Francis is thoroughly modern in his thinking. Read, for example, about his view on the Devil. That’s about as old-fashioned as you can get.

It’s that his focus is different. He focuses less on creeds than compassion. And the pattern he upholds for us to follow is Jesus, with the Lord’s care about the marginalized. Society’s margins, says Francis, is the only place where “reality is understood.”

Author O’Loughlin finds the Pope to be a breath of fresh air. He writes that as a young Catholic who’s watched most of his friends and relatives drive away from their faith, he sees hope for the future in Francis.

The Tweetable Pope grants us a peek inside the head of Pope Francis by examining the way he uses the Twitter platform. From gossip to sports to immigration to war, all under the influence of Jesus, you’re invited to dig into these mini-sermons to learn, 140 characters at a time, what makes this man so beloved.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little repetitive and some disagreement about terminology, but I so enjoyed to topic matter and it made me want to do more. I enjoy the idea of being custodians of creation and of performing service.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Not exactly what I thought...it was much better than I thought it was. Really diving into Pope Francis' mission for the church by looking at his tweets and the categories that he tends to tweet in and how often. Very insightful. As a Catholic, I feel encouraged by this book.

[Marti Martinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and obviously written by a guy who is dedicated. My own theology gets more from Bart Ehrman, but the author certainly depicts another guy who is just as dedicated but has the fortune, or misfortune, to be Pope. Both of them would be fun to chat with at a BBQ.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a First Read. It's a collection of the Pope's tweets on 18 different topics such as mercy, suffering, inequality, and immigration. Rather than just being a collection of tweets the book discusses the larger role the tweets play in the message of the church and the views of the Pope.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I misunderstood what this book would be. I expected it to only be the Pope's tweets and didn't realize that the author was examining how Twitter has become a new tool for the papacy. It's an interesting way to examine Pope Francis's beliefs.

I received and ARC from NetGalley.

[David Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my interview with the author at http://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.org...

[Andrea McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A easy to read summary and examination of the pope's key agenda items using his tweets as documentation. A lot of relevant and interesting facts.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would give 4.5 stars only because the world "tweetable pope" is overused. Great intro to Pope Francis and the causes close to his heart!