religions Article From Archangels to Virtual Pilgrims: A Brief History of Papal Digital Mobilization as Soft Power Johannes Ludwig Löffler Center for Religion and Modernity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany; johannes.loeffl
[email protected] Abstract: The perpetual public display of successful mass mobilization and pilgrimage has become a pillar of papal soft power. During the 20th century, the papacy had repeatedly demonstrated its ability to use new technologies for public communication, media content production and mass mobilization. John Paul II endorsed the establishment of the first Vatican website and an official papal e-mail account, which provided Catholics a new form of communication with the Holy Father. During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the papacy created several Twitter accounts, which would become the backbone of papal digital mobilization. Francis built on the success of his predecessors as he initiated the modernization of the Holy See’s media department. However, with the growth of the Internet and the stress test of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mechanics of mobilization, pilgrimage and power have considerably changed. With the religious role of the popes taken as a given, the paper looks into the history of papal mobilization, the role of the Internet and why it is not used to its full potential yet. Keywords: mobilization; pilgrimage; internet; John Paul II; Benedict XVI; Francis; soft power Citation: Löffler, Johannes Ludwig. 2021. From Archangels to Virtual Pilgrims: A Brief History of Papal 1. Introduction: Papal Mobilization and Soft Power Digital Mobilization as Soft Power. Religions 12: 657. https://doi.org/ While the papacy has had a wide set of mobilization tools at its disposal, such as 10.3390/rel12080657 the voluntary infantry regiment of the papal Zouaves in the 19th century, or financial donations such as St.