Was Francis the first media pope?
Opinion
Cardinals would do well to watch Conclave on their trip to the Vatican. It is important someone of Francis’ moral worth is chosen to counterbalance growing populism in society and the media.
The late Pope Francis united the UK’s front pages with his Easter Monday death — almost without exception.
The headlines ranged from the Daily Mail’s slightly clunky “He’s returned to the house of the Father” and Metro’s “The Final Blessing”, to the Daily Star’s, “The People’s Pope”, while The Sun preferred the apt, “Truly Blessed”.
The Mail was in a particularly pious mood with no less than nine pages devoted to the Pontiff, although there was still room for an entire page for the momentous news that Vere Harmsworth, the elder son of Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, and Alexandra Wood are engaged.
The only discordant notes on the papal death came from the Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph, who both preferred Trump and Mamon to news about God’s representative on earth.
The FT’s front page was dominated by Trump news, from Beijing warning, tellingly, that it would retaliate against nations doing tariff deals with the US, and the US President’s drive to wean Americans off paper cheques, which seems more than a little random for a front page.
Trump shared the FT’s page with a nice picture of Pope Francis, the same approach as taken by the Telegraph.
It splashed on the fact the American President has once again ignited chaos in world markets with a further attack on Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman he appointed. As a result, the Dow Jones is now heading for its lowest monthly level since 1932 — the worst year of The Great Depression.
Last acts
President Trump managed to get in on Saturday’s funeral news in the Vatican City with a tweet informing the world that: “Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there.”
Critics pointed out that it wasn’t an invitation to a barbeque or a birthday party and that the late Pope might not have been overjoyed that the US President was one of his mourners.
Without mentioning anyone by name, Pope Francis had this to say, by implication, about current MAGA policy: “It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help… If I say I am a Christian but do these things I’m a hypocrite.”
The Pope also said it is not war in Gaza, it is slaughter and that “yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty. This is not war.”
One of his last acts was once again to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Naturally in death he has attracted the anger of the right-wing trollers and bloggers for such comments.
History rhymes
Many have noted that American Vice President JD Vance had visited the Pope four hours before he died of a stroke and heart failure, comparing it to former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss meeting Queen Elizabeth II shortly before her own death in 2022.
John Crace, the Parliamentary sketch-writer for The Guardian, asked yesterday: “Any thoughts of who Vance could meet next, perhaps with Liz Truss?”
Pope Francis was a media savvy, reforming pope and the appointment of his successor will inevitably be overshadowed by last year’s Bafta winner Conclave, based on the book of the same name by Robert Harris published in 2016.
Harris had to wait a long time to get a new genuine conclave, but the producers of the movie starring Ralph Fiennes were much closer to the mark with the launch of the film in October.
They must have known the next conclave could be just around the corner because of the age of Pope Francis — 88 when he died — and because of his poor health.
The filmmakers should now get a very timely boost to the film’s revenues.
The UK’s top Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, who will be one of the 138 electors who will choose the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, says he has not seen the film but has read the book.
The fictional conclave ultimately decides on electing Cardinal Vincent Benitez, an intersex Filipino who, although raised as a male, does not have male sexual characteristics. He proceeds with his papacy without revealing his secret in the hope that God will understand.
The Cardinals should make sure they see the film on the flight to Rome — just in case.
Covering a conclave
Now the serious politics will get under way and the battle could be fought out in the media to an extent that hasn’t happened before.
In particular it’s a great time for the Vatican specialists and correspondents, many of whom seem to be Irish and, aside from the death and appointment of popes, lead comparatively sheltered journalistic lives.
Thirteen years since Francis became pope is an eternity in media time and the online sphere will have plenty to say about who the next pope should be and what the issues are.
The media is already producing lists of the runners and riders and the bookies will not be far behind with the odds although the voting ceremony is notoriously secretive until the white smoke goes up to announce Habemus Papam.
It would be very prescient if the choice of the fictional Conclaves manged to become reality with a Filipino Liberal who would be the first ever Asian pope, even if he is unlikely to be intersex.
Even for non-believers it is important that someone of moral worth and stature is chosen to speak out as a counterweight to the world of Trump and Vance and the danger of growing populism in society and the media.
Like Cardinal Nichols, I have read Conclave but not seen the film, so it’s time for this Ulster Presbyterian atheist to catch up before the real thing gets under way in the Sistine Chapel.
Raymond Snoddy is a media consultant, national newspaper columnist and former presenter of NewsWatch on BBC News. He writes for The Media Leader on Wednesdays — bookmark his column here.
Snoddy co-edited the new Pandering to Populism: Journalism and Politics in a Post Truth Age, published by Bite Sized Books on 8 May.