Papal visit: ‘Follow’ or ‘like’

Pope Francis is not coming anywhere near Texas, but it almost seems he is.

If the round-the-clock TV coverage of the pontiff’s six-day visit isn’t enough, Americans can track every moment online through video and social media.

When Pope John Paul came to San Antonio in 1987, news reports did not include the line, “Follow His Holiness on Twitter at @Pontifex.” Now, that’s only one of many ways the pope will deliver his message at the World Meeting of Families and his papal visit, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is uploading constant coverage.

In a nation where the choice to speak Spanish is a matter of recurring political debate, it is noteworthy that the pope will lead Mass in Spanish Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C.

One-third of Roman Catholics in the U.S. are of Hispanic descent, and even among the Hispanic community, Roman Catholics are far more likely to choose Spanish as a primary language, according to the Pew Research Center.

Pope Francis’ address to Congress on Thursday morning will be carried live by most networks, along with his Friday speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

For local coverage, check the “Apostolic Journey” blog by Bishop Michael Olson at the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth website, fwdioc.org.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Papal visit: ‘Follow’ or ‘like’."