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Geopolitics

Pope's First Tweet - Twitter Reacts To His Social Holiness With Snark And Glee

Worldcrunch

VATICAN CITY - It's been a long time coming, but Pope Benedict XVI has finally graced the world with his first few tweets. Two weeks after establishing his Twitter handle, @Pontifex (Latin for "Pope") in eight different languages, he finally sent out some 140-character blessings Wednesday morning :

Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.

— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) December 12, 2012

How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?

— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) December 12, 2012

By speaking with Jesus in prayer, listening to what he tells you in the Gospel and looking for him in those in need

— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) December 12, 2012

At the time of writing, 700,187 people were following his English-language account. The second most-followed language is Spanish with at least 215,991 followers. The smallest following is in Arabic with 8,281 followers.

@thomasherve14 via Twitter

Disappointed:

Well, after all that build up @pontifex has tweeted.Some dull religious nonsense. Not even a photo of his dinner. Doing Twitter wrong.

— Al Terry (@fudgecrumpet) December 12, 2012

Disappointed @pontifex"s 1st tweet not in Latin! Surely - "Carissimi: impetro in tactu in vobis per Twitter" :) #pope #schooldays

— Jon Williams(@WilliamsJon) December 12, 2012

A bit disappointed with the Pope's first tweet. After all that hype,I was expecting him to tell us who killed Biggie and Tupac.

— Jay.Jazzi (@JayJazzi) December 12, 2012

Ecstatic:

HEY @pontifex I JUST TWEET YOU AND THIS IS CRAZY, BUT HERE'S MY TUMBLR SO CALL ME MAYBE.

— Pete McVries (@PeteMcVries) December 12, 2012

@pontifex please follow me! You'll love to RT me... and BTW Merry Christmas!

— Alex Murashko (@AlexMurashko) December 12, 2012

OMG the Pope is tech-savvy! He is interacting with his followers! He just asked his first Twitter question!

— Miguel Lago (@jm_lago) December 12, 2012

@pontifex @mediaduemila Nella storia! Nel presente! Nel futuro! Con il primo tweet il #Papa è una persona digitale! Benvenuto, Santità!

— Antonio Irlando (@AntonioIrlando) December 12, 2012

In history! In the present! In the future! With his first tweet, the Pope is a digital person. Welcome, Holiness!

Whatever:

Dear CNN, the Pope making a twitter account is not news.

— Julia Lasagna (@fapnapkin) December 12, 2012

Snarky:

Thsi @pontifex is tweeting from an iPad. How materialistic of him.

— Ganju Patel (@shubHASHISH) December 12, 2012

“@pontifex: How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?” - is the answer "bacon"?

— An.d.re (@AndreTheViking) December 12, 2012

@pontifex Or…you know…have a less confused and corrupted mythic belief system.

— Damien Walter (@damiengwalter) December 12, 2012

Pope only follows his own twitter accounts... and I thought some of you have problems

— Jimmy(@kariuki_njoroge) December 12, 2012

Pape @pontifex_fr sur Twitter: L"Église s'ouvre enfin à la technologie. Et le condom latex? On dit que ça peut sauver des vies en Afrique...

— Camille Grenier (@CamGrenier) December 12, 2012

the Pope @pontifex_fr on Twitter: The Church finally opens up to technology. And latex condoms? You know it could save lives in Africa...

Bro'ing it up with the Holy Father:

@pontifex Big up yuhself, Popie...JAH Guide and Protect.

— DJ Wayne (@DJWizzzle) December 12, 2012

@pontifex right on bro

— rsidney (@rdotsidney) December 12, 2012

@pontifex Wag1 g. U kool yeh?

— John McDonnell (@thewebsiteyep) December 12, 2012


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Geopolitics

Why The World Still Needs U.S. Leadership — With An Assist From China

Twenty years of costly interventions and China's economic ascent have robbed the United States of its global supremacy. It is time for the two biggest powers to work together, to help the world.

Photograph of Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden walking side by side in the Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California​

Nov. 15, 2023: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden take a walk after their talks in the Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California

Xinhua/ZUMA
María Ángela Holguín*

-Analysis-

BOGOTÁ — The United States is facing a complex moment in its history, as it loses its privileged place in the world. Since the Second World War, it has been the world's preeminent power in economic and political terms, helping rebuild Europe after the war and through its growing economy, aiding the development of a significant part of the world.

For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here.

Its model of democracy, long considered exemplary around the world, has gone through a rough patch, thanks to excessive polarization and discord. This has cost it a good deal of its leadership, unity and authority.

How much authority does it have to chide certain countries on democracy, as it does, after such outlandish incidents as the assault on Congress in January 2021? The fights we have seen over electing a new speaker of the House of Representatives or backing the administration's foreign policy are simply incredible.

In Ukraine's case, President Biden failed to win support for the aid package for which he was hoping, even if there is a general understanding that if Russia wins this war, Europe's stability would be at risk. It would mean the victory of a longstanding enemy.

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