Lorsque le pape François a appelé, le 23 janvier 2014, les catholiques à être des «citoyens du numérique» et à utiliser le «don de Dieu» qu’est Internet, son message a été entendu... surtout par les communicants du Vatican!
Pour la canonisation des papes Jean XXIII et Jean-Paul II ce dimanche, des centaines de milliers de catholiques venus d’Italie, de Pologne et d’ailleurs seront place Saint-Pierre, des centaines de millions de croyants suivront la cérémonie devant leurs téléviseurs ou dans les cinémas qui retransmettent l’évènement en 3D… mais tout est fait pour que les fidèles se mobilisent aussi sur la Toile.
Créé spécialement pour cet évènement sacré, le hashtag #2popesaints (2 papes saints) doit être omniprésent ce week-end. Mais pour ça, le Vatican ne s’est pas contenté de prier.
Gestionnaires des médias sociaux au Vatican
C’est la première fois qu’un dispositif numérique de la sorte est mis en place dans la cité papale : comme le rapporte le quotidien Le Parisien, le Vatican a déployé sa première équipe de gestionnaire de médias sociaux, constituée de vingt étudiants (italiens, espagnols ou portugais) en communication dirigée par le père Stefano, 33 ans.
Leur but : atteindre les jeunes de 18-30 ans sur Internet et leur faire connaître Jean-Paul II et surtout Jean XXIII, pape de la fin des années 50 qu’ils n’ont pas connu. Pour y parvenir, ces jeunes communicants ont la foi et beaucoup d'idées (plus ou moins bonnes).
En plus du site officiel 2popesaints.org (en cinq langues), l'équipe du Vatican alimente Facebook, Instagram, Twitter mais aussi Google +. Pour mettre un peu d’ordre dans leurs publications, les jeunes communicants traitent un thème par jour, un sujet cher aux deux papes, comme la Vierge Marie ou la famille.
Ça c’est pour le sérieux de l’opération, mais pour le buzz, les communicants ont succombé à l’appel de la vidéo virale et même ressuscité les BD de l’application Bitstrip.
Le 10 avril, YouTube a vu apparaître une énième parodie du tube Happy de Pharrell Williams, mais cette fois-ci à Rome, avec des prêtres qui se dandinent, des soeurs qui claquent des mains, des vieux et des jeunes en pèlerinage à Rome avec des pancartes à l’effigie de Jean-Paul II et Jean XXIII.
Comme tout le monde, le Vatican a fait son pastiche de Happy et ça fonctionne puisque cette version peu commune a été vue près de 100 000 fois.
Pour surprendre, les communicants de #2popesaints ont aussi investi Bitstrip, l’application qui a connu son quart d’heure de gloire en novembre 2013 en proposant à ses utilisateurs de mettre en scène leur vie en bande dessinée.
L’une des animateurs de communauté en ligne de l’équipe a ainsi trouvé sa spécialité : mettre en scène Giuseppe Angelo Roncalli (Jean XXIII) et Karol Wojtyla (Jean-Paul II) en personnages de BD rigolos qui papotent de leurs vocations respectives, de l’actualité ou de leur vie (au paradis).
«Le 2 avril 2005, Karol monte au ciel et Angelo l'accueille dans la maison de Dieu»
«Jean XXIII: Bienvenue au paradis, voici la liste des choses à faire!
Jean-Paul II : Ici aussi...»
« Angelo, tu connais le hashtag officiel de la canonisation?
Que la mode Bitstrip soit passée ou pas, il faut avouer que la méthode tranche avec la communication traditionnelle de l'Eglise.
Pour que toutes les conditions du buzz en 2014 soient réunies pour l'opération #2popesaints, il ne manque plus qu’un selfie... On attend donc l’autoportrait du pape François ou de Benoît XVI qui pourrait être place Saint Pierre ce week-end.
Inside the Vatican
(01 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows where the cardinals will be sitting inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave voting, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(02 of10)
Open Image ModalADDS NAME OF PAINTING ON CEILING. This picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows Italian Renaissance painter Michaelangelo\'s \"Last Judgement\" fresco on the background wall and the section of the \"Creation of Adam\" on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel above the seating arrangement of the cardinals for the conclave, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(03 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows the Sistine Chapel set up for the beginning of the conclave, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(04 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows where the cardinals will be sitting inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave voting, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(05 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows the three sizes of the pope\'s garments and shoe boxes in a room next to the Sistine Chapel, seen through the door at right, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. The three identical white outfits in small, medium and large for the new pontiff\'s first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter\'s Basilica are delivered to the Vatican before the start of the conclave and left in a room next to the Sistine Chapel, where the newly elected pope changes into his new clothes. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(06 of10)
Open Image ModalSt. Peter\'s Basilica is seen in the background as homeless people sleep near St. Peter\'s Square in Vatican, early Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky) (credit:AP)
(07 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows the three sizes of the pope\'s garments in a room next to the Sistine Chapel, at the Vatican. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. The three identical white outfits in small, medium and large for the new pontiff\'s first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter\'s Basilica are delivered to the Vatican before the start of the conclave and left in a room next to the Sistine Chapel, where the newly elected pope changes into his new clothes. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
(08 of10)
Open Image ModalThis picture made available Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L\'Osservatore Romano shows the urns where each cardinal will place his folded ballot after voting inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave at the Vatican. During the voting that ensues, each cardinal writes his choice on a rectangular piece of paper inscribed with the words \"Eligo in summen pontificem\" Latin for \"I elect as Supreme Pontiff.\" Holding the folded ballot up in the air, each approaches the altar and places it on a saucer, before tipping it into an oval urn, as he intones these words: \"I call as my witness, Christ the Lord, who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.\" Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There\'s no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/L\'Osservatore Romano, ho) (credit:AP)
Haydee Jesus(09 of10)
Open Image ModalSister Haydee Jesus prays during a special prayer vigil at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Monday, March 11, 2013. The church will remain open until Tuesday morning for the special prayer vigil as cardinals gather in Rome to elect the new Pope. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (credit:AP)
(10 of10)
Open Image ModalFaithful are seen in St. Peter\'s Square, at the Vatican, Monday, March 11, 2013. Cardinals have gathered for their final day of talks before the conclave to elect the next pope amid debate over whether the Catholic Church needs a manager pope to clean up the Vatican\'s messy bureaucracy or a pastoral pope who can inspire the faithful and make Catholicism relevant again. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) (credit:AP)