Invited by Speaker John Boehner, a Catholic and product of Jesuit education, Pope Francis spoke to a Congress where over 30% of members self-identify as Catholic and nearly 15% attended a Catholic college or university. In addition, 55 of the members were educated at Jesuit universities or high schools. His address to Congress was an opportunity to invite legislators to reflect on the U.S.’s response to those who are marginalized by poverty and injustice, especially migrants, those plagued by climate change, workers treated unjustly, etc.
Scroll down to find Pope Francis resources, and learn how to host a Pope Francis Watch Party.
Pope Francis Posts
On January 1st, 2019, Pope Francis will mark the annual World Day of Peace by sharing a message titled: “Good Politics is at the Service of Peace.”
Pope Francis News
Host a Pope Francis Watch Party.
Over 30,000 people have registered for watch parties! Will you?
Pope2Congress Watch Parties will provide a fun morning of conversation and reflection in your community and within the broader Ignatian network via social media. By registering for an official watch party, you will receive free resources like Pope Watch BINGO cards, suggested discussion questions, and fun giveaways for your participants.
Date & Time:
The Pope will address a joint session of Congress on September 24, at 10:00AM ET.
Location and Activities:
Watch parties can take place anywhere—from classrooms, to students centers, to parish halls, to living rooms. In planning your watch party, here are a few questions to consider prior to registering your event:
In order to make your #Pope2Congress watch party official, please register your event using the button above.
Events registered by August 26, 2015 will receive watch party resources including bingo cards, suggested discussion questions, and fun giveaways (Pope pins).
Encourage your participants to engage in the #Pope2Congress conversation online: We are confident that citizens worldwide will be commenting on the Pope’s address to Congress, and we want member of Jesuit institutions to take part! One way to help increase the social media engagement during the watch party would be to set up a Tweet Wall next to the viewing screen. Participants will be able to track the social media conversation while tracking the Pope’s address. On Tuesday, September 22, ISN will send all registered participants a link to the Tweet Wall we’ve created. All you’ll need to do is click the link, and it will be displayed on your screen!
Activities: Everyone who registers their event by August 26 will receive Pope2Congress topic BINGO cards for up to 50 participants and suggested discussion/reflection questions. You may wish to incorporate time for group discussion or individual reflection directly following the showing.
Take Photos: These will be helpful in the event report-back.
Please help ISN share your event with the wider Jesuit network by sending photos and videos to info@ignatiansolidarity.net.
Do I need to be part of a Jesuit institution to host a watch party?
No! All are welcome to join in the reflection and fun.
The 10:00 AM ET timeframe won’t work for me. Can I host my watch party later in the day?
Yes! Please make note of the time/day you plan to host your watch party in your registration form. While the timing may impact the social media conversation tied to the broadcast, it will still provide ample opportunities for in-person conversation and reflection.
ISN will post a recording of the Pope’s address to http://igsol.net/pope2congress by 11 AM ET on September 24.
What is a Tweet Wall?
Example Twitter Wall
A tweet or twitter wall is a public way of displaying all of the Tweets (and other social media platforms) using a specific hashtag. On September 24, ISN will provide access to a live feed of tweets related to the Pope’s address. In order to display the feed, you will need:
ISN will send all registered users a link to our Twitter wall on September 22.
What language will the Pope speak?
While the Pope is expected to speak in Spanish during much of his trip, he will be addressing Congress in English.
Will there be Spanish subtitles for the Pope’s address?
To view the address with Spanish subtitles, you will need to use EWTN’s Live feed.
The Live feed can be accessed from the EWTN Web Page under the menu option Television. On the drop down menu, select, En vivo- Espanol .
Will ISN have a recording of the Pope’s address available?
Yes, ISN will post a recording of the Pope’s address to http://igsol.net/pope2congress by 11 AM ET on 9/24.
What is a Live Stream? Will I need any special equipment or plugins?
A Live Stream functions very similarly to a YouTube video. On September 24 at 10:00 AM ET, you will simply need to visit http://igsol.net/pope2congress, scroll down to the video, and hit play. It will then show you a live feed of the Pope’s address.
