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Marketing Pope Francis

Pope Francis delivers surprise TED Talk technology sermon

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By John Glenday, Reporter

April 27, 2017 | 2 min read

Pope Francis has elected to reach out to a new audience through the unlikely medium of a TED Talk, an occasion the pontiff used to exhort technology firms to do better.

Beaming into this year’s annual TED conference in Vancouver, via a pre-recorded lecture, the Catholic figurehead spoke of the moral responsibilities that technology firms must shoulder in addition to those carried by individuals.

His Holiness said: “Each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions.

“How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion. How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us.”

The unconventional talk was a major coup for TED which had spent months pre-arranging the initiative with the Vatican via several meetings before consent was granted for the film.

The Pope has become an avid user of social media via his own Instagram account, part of a social media strategy designed to court non-believers as well as the devout.

Marketing Pope Francis

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