Faith, Frames, and Feeds: A Media-Theological Look at the Passing of Pope Francis

This paper analyzes the media portrayal of the death of Pope Francis and its surrounding events through the intersecting lenses of framing theory, mediatization of religion, and public theology. Through qualitative content analysis and theological interpretation, this investigates how media constructed meaning around Francis' legacy, the sede vacante, and almost immediate public discussions on the "papabiles" as the world anticipates the conclave. Drawing on Robert Entman's framing theory, the first part examines how the media depicted Francis' papacy through different narratives, emphasizing themes of Church decentralization, reform, the pastoral appropriation of doctrines, synodality, and the timeless virtues of mercy and compassion. The second part utilizes Stig Hjarvard's theory of the mediatization of religion and argues that the digital feeds through which people now experience papal elections and transitions constitute a new public square where religious and secular sentiments meet. Finally, the paper adopts a public theology framework to critically reflect on the Church's presence in the public sphere. It considers whether the global attention given to papal transitions serves as a moment of kairós—an opportunity to bear witness to ecclesial continuity and Catholic moral vision—or whether it risks reducing the Church's witness to a series of symbolic gestures consumed in a post-truth media environment. The paper concludes that a sound and appropriated theology—something that Francis himself embraced—is urgently needed to navigate the increasingly mediatized experience of ecclesial life, particularly in moments of papal transition that are both deeply human and spiritual.