Pope Francis’ Visit to the U.S. Inspires Mobile Content in Real Time

The pilgrimage of the faithful will likely break records this weekend.

By the time Pope Francis takes the stage at the World Meeting of Families this Sunday, the odds are his message will have already been heard and seen across the globe. A few thousand at that address will likely also be live-sharing the pontiff’s final words before he departs to Rome. Central to these eyewitness accounts will be social media and mobile technology.

Fueling this social sharing will be the faith-inspired behavior of a large segment of the U.S. population. AT&T’s recent Inspired Mobility survey found that four in 10 participants (41%) use a mobile phone, tablet or laptop to connect to a faith-based organization or other inspirational site.

In this case, Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States.

The last time a Pope visited the U.S. was in 2008. Twitter was only two years old then. Meerkat, Periscope and Blab did not exist. Neither did a 4G wireless network. Instagram would not come until two years later.

Fast forward to 2015 and Periscope alone has a reported 10 million users. Add a 4G wireless network and you have the ability to share Pope Francis’ final U.S. address with the world.

The expectation that thousands will do so coincides with AT&T Inspired Mobility findings:

• 42% of all respondents use mobile devices to listen to or download inspirational music

• 32% watch online worship services or videos of inspiring speakers on their devices

• 46% of U.S. Hispanics use their mobile devices to connect with their faith

More than 1.5 million people are expected to gather in Philadelphia for a chance to see and hear Pope Francis.

Inspired Mobility is a national discussion about how people are using mobility and the Internet to connect to what inspires them. To learn more visit about.att.com/mediakit/inspiredmobility.