Pope Francis’ recent visit to the Philippines, long considered the world’s social media capital, “set several Twitter records”, despite orders of the government to take down cellular and mobile data signals everywhere he went.
By the time he arrives in the Vatican, the Pope will see that Filipinos not only gave him the biggest Papal event in history – but also made him the most popular ever on the Philippine side of Twitter as well as making his tweets coinciding with his visit to the country his most popular ever.
Most-RT’d tweet in the Philippines
One of Pope Francis’ tweet, written in Filipino, and posted on January 16, 2015, has entered the social network’s records as the “most retweeted tweet in the Philippines“, according to an email from Twitter Southeast Asia:
Ang Pilipinas ay patunay ng kabataan at kasiglahan ng Simbahan.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 16, 2015
The tweet is Pope Francis’ first to be written in Filipino. No other tweet posted in the Philippines has garnered more retweets than this tweet from the pope, which has been tweeted nearly 74,000 as of this writing.
The pope posted the tweet hours after arriving in Manila to a rapturous welcome in the streets from Villamor Air Base to the Apostolic Nunciature.
Most of Pope’s most RT’d tweets
are about the Philippines
The same tweet also became the pope’s single most popular tweet ever as no other tweet from @Pontifex, the official papal Twitter account, has garnered more retweets.
According to Twitter Southeast Asia, “seven of the top ten most retweeted Tweets from the Pope came from his recent trip to the Philippines.”
“Four of the top five most retweeted Tweets from the Pope are in Tagalog,” the company added.
Prior to the pope’s visit to the country, top three most popular tweets were his Easter greeting (April 20, 2014), his thank you tweet after his election as Pope (March 17, 2013), and his tweet asking for prayers for the Philippines after supertyphoon Haiyan struck (Nov. 9, 2013).
The @Pontifex currently has 5.25-million followers on Twitter, or over one million less than the estimated number of people who attended the Papal mass in Manila last Jan. 19, 2015.
Pope’s Top 10
Here are Pope Francis’ most retweeted tweets, according to Twitter Southeast Asia:
Ang Pilipinas ay patunay ng kabataan at kasiglahan ng Simbahan.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 16, 2015
Ang pamilya ay ang pinakamahalagang kayamanan ng isang bansa. Naway pagsikapan nating ipagtanggol at patatagin itong pundasyon ng lipunan.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 16, 2015
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 20, 2014
Ang kahabagan ng Diyos, ang kanyang sakripisyo, ay nagbibigay saysay at halaga sa lahat ng ating paghihirap.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 17, 2015
Madalas nating makalimutang pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga bagay na talagang mahalaga. Nakakalimutan natin na tayo’y Anak ng Diyos.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 18, 2015
Please pray with me for everyone in Sri Lanka and the Philippines as I begin my trip.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 12, 2015
Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2013
Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2013
I ask all of you to join me in prayer for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda especially those in the beloved islands of the Philippines
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 9, 2013
Bilang Kristiyano, miyembro ng pamilya ng Diyos, tinatawag tayo upang hanapin at paglingkuran ang lahat ng mga nangangailangan.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 18, 2015