Crisis is Not a Disaster – Communication of Popes About Crises in the Era of the Internet

The question of crisis is a cognitively engaging element of social reality. Our study will examine how the popes of the last quarter-century have communicated crisis-related topics, as communication channels have expanded into virtual space and social networks. Since 1998, most of the world’s institutions have been reaching out to communities through the online environment. Many changes have taken place in the texts of Church leaders since then. In previous studies, we pointed out that the pronoun “we” has gradually become dominant. Using NVivo software for analysis, we demonstrate a co-occurrence between the frequency of the word “crisis” and the occurrence of the pronouns “we” and “our.” In the years when we observe an increased use of “we,” we simultaneously note a rise in the use of “crisis.” The meaning of the word “crisis” also evolves with each pope – from a situation to overcome, as seen in the texts of John Paul II, to a challenge through which Jesus acts, as described by Pope Francis.