Pope Francis, Trump, Zelensky and the Power of Images in the Age of Media

An editorial by Helga Marsala on Artribune examines the communicative legacy of Pope Francis, emphasizing his mastery of imagery and media. It contrasts his conservative doctrinal stance with his innovative, populist communication style—selfies, phone calls, pizzas with the poor, and attention to art. Two iconic images are highlighted: his solitary Mass in an empty St. Peter's Square on March 27, 2020, during lockdown, and the spontaneous meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at his funeral in St. Peter's Basilica. The latter, captured in photographs, shows the two leaders seated face-to-face in red damask armchairs, away from microphones, in an informal dialogue that contrasts with their previous Oval Office confrontation. Marsala reflects on the power of such images to transcend their moment, invoking surrealist chance, Brecht's 'War Primer', and the invisible narratives that give images their enduring force. The piece argues that Francis's true innovation was in language and symbolic gesture, not doctrine, and that even in death he facilitated a potentially historic diplomatic moment.