Mass appeal: Pope Francis is 'on message' for young Catholics

People pray inside the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP / Victor R. Caivano)

Having already ditched the elaborate clothing and ceremonial gear sported by his predecessors and opting to ride in a minivan instead of a special Vatican sedan, Pope Francis has dramatically shifted the tone of the papacy, something that experts say will strike a chord with young Catholics.

In his first address to the media as the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, the 76-year-old Pope stressed his desire to see “a poor church and a church for the poor.”

The newly-elected Pope is well-known in Argentina for his work with the poor in Buenos Aires' slums and his focus on economic inequality.

Cameron Turner, 20, says these themes appeal to young Catholics.

“The church has been proclaiming equality and freedom in the economy for years, and only now are people starting to realize, maybe the church is on to something here,” Tuner told CTVNews.ca.

Turner speaks to high school students about his faith as part of the Catholic youth ministry movement NET Canada. He says it’s not enough that the 266th pontiff preaches about love for the poor – he must also act.

“I think that love demands action, so I’m looking for a man that has virtue and is sincere and is really keen on loving other people,” Turner said. “Helping the poor is really important to me,” he continued.

Taking the name of St. Francis of Asisis – the 13th-century son of an aristocrat who rejected riches to live in poverty as a preacher and guardian of nature – will also boost the Pope’s popularity, as it shows solidarity with the poor.

“A sense and need of mission and solidarity is often what young people are looking for and what they respond to,” says Andrew Papenbrock, the associate director of youth evangelization for the Archdiocese of Edmonton.

“The lifestyle and message of St. Francis is very appealing to young people -- including those not of the Catholic faith.”

Papenbrook stressed that whatever message comes from the Vatican, it must be “consistent and honest.”

“There needs to be a message of hope and a lot of people who asking questions (about the church) are not in a hopeful place.”

Danielle Breffitt, a 25-year-old who twice attended World Youth Day to see Pope Emeritus Benedict (in Germany and Australia), says the recent launch of the @pontiefx Twitter account shows the Vatican’s desire to communicate with Catholic youth.

“That’s a place where young people are communicating and it’s a good place to reach out to young people,” says Breffitt, an intern with Ottawa-based Catholic Christian Outreach.

The official Papal twitter account, @pontifex, was started under Benedict’s papacy and reactivated on Wednesday shortly after the white smoke was spotted billowing above the Sistine Chapel.

Twitter later confirmed that following the announcement of the new Pope, Twitter saw 130 million tweets per minute about @pontifex.