Pope Francis praises beauty vloggers in Vatican meeting

Published: 31-May-2016

Pontiff says social media stars can help “neutralise aggression” with beauty

Pope Francis has praised the work of popular beauty vloggers in an intimate meeting with 11 top YouTube stars, including British vlogger Louise Pentland. Details of the meet-up was shared online via the hashtag #PopewithYTcreators.

The 50-minute meeting was attended by vloggers from across the world, including Syrian teenager, Hayla Ghazal, married couple Jamie and Nikki, and US gaming vlogger Matthew Patrick. According to the Guardian, the Pope told the group: “You can create a virtual identity; you belong to this circle at least virtually. From that you can start taking a path of optimism and hope.” All 11 vloggers involved are expected to upload videos about the meeting in the coming days and weeks.

The Pontiff was said to have praised the work of Pentland, who blogs beauty and fashion advice at Sprinkle of Glitter. He said: “I am glad that you carry out the type of work you said, following the line of beauty, it’s a great thing. To preach beauty and show beauty helps neutralise aggression.”

Despite previously admitting that he struggles with modern technology, the 79-year-old Pope has embraced social media in recent years. Earlier this year, Pope Francis joined Instagram as @franciscus, amassing 2.5 million followers.

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