Twitter has raised a Pope meme from the dead     DATE: 2024-09-21 04:31:38

A new old meme has been resurrected on Twitter, and Mass just got interesting.

Twitter users are exploiting the website's tiled image format to make it look like Pope Francis is holding various objects with sincere reverence, including Simba, Baby Yoda, and the One Ring.

The original photo of the Pope was taken in Brazil in 2013, when he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida. In it he holds aloft a wafer of sacramental bread, meant to stand for Christ's body as part of the Eucharist or Holy Communion rite.

The image became a meme in the intervening years, Know Your Meme noting edits replacing the bread with various other objects have appeared on both Tumblr and Instagram.

Mashable Top StoriesStay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletterBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!

Now it's had a resurgence on Twitter, the new tiled variation allowing people to join in even if they weren't blessed with Photoshop skills. The meme is risen.

The Pope meme has largely been in good fun, and has probably made a lot of people think about God slightly more than they otherwise would (judging from the frequency with which Twitter users will just go balls-to-the-wall horny on main).

SEE ALSO:'How it started' meme takes over Twitter timelines

However some Catholics have expressed offence at seeing the pontiff memed, particularly as the Church believes the bread used in the Eucharist sacrament actually becomes Jesus Christ's body.

Twitter's response to this is exactly what you'd expect.