Controversial Interactions Surrounding Poverty, Hunger, and Inequality in a Instagram Post by Father Júlio Lancelotti

Abstract

Our aim in this article is to analyze the repercussion of a post by Father Júlio Lancelotti on the social media platform Instagram, featuring a statement from Pope Francis expressing support for the fight against hunger, poverty, and inequality. This publication is part of a series of posts by Father Júlio advocating for vulnerable groups, particularly those experiencing homelessness. We will attempt to identify and interpret the dynamics of the debate instigated by this post. To achieve this, we will provide a description of the discursive organization of the comments posted in response to the publication, drawing on Charaudeau (2008) to identify how the debate unfolds in this environment, adopting the concept of controversy as outlined by Amossy (2017), and considering the framework in which it occurs. Additionally, for a better understanding of this interaction, we will refer to works on social media, with a particular focus on Recuero's (2017) contributions. Our analysis revealed that controversy arises in the comments from divergent positions to the original post, sparking a parallel debate among internet users.