Digital Humanities and Global Communication: Networks and Metrics of the Cardinals of the American Continent

This study analyzes the digital presence of the 37 American cardinals eligible to vote in the 2025 Conclave (23 from Latin America, 10 from the United States, and 4 from Canada). The goal is to evaluate how these religious leaders project their identity, authority, and credibility on social media using a Digital Humanities approach.The methodology was quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, and cross-sectional. Data collection took place between February 11 and April 21, 2025, recording variables such as account type, profile picture, official verification, follower count, and platform diversity.The results reveal a notable digital divide: 51% of the cardinals do not have personal profiles. Among the remaining 49% who do maintain a digital presence, X (formerly Twitter) is the most used network at 48.6%, followed by Facebook at 45.9% and Instagram at 29.7%. In contrast, video-driven formats on TikTok and YouTube remain marginal, with only a 5.4% adoption rate each. Furthermore, institutional validation is low, as barely 5.4% of the accounts are verified.The analysis concludes that church figures integrate unevenly into the global dynamics of connectivity, where data and metrics shape new forms of symbolic authority. This study provides a key interdisciplinary perspective on the relationship between global communication, contemporary leadership, and digital representation within the modern Catholic Church.