How much punch can a tweet really pack? Michael O’Loughlin, journalist at Crux, former contributor to Busted Halo, and author of the new book, “The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters,” talks with Busted Halo about Pope Francis’ Twitter revolution, the pope’s upcoming visit to the United States, and living out our faith in our everyday lives.

Q: What makes Pope Francis’ Twitter presence so revolutionary?
This is a man who, just moments after he was elected to the highest office in the Catholic Church, asked for the crowd’s blessing and a few minutes later, wished them all goodnight, like a friend saying farewell. He’s a pastor who’s most comfortable being with his people, accompanying them through their lives. Twitter enables him to connect directly with more than 21 million of us, and then many more than that through retweets.

Never before in history has a pope been able to communicate so directly with so many people at once. This kind of direct contact is something truly novel in the history of the Church.

Q: Why has the pope been so successful at using Twitter?
Francis speaks in sound bites, and I mean that as a compliment. He knows we have a lot of people, products, and PR folks competing for our attention, so he cuts to the heart of what he has to say, and says it boldy.

As I write in “The Tweetable Pope,” so many parts of his public speeches seem ready for Twitter: sharp, to the point, and inspiring.

Francis engages his followers because we’re all looking for some inspiration and, I think, an occasional challenge. He does this several times each week. Sometimes, even hours after reading a papal tweet, I find myself pondering what he meant, and how it applies to me. I suspect I’m not alone, given that for three years in a row, Francis has been named the most influential global leader on Twitter.

Q: Would Pope Francis ever engage in a Twitter war? With who?
Given his disdain for war, I doubt it! He hasn’t replied to anyone who’s tweeted at him — yet. I’m told he’s open to the idea, however, so stay tuned.

Q: Unlike other big names on Twitter, Pope Francis isn’t promoting himself, a new movie or product. Do you think this countercultural message can make a difference in people’s lives?
Yea, this is a point I made a few times in the book. His brand, so to speak, couldn’t be bigger, so he doesn’t need Twitter to promote himself.

Instead, almost every Tweet the pope sends points to the Gospel message. God loves us and God wants us to love others. It’s a simple message at face value, but it has the potential to be revolutionary if even a fraction of his followers took it to heart.

Q: In the book, you point to one of Pope Francis’ first tweets in 2013 as a sign that caring for the poor and caring for creation would be priorities for the papacy. What other gems or surprises did you uncover in your research for this book?
I still laugh when people ask me, “Where will Francis lead the church?” I say, “We already know! He told us less than a week after his election!”

One of the Tweets that piqued my interest, and ultimately prompted me to write the book, was when the pope wrote, “Inequality is the root of social evil” in April 2014.

I thought to myself, Wow, this is astonishing that the pope is being so candid and weighing in on such a timely and controversial topic. It’s just one of the times, though, that the pope has shown a willingness to engage on difficult topics, in person and on Twitter.

Q: This is an exciting time to be covering the Catholic Church and Pope Francis. What do you hope to add to the conversation as a Catholic reporter?
Francis’ best lines, and I think most sincere intentions, come when he lays aside his prepared remarks and speaks from the heart. Even though this usually means a lot more work for reporters, I love it. I hope to be able to reflect accurately what Francis says, and to help put it in context for readers who don’t have the time to follow every word and phrase as closely as journalists.

Q: What are your hopes for Pope Francis’ visit to the United States? What message do you think other young people most want to hear from this pope?
I hope that all the people who want to see him and hear his message are able to do just that. As for young people, we want to be inspired. Polls show that many of my peers have lost faith in institutions over the years — government, politics, universities, and even the Church — and I think Francis gives us hope that we need not yield to cynicism. Sure, there’s a lot of work to do, but the pope goes about doing that work joyfully and I think that’s an important lesson.

Q: More and more people struggle with identifying as Catholic in public forums such as Facebook or Twitter or categorize themselves as “spiritual, but not religious” or “Nones” with no religious affiliation. What do you think can spark a deeper conversation about faith in their lives?
People tell me there’s a certain stigma to being labeled “religious” today, and with all the baggage that term can carry, I get it. But in my coverage for Crux, I’ve interviewed so many inspiring people who tell me their work has been motivated by a deep faith. They’re often quiet about it, not wearing their faith on their sleeves, but if you look around it’s easy to spot those stories. Remembering that the loudest voices don’t always speak for the group can be helpful.

Q: In the book, you shared a story from earlier in your career about being vague with others about working for the Catholic Church. What would you say to someone struggling with their Catholic identity today?
I’d say, zoom out a bit and remember that Catholicism is broader than any one scandal or one person (unless, of course, that person is Jesus). In 2,000 years, the Church has done more than its fair share of terrible deeds, but it’s also done far more good. That is sometimes lost, but it remains true.

Follow Michael on Twitter @MikeOLoughlin and follow Pope Francis @Pontifex.