The papal visit to France, scheduled from September 25 to 28, 2026, is expected to attract large crowds, and many faithful will wish to "see" Pope Leo XIV in person. However, the visit will primarily draw tens of millions of television viewers, who will "commune" behind their screens. This visit and its broadcast offer an opportunity to revisit a classic work in social sciences, La Télévision cérémonielle, by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, published in the early 1990s. The book explores how media events bring communities together around significant historical moments, such as the papal visit. Since its publication in 1992, Media Events. The Livre Broadcasting of History (La Télévision cérémonielle. Anthropologie et histoire en direct, Presses universitaires de France, 1996), by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, has opened a fertile field of research. The authors introduced the concept of "ceremonial media," which refers to how media, beyond being just a technical tool, can create a shared ritualistic experience. These events, such as a papal visit, are simultaneously religious, political, and media-related, and they bring people together through collective viewing. Ceremonial media are not limited to audiovisual formats; they involve symbolic, political, and institutional effects. In the modern context, media play a role in legitimizing and "monumentalizing" the ceremonies they broadcast, creating an official and collective image. The papal visit is a major event, often described as "History in real time," with a capital "H." Historians agree that the true birth of television as a "mass media" dates back to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. Ceremonial media are more than just technical transmission belts; they are the actual ceremonialists, enabling viewers to experience a ritualistic event at a distance. The mediated nature of the rite does not devalue the ceremony; instead, it multiplies the rite, making it possible for a universal ceremony to emerge, with participants becoming "spect-actors." Television viewers, particularly Catholics during the visit of Pope Leo XIV, form "diasporic communities" who commune before the event, sharing in the historical significance and values of the occasion. The notion of "diasporic community" builds on Daniel Dayan's work, describing scattered audiences who gather before a televised historical event. These viewers, though not physically present, share an emotional connection and a sense of participating in a collective experience. In their book Media Events, Dayan and Katz focused on mediated rituals, defining a specific television genre that interrupts the usual flow of programs to broadcast historical moments. These events, such as coronations, funerals, and sports events, share a ritual character despite their diversity. The ceremonies often take place outside television studios, and journalists adopt a reverent tone, avoiding irony or critical commentary. The papal visit, unlike the conclave, which is not televised, is a prime example of a "ritualized media event." The moment of "white smoke" during the conclave, when the new pope is announced, transforms it into a media event, creating a shared experience for Catholics around the world. Daniel Dayan has identified essential elements of Media Events, including the omnipresence of the broadcast, the performative character of the event, the loyalty of broadcasters, and the shared experience of the audience. These elements help to define how media events shape collective memory and identity.