Portrayals of Pope Francis's Authority in the Digital Age

Damian Guzek, Ph.D. DS.c. (1985) is an associate professor at the University of Silesia in Katowice. He has published monographs and many articles on digital media, religion and politics, including Mediatizing Secular State (Peter Lang, 2019).

Figures and Tables



Introduction: Discussing Approaches to the Study of Papal Authority



1. The Discarded Image: The Pope on HBO and Netflix




1.1. Films on the Modern Papacy


1.2. Evolving Archetypes of the Papacy


1.3. Two Ways for the Future Church


1.4. Discarded Image: In Search of Papal Metaphors of Being





2. Portraying Francis on the Web




2.1. Choose Your YouTube Narrative: The Pope as a Threat or Hope?


2.2. Polarized Approaches to Websites





3. Traditional Catholic Users: Consuming Mediated Papacy, Protecting the Old Rules and Doctrines




3.1. Defining Traditional Catholic Users


3.2. Three Types of Traditional Catholic Users


3.3. Identity Marks: Objective Truth, Catholic Orthodoxy and the Latin Mass


3.4. Strategies for Negotiating Francis’ Leadership





4. Post-Vatican II Catholic Users: Media Consumption, Supporting the Modern Papacy




4.1. Defining Post-Vatican II Catholic Users


4.2. Three Types of Post-Vatican II Catholic Users


4.3. Hallmarks of Christian Life: Decentralization of Orthodoxy and Contextualization of Catholicism


4.4. Approaches to Francis’ Ministry





Conclusion: Rethinking the Pope’s Authority Through the Activities of Traditional and Liberal Catholic Users



Methodological Appendix

Bibliography