Strategic canonisation: sanctity, popular culture and the Catholic Church

• Published in: International journal of cultural policy : CP Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 438 - 455
• Main Author: Bennett, Oliver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.09.2011; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Catholic Church; Catholicism; Catholics; celebrities; Celebrity; Churches; Cultural policy; Culture; Fame; History; John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla), Pope; Papacy; Politics; Pope; Popular Culture; Public policy; Religion; Religious history; Roman Catholic Church; Saints; Sexual behaviour
• ISSN: 1028-6632; 1477-2833
• DOI: 10.1080/10286632.2010.544726

In his 27-year reign (1978-2005), Pope John Paul II created not only more saints than any other pope in history, but also more saints than all the other popes put together since Pope Urban VIII centralised control of saint-making in 1634. This article argues that the elevation of 'celebrity saints', such as Padre Pio and Mother Theresa, can be seen as an attempt on the part of the Catholic Church to strengthen its presence within the arena of popular culture. Through a sustained programme of 'strategic canonisation', John Paul II promoted models of sanctity that conveyed very clear social and political messages. Such messages were amplified through extensive Catholic media and, where 'celebrity saints' were involved, through the secular media too. These processes are analysed first, in relation to the general area of sexual politics; and second, to the Church's historic relationship with Nazism. Whilst John Paul's programme may not have achieved all that it intended, it clearly demonstrated the Catholic Church's unique capacity to reinvent very old forms of cultural policy for changing times.