What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how Benedict XVI and Francis conceptualise Europe as a moral and political project and to assess how their contrasting frameworks shape the political uses of Christianity.

August 19, 2026Journal of Contemporary European Studies

Two papal Europes: Benedict XVI, Francis and competing Christian imaginaries of Europe

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

MDMassimo D'angelo

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Qualitative discourse analysis reveals contrasting papal narratives of Europe between Benedict XVI and Francis, highlighting competing ideological repertoires for contemporary European politics.

Key Points

To examine how Benedict XVI and Francis conceptualise Europe as a moral and political project and to assess how their contrasting frameworks shape the political uses of Christianity.
Conducted a qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis across a bounded corpus of Europe-facing texts and speeches by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and Jorge Bergoglio/Francis.
Evaluated lexical choices, metaphors, modality, argumentative topoi, intertextuality, and editorial recontextualisation, distinguishing between Ratzinger's pre-pontifical and pontifical interventions.
Benedict XVI articulated Europe through a grammar of Christian roots, civilisational continuity, and moral defence, positioning Christianity as foundational to political order.
Francis constructed Europe around encounter, solidarity, and responsibility, evaluating its moral credibility by its treatment of migrants, marginalised groups, and the peripheries.
Papal rhetoric lacks a unified Catholic definition of Europe, providing instead distinct authoritative repertoires that political and religious actors selectively mobilise in debates over identity and borders.

Cite This Study

Massimo D'angelo (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a85643903308d306e2d7e45 https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2026.2718750

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

August 19, 2026Journal of Contemporary European Studies

Two papal Europes: Benedict XVI, Francis and competing Christian imaginaries of Europe

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

MDMassimo D'angelo

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Qualitative discourse analysis reveals contrasting papal narratives of Europe between Benedict XVI and Francis, highlighting competing ideological repertoires for contemporary European politics.

Key Points

To examine how Benedict XVI and Francis conceptualise Europe as a moral and political project and to assess how their contrasting frameworks shape the political uses of Christianity.
Conducted a qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis across a bounded corpus of Europe-facing texts and speeches by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and Jorge Bergoglio/Francis.
Evaluated lexical choices, metaphors, modality, argumentative topoi, intertextuality, and editorial recontextualisation, distinguishing between Ratzinger's pre-pontifical and pontifical interventions.
Benedict XVI articulated Europe through a grammar of Christian roots, civilisational continuity, and moral defence, positioning Christianity as foundational to political order.
Francis constructed Europe around encounter, solidarity, and responsibility, evaluating its moral credibility by its treatment of migrants, marginalised groups, and the peripheries.
Papal rhetoric lacks a unified Catholic definition of Europe, providing instead distinct authoritative repertoires that political and religious actors selectively mobilise in debates over identity and borders.

Cite This Study

Massimo D'angelo (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a85643903308d306e2d7e45 https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2026.2718750

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark