The Vatican’s PR machine has swung into action following reports that the Pope used a crude slang term in reference to the prevalence of homosexuality in seminaries.
The incident reflects a curious feature of the modern papacy that is the informal, but very real, PR safety net which grows up almost spontaneously around every pontiff. It’s forged in part by the Vatican’s own official communications channels, but even more so by outside commentators and media platforms heavily invested in selling a given pope’s story to the world.
Throughout his papacy, John Paul II enjoyed a wide network of friendly commentators and analysts,…
