An analysis of ‘clericalism’ as an interpretative framework in Pope Francis’s public discourse

Abstract

In his article Piotr Studnicki examines clericalism in Pope Francis’s teaching through the lens of media and communication studies, applying framing theory (Robert Entman) to a corpus of vatican.va texts in which 93 papal statements on clericalism were identified. The study argues that this discourse constitutes an interpretive frame that defines the problem, diagnoses causes, offers moral evaluation, and proposes remedies; it presents clericalism as an abuse of authority and a deformation of ecclesial relationships, traces its roots to factors such as personal immaturity, a distorted view of vocation, and “spiritual worldliness,” and stresses the consistently negative papal assessment expressed also through evaluative labels and through enumerated consequences for the whole Church, clergy, and laity. A key contribution is the identification of a practical, reform-oriented component of the frame: beyond diagnosis, Francis proposes concrete “remedies” including repentance, formation, synodality, and shared responsibility of all the baptized.