For better or worse, the Catholic Church endures as one of history’s most formidable and adaptable institutions. While its movements can appear glacial, measured against the rapid tick of the societal clock, it has repeatedly demonstrated a surprisingly great capacity for evolution, even in areas long considered doctrinally immutable.

This resilience is not confined to theological debates or internal reforms; it is vividly on display in the sprawling, often irreverent, arena of popular culture. Here, the Church engages in a continuous and complex dance, its image shaped and reshaped by the spotlights of Hollywood, the writers’ rooms of streaming services, and the digital currents of social media. The story of the Church in pop culture is not one of simple veneration or vilification, but a continuous narrative of an ancient institution grappling with its place in the modern imagination.

To understand the Church’s current pop culture moment, one must first acknowledge the sheer weight of its historical legacy. For centuries, it was not merely a religious authority but the very bedrock of Western civilisation, its influence seeping into the mortar of law, ethics, education, and governance. The Church’s voice echoed in royal courts and whispered in the confessional, its power both transcendent and intimately terrestrial. This deep-seated authority provided the ground from which centuries of art and culture grew. The awe-inspiring frescoes of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, the harrowing spiritual journey of Dante’s Divine Comedy, and the soaring sacred music that still fills cathedrals and concert halls today—all stand as enduring testaments to a time when the Church was the primary patron and subject of humanity’s most wonderful creative expressions. This historical dominance established a symbolic vocabulary of power, mystery, and morality that modern creators continue to draw upon, whether to revere, to question, or to subvert.

From Exorcisms to Existential Crises

The transition of this immense institutional presence onto the silver screen and television has been an interesting journey in evolution of portrayal. In the latter half of the twentieth century, a film like The Exorcist could present the Catholic Church in a starkly binary role: it was the sole, unwavering bulwark against the tangible forces of supernatural evil. Its priests were warriors armed with ritual and faith, and the institution itself was a source of absolute moral certainty in a confusing world. This depiction provided a clear, comforting narrative of good versus evil, with the Church firmly planted on the side of divine order. However, as society’s relationship with authority grew more nuanced and skeptical, so too did its cultural representations.

Contemporary narratives have traded the clarity of the exorcism for the murky waters of internal conflict and human frailty. Prestige television series like The Young Pope and its sequel The New Pope delve deeply into the enigmatic and often contradictory nature of the papacy and the Curia. These shows present the Church not as a monolithic entity but as a labyrinthine organisation filled with ambitious, doubting, and complex individuals wrestling with faith, power, and their own personal demons.

Similarly, a film like The Two Popes offers an intimate, almost voyeuristic look behind the Vatican walls, framing the Church’s leadership not as infallible figureheads but as aging, uncertain men grappling with the immense burden of their office and the direction of a flock numbering in the billions. These portrayals reflect a cultural desire to see the human face behind the institution, to explore the tensions between dogma and compassion, and between tradition and progress.

Scandal and the Reckoning in Media

Of course, not all portrayals are sympathetic, and the Church’s relationship with pop culture is irrevocably shaped by its own failings. The numerous scandals involving sexual abuse and the systemic cover-ups within its hierarchy have been seared into the public consciousness, in large part, through powerful works of cinema.

The Oscar-winning film Spotlight functioned as a devastating cultural indictment, laying bare the institutional machinery that prioritised reputation over the protection of the vulnerable. Such narratives have greatly damaged the Church’s moral authority, forcing a global conversation and creating a deep well of public cynicism. These unflinching depictions serve as a crucial counterbalance to more reverent or mysterious portrayals, reminding audiences that the same institution that provides spiritual solace for some can also be capable of horrendous human failure. They represent a pop culture reckoning that the Church cannot ignore and must continually answer with tangible, transparent reform.

The Church’s Own Rebranding Efforts

Recognising that its image is being written by others, the Church has not been a passive subject in this cultural narrative. It has actively stepped into the fray, embarking on a comprehensive rebranding effort aimed squarely at younger, digitally-native generations.

The Vatican’s embrace of social media platforms is perhaps the most visible sign of this adaptation. The Pope himself maintains a prominent and widely followed presence on Twitter and Instagram, offering daily homilies, spiritual reflections, and even personal glimpses that would have been unthinkable for a pontiff just a few decades ago. This strategic move towards unprecedented accessibility is a clear attempt to meet the faithful—and the curious—where they already are. It is a deliberate softening of the Church’s image, an effort to translate ancient traditions into the vernacular of the 21st century.

By engaging directly with modern media, the Church seeks to reclaim some agency in its own story, presenting a face of relatability and openness that contrasts with the perceived aloofness of the past.

A Global Symbol in a Pluralistic World

The Church’s portrayal in pop culture also increasingly reflects its role in a world defined by pluralism and interfaith dialogue. Narratives often place Catholic characters and leaders in conversation with those of other religious traditions, or with staunch secularists, framing the Church not as a solitary voice of authority but as one participant in a diverse and often contentious global conversation about meaning, morality, and the human condition.

Furthermore, the Pope himself has transcended the role of religious leader to become a veritable pop culture icon. His image and words appear in contexts far removed from theological discourse, from music videos to memes, symbolising a set of values that can be appropriated and interpreted by a vast array of audiences. This iconic status demonstrates the Church’s lingering potency as a global symbol, even as the specific tenets of its faith may be misunderstood or ignored by those who engage with its image.

As we look toward the future, the dance between the Catholic Church and popular culture shows no signs of stopping. It is a relationship that will continue to evolve, reflecting the ongoing tensions between tradition and modernity, authority and individualism, sanctity and scandal.

The Church, in its bid to remain relevant, will likely continue to align its public messaging with pressing global concerns such as climate change, economic inequality, and migration. Its portrayal in the films, series, and digital content of tomorrow will be a key barometer of its success in this endeavour. New generations of creators, raised in an increasingly secular and digitally-mediated world, will inevitably bring fresh perspectives and new critiques to this ancient institution.

The Catholic Church’s resilience in pop culture is guaranteed not by its ability to control the narrative, but by its enduring power as a source of drama, symbolism, and questions about life, death, power, and faith. Its story, it seems, is far too compelling to leave untold.