Now that the pope is dead…

The pope is such a fascinating character in fiction because his presentation speaks volumes about the writer’s perspective.

Have you noticed that anime always presents him as a corrupt figure hellbent on world domination? It follows a growing anti-religion trend we have seen in entertainment in the last few decades. Storytellers typically cast the Church as the antagonistic element our heroes must overcome.

Why? Some people think the sex scandals that keep rocking the Church have warped the public’s view of Catholicism; art is merely mimicking real life. Others think that storytellers are simply subverting stereotypes; taking an entity associated with goodness and twisting its morality for entertainment purposes.

Angels are another example of this trope. Once perceived as a source of light and mercy, most fictional properties in the 21st Century present angels as vicious creatures who hide their evil beneath a beautiful façade.

Although the landscape is starting to shift. Put the shady history and the sexual scandals aside for a moment. The Catholic Church invites people to speculate about its sinister goals and intentions because the institution is shrouded in mystery, or at least, it was.

This encouraged authors like Dan Brown to make outlandish claims about the pope and his Church in their fictional novels that many readers took as fact. That is changing. The Vatican has become less secretive, opening its doors to hungry tourists and revealing the details of its inner workings.

Today, the public’s attitude towards the pope is one of curiosity. They want to know what makes him tick and how he navigates the challenges of life. This would explain the rising interest in pope-related fiction. If you have never given the pope more than a passing thought, but his recent death triggered a fascination with his presentation in fiction, allow me to recommend some notable Papal fiction for your consumption.

White Smoke by Andrew M. Greeley (1996) takes readers into the heart of the Catholic Church in the aftermath of an incumbent Pope’s death. A coalition of Cardinals wants a moderate candidate to take the throne.

However, shadowy forces won’t permit the gentle but brilliant scholar to ascend because his rule threatens their control. White Smoke is more educational than entertaining. Greeley is a former Roman Catholic Priest. This allows him to accurately portray Vatican politics.

The Shoes Of The Fisherman by Morris L. West (1963) also begins with the death of a pope. The Church initially champions Kiril Lakota as a replacement, placing their faith in the man’s youth and courage. But soon after, the cardinals begin second-guessing their decision.

Kiril won’t allow their uncertainties to slow his progress. Audiences watch as he fights to transform the Church into a selfless institution that exists to serve the people. The book is held in high regard because it seemingly predicted the future of the Vatican. In fact, the novel was published on June 3, the same day that John XXIII died.

Imagine buying the book that day, opening it, and reading the first line: ‘The Pope was Dead.’ We can end on Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (1996), which tells the story of the only female pope in Church history.

Joan’s life takes an interesting turn when Vikings kill her brother. She adopts her brother’s identity, disguises herself as a man, and joins the monastery of Fulda, unaware of the events that will eventually catapult her to Rome’s highest seat.

To clarify, the Catholic Church has dismissed Pope Joan as a legend that Protestants created. But Donna disagrees. She ends this novel with a note where she makes a case for her belief that Pope Joan truly existed (serving between Pope Leo IV and Pope Benedict III). Anyway, happy reading.

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