Pius XII as Actor and Subject: On the Representation of the Pope in Cinema during the 1940s and 1950s

This paper focuses upon the cinema’s role in representing and promoting Pope Pius XII.
As a matter of fact, the Pope exploited all the modern means available at the time - such as the Vatican radio, the first experiments on television technologies, cinema and so on, following a precise strategy to promote the papal figure in the world. In his article, Federico Ruozzi examines several case studies that illustrate how the audiovisual sources were used as a new pastoral means. For example, the pope appeared frequently in the international newsreels and films like Guerra alla Guerra (Romolo Marcellini, 1946), but above all Pastor Angelicus (Romolo Marcellini, 1942) - one of the first films on and with the pope, strongly wanted by the Centro Cattolico Cinematografico -, are an important turning point in the visual representation and construction of the Pope’s figure. In particular, this medium anticipated the visual revolution brought about by the Italian television, which actually had a relevant role in building the public image of the pope and the Vatican all over the world.