God’s Voice on Earth Goes Digital: Making and Mediating the Voice of the Pope

This project examines how the Vatican’s recent shift to digital audio technology is changing the way the Pope communicates with the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, including over 12 million in Canada. By studying the audio engineers who design and operate the Vatican’s recording equipment, the church officials who make decisions about how the Pope should sound, and Catholic families in Sicily and Canada who listen to Vatican broadcasts, this research explores how religious institutions use new technology to maintain their authority and connect with global communities. The project benefits the University of Toronto by bringing back specialized knowledge about audio technology and institutional communication that will enhance teaching and research capacity, while the University of Palermo gains strengthened international research partnerships and expanded networks with North American scholars studying religion, technology, and Mediterranean communities. Both institutions benefit from collaborative publications and conference presentations that position them as leaders in understanding how digital transformation affects global religious institutions, knowledge increasingly relevant as churches, governments, and cultural organizations worldwide face similar challenges in adapting their communication strategies for the digital age.

Faculty Supervisor:

Valentina Napolitano

Student:

Partner:

University of Palermo

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: