Divine apologia : the image restoration discourse of Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict surrounding the historic Vatican sex abuse summit.

Abstract

Crisis can threaten the legitimacy and viability of even the largest and most resilient of organizations. The discursive strategies that organizations employ to navigate and respond to the crisis, are key to their ultimate success or failure in managing their own organizational identity, as well as member identities. This study engages in a textual analysis of the organizational communication used by Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict in response to the ongoing child sex-abuse scandal. Specifically, this project examines communications during a unique time for the Catholic Church, in which there essentially conflicting leadership messages.