La persistenza del sacro e il peso della pietà popolare in età contemporanea. Riflessioni su un recente volume

Drawing from Skye Doney’s volume The Persistence of the Sacred, the article critically assesses the theses presented by the author within the broader context of Western historiography concerning the relationship between Catholicism and popular religiosity. The analysis emphasizes the multi-faceted nature of religious revivals during the Nineteenth century, highlighting the intricate interplay between modernity and tradition. Notably, it underscores the role of devotional practices in the rapprochement between Catholicism and the nation, as well as mass politics. While pilgrimages maintain their traditional characteristics and meanings, they become imbued with dialectically novel content, serving as instruments of the Catholic Church’s anti-modern view of the reconquest of society, and ultimately reflecting the modern Catholic response to the processes of nationalization, politicization, and ideologization of the masses. Moreover, the essay examines the longterm implications and ambivalence that persist today in the recovery of popular religiosity by Pope Francis’ Church.