“Worldwide vigilance and pastoral care”: a genealogy of the concept of “propaganda”

ABSTRACT This article explores the genealogy of the concept of “propaganda” within the context of the Catholic Church’s response to the challenges of early modernity. It examines the establishment of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, highlighting the role of Francesco Ingoli in shaping its mission and activities. The article delves into the transformation of the term “propaganda” from its classical meanings to its new political and religious connotations, emphasising its significance in the Church’s global missionary strategy. By analysing the papal bull Inscrutabili Divinae and Ingoli’s Relazione delle quattro parti del mondo, the study reveals how the Church sought to extend its pastoral care worldwide, responding to the fragmentation of the respublica christiana and the new geographical discoveries. The article also discusses the intellectual and cultural background of seventeenth-century Rome, the strategic use of scientific and geographical knowledge, and the establishment of the Collegio Urbano to train indigenous clergy. Overall, it provides a comprehensive understanding of how the concept of “propaganda” evolved to become a crucial tool for the Catholic Church’s universal mission.