Habemus Papam: The Pontifical Linguistic Habitus and the Originality of Francis

Abstract

This article examines the first speeches delivered by popes from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica following the formula habemus papam, the moment in which they present themselves to the world. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s praxeology (2022) – particularly the concepts of field, habitus, symbolic capital, and the economy of linguistic exchanges – the study analyzes the inaugural addresses of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV, identifying continuities and shifts among them. It argues that this initial pronouncement functions not merely as a symbolic rite of legitimation, but as a performative act that institutes the pontifical linguistic habitus. In the specific case of Francis, the article contends that his inaugural gesture represents a theological reconfiguration of ecclesial authority, anticipating central categories of his magisterium, such as mercy and synodality. The study therefore proposes that Francis’s theological legacy can also be understood through the performative dimension of his language, in which style and theology converge within a single speech act.

Keywords: Pope Francis. Religious discourse. Bourdieu. Linguistic exchanges.