Propaganda in the Child’s World
A few weeks ago the Vatican released “John Paul II: Friend of All Humanity. Read about the movie
This film will clearly have an appeal to children; although it serves as an educational film, created with the purpose of informing its viewers about the life of the late pontiff, it’s only thirty minutes long, and has friendly cartoons such as a talking pen, a diary named Matteo and two snow-white birds telling the story.
In fact, the backbone of the film has many elements of propaganda. Beginning with its title, the film plays on the emotions; “A friend to all”-who could find flaw or resist a title so endearing? These words are emotional persuasion; they invite the individual to adopt a certain stance or attitude about the pope. The kind looking eyes, warm smile and silver haired features of the cartoon pope also are effective in terms of gaining emotive appeal and stirring affection among it viewers.
This imagery is especially potent, not only because it casts the pope in a favorable light, but because it as a vivid and appropriate symbolic image for all of Christianity. Thus, perhaps his positive characterization in the film is intended not only to elicit respect and affection for the pope among its audience, but to extend this view to encompass the religion and value system overall.
Symbols provide a tangible vivid representation of an idea or cause and they tend to be most attractive to those who are less capable for abstract thought; thus children. Younger audiences also tend to be far more susceptible to the emotive appeals of propaganda, and thus, his story is far more effective as a vivid, animated, children's film than it would have been a straight forward, fact based, documentary.

This film may also be preaching religious tolerance. “Friend to all” may be an ideal religious and politcal attitude that it may be suggesting to its viewers. Whether this would constitute it is legitimate propaganda(if such a thing even exists) is open to debate, but it may very well do some good in a world of chaotic religious struggles and clashing value sytems and ideologies.