But whatever prism you view the Pope’s inauguration through, only the most cynical could fail to be impressed by the spectacle.
The Vatican whipped up the kind of show that most concert producers would baulk at. Here in Rome, it’s old hat.
The gloom of Monday evening in St Peter’s Square had disappeared by Tuesday morning.
Pilgrims who flocked to see the new Pope installed basked in dazzling sunshine.
On the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, temporary scarlet steps led to a temporary scarlet throne, put in place for the new Pope to sit on during the ceremony.
A scarlet ribbon streaked down the steps of the basilica to an altar that the previous evening had looked in dire need of a makeover.
By yesterday morning, it looked glorious, flowers circling its base, and an altar under a cream awning laden with golden chalices.
Wooden barrels of flowers led down towards the plaza where the faithful had gathered since the early hours of the morning.
Close to the altar sat dozens of cardinals, in elaborate gold vestments, in stark contrast to the simple robes of their leader. Behind them, striking in fushcia, were dozens more Church leaders. Opposite, sat 31 heads of state and government, including the Irish President, Michael D Higgins.
Further down the plaza, more junior priests sat in their white and black robes, on hand to give out the Eucharist at Holy Communion. They moved through the faithful doling out the Holy Sacrament, shielded by others who held umbrellas in the yellow and white papal colours.
The 200,000 or so who gathered at the plaza and in the Via della Conciliazione, the road leading to the basilica, were treated to a papal drive-by, as the pontiff travelled through the crowds in an open-top jeep. Fr Paul Byrne, a priest from Co Tyrone, was elated to be there.
Holding aloft the tricolour with the words “Long Live the Pope” written as Gaeilge, Fr Byrne said he had come especially to see the inauguration.
“I was there for the Angelus on Sunday. And today has been just tremendous, absolutely unbelievable. I came at 6.30am this morning and the atmosphere has been brilliant. The way the Pope spoke was quite unusual in that he addressed the people first before he addressed the politicians. It’s usually from the top down, so it was nice to see him do it the other way around,” Fr Byrne said.
Maria Susana Saugar, 77, had travelled from Argentina with her 85-year-old sister.
Her daughter, Marina Artusa, is studying in Bologna and had also come to Rome.
“We came to Rome especially to see Pope Francis. We are so thrilled to have a Pope from Argentina. We know him as a shy, very bright, humble man,” Maria said.
Not so impressed were Caroline Quigley and fiancé Andrew Petruccio, who got engaged on St Patrick’s Day in Rome. Caroline, who lives in the UK, and whose parents are from Ireland, had been at the Ireland v Italy Six Nations rugby match last Saturday.
However, she felt the crowd control at the Stadio Olimpico was streets ahead of the arrangements on the Via della Conciliazione. “We were here since 1.30am and we were at the first barrier, but they opened a different barrier when the Pope arrived in the square and everyone barged through. We were left behind. There was effectively a stampede. One woman was knocked over. It was awful.”
Andrew, who is part Italian, said the police had stood by and done nothing. For them, it marred the event.
For the majority, however, the installation of the new pontiff seemed like the kind of event that lives long in the memory of those lucky enough to be a part of it.