The Pope to Catholic communicators: educate in a critical sense against those who pollute the media
Vatican City () – “The use of digital means of communication, especially social networks, has raised a series of serious ethical questions that require wise and insightful judgment on the part of communicators”, Pope Francis told Signis, the world association of Catholic communicators, in the message released today by the Vatican Press Office. The association organizes a congress in Seoul, partly in person and partly remotely, from August 15 to 18 on the theme “Peace in the digital world”.
In the text, Pope Francis congratulates the choice of Seoul as the venue for the meeting: “As an international association of Catholic communication professionals – he affirms – it is right that they meet in South Korea, a land whose history of evangelization demonstrates the power of the printed word and the essential role of the laity in spreading the Gospel. May the story of Saint Andrew Kim and his companions two hundred years ago confirm you in your efforts to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the language of contemporary media.”
On the subject of peace in the digital world, the pontiff recalls the contribution to unity among nations that the media offered during the experience of the pandemic. At the same time, however, he points out that the use of digital media, particularly social media, “has raised a number of serious ethical questions that require wise and discerning judgment on the part of communicators and all those who care about the authenticity and quality of human relations”. Sometimes and in some cases – he observes – the media has become places of toxicity, hate speech and fake news”.
Pope Francis considers that one of the tasks of Catholic communicators should be to combat disinformation. That is why he invites Signis to “help people, especially young people, to develop a healthy critical sense, learning to distinguish truth from lies, right from wrong, right from wrong, and to appreciate the importance to work for justice, social harmony and respect for our common home. I would also like to encourage you to consider the many communities in our world that are excluded from the digital space by making digital inclusion a priority in your organization’s planning. In this way they will contribute significantly to the spread of a culture of peace founded on the truth of the Gospel”.
Lastly, recalling the theme of listening that he already placed at the center of the message for the Day of Social Communications this year, Pope Francis also asks Signis to help promote it in the synodal journey that the Church has undertaken. “I hope – he concludes – that in their communications they can help the holy faithful people of God in our commitment to listen to each other, to follow the will of the Lord and to grow in the awareness of participating in a communion that precedes and includes us” .
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