Pope: social media, “means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church"
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The development of
communications, particularly social media , facilitates a "culture of
encounter" and is "a gift from God".
Those who communicate "draws close to others". This involves being available to listen to
others, sharing which, for the Christian, becomes a witness of a Church with "open
doors" and which goes out onto the streets, "even digital ones,
teeming with people who are often hurting, men and women looking for salvation
or hope. "
Communication also "is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of
the entire Church; today the social networks are one way to experience this
call to discover the beauty of faith, the beauty of encountering Christ".
This was written by Pope Francis in his message for the 48th World Day of
Social Communications celebrated Sunday, June 1, made public today, and which
has as its theme: Communications at the service of an authentic culture of encounter
.
"Today - reads the document - Today we are living in a world which is
growing ever "smaller" and where, as a result, itwould seem to be easier for
all of us to be neighbours". But if the development in travel and
communications make us increasingly interdependent , " divisions, which
are sometimes quite deep, continue to exist within our human family. On the
global level we see a scandalous gap between the opulence of the wealthy and
the utter destitution of the poor". " Our world suffers from many
forms of exclusion, marginalization and poverty, to say nothing of conflicts
born of a combination of economic, political, ideological, and, sadly, even
religious motives".
"In a world like this, media can help us to feel closer to one another,
creating a sense of the unity of the human family" but "the walls which divide us
can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another. We
need to resolve our differences through forms of dialogue which help us grow in understanding and
mutual respect. A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to give, but
also to receive. Media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when the networks of
human communication have made unprecedented advances. The internet, in particular, offers
immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from
God".
There are, however , says the Pope, problematic aspects "the speed with
which information is communicated exceeds our capacity for reflection and
judgement " and the variety of views expressed "can help us either to
expand our knowledge or to lose our bearings. The
desire for digital connectivity can have the effect of
isolating us from our neighbours, from those closest to us. We should not overlook the fact that those
who for whatever reason lack access to social media run the risk of being left behind".
"While these drawbacks are real, they do not justify rejecting social media;
rather, they remind us that communication is ultimately a human rather
than technological achievement. What is it, then, that helps us, in the digital environment,
to grow in humanity and mutual understanding? We need, for example, to recover a certain
sense of deliberateness and calm. This calls for time and the ability to be silent and to
listen. We need also to be patient if we want to understand those who are different from us. People only
express themselves fully when they are not merely tolerated, but know that they are truly
accepted. If we are genuinely attentive in listening to others, we will learn to look at the world with
different eyes and come to appreciate the richness of human experience as manifested in different
cultures and traditions. We will also learn to appreciate more fully the important values inspired
by Christianity, such as the vision of the human person, the nature of marriage and the family,
the proper distinction between the religious and political spheres, the principles of
solidarity and subsidiarity, and many others".
To be at the service of an authentic culture of encounter, communication must
be understood " in terms of neighbourliness". " Who is my neighbor."
And as in the parable of the Good Samaritan , " Jesus shifts our
understanding: it is not just about seeing the other as someone like myself, but of the ability to make myself like the other. Communication
is really about realizing that we are all human beings, children of God. I like seeing
this power of communication as "neighbourliness".
"Whenever communication is primarily aimed at promoting consumption or
manipulating others, we are dealing with a form of violent aggression
like that suffered by the man in the parable, who was beaten by robbers and left abandoned on the
road".
And like the Samaritan , " It is not enough to be passersby on the digital
highways, simply "connected"; connections need to grow into true encounters. We
cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves. We need to love and to be loved. We
need tenderness. Media strategies do not ensure beauty, goodness and truth in
communication. The world of media also has to be concerned with humanity, it
too is called to show tenderness. The digital world can be an environment rich
in humanity; a network not of wires but of people. The impartiality of media is
merely an appearance; only those who go out of themselves in their
communication can become a true point of reference for others. Personal engagement
is the basis of the trustworthiness of a communicator. Christian witness,
thanks to the internet, can thereby reach the peripheries of human existence."
"As I have frequently observed, if a choice has to be made between a bruised Church which goes out to the streets and a Church suffering from self-absorption, I certainly prefer the first. Those "streets" are the world where people live and where they can be reached, both effectively and affectively. The digital highway is one of them, a street teeming with people who are often hurting, men and women looking for salvation or hope. By means of the internet, the Christian message can reach "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Keeping the doors of our churches open also means keeping them open in the digital environment so that people, whatever their situation in life, can enter, and so that the Gospel can go out to reach everyone. We are called to show that the Church is the home of all".
"Communication is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church; today the social networks are one way to experience this call to discover the beauty of faith, the beauty of encountering Christ. In the area of communications too, we need a Church capable of bringing warmth and of stirring hearts".
"Effective Christian witness is not about bombarding people with religious
messages, but about our willingness to be available to others "by
patiently and respectfully engaging their questions and their doubts as they advance in their search
for the truth and the meaning of human existence" (BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 47th World
Communications Day, 2013). We need but recall the story of the disciples on the way to
Emmaus. We have to be able to dialogue with the men and women of today, to understand their
expectations, doubts and hopes, and to bring them the Gospel, Jesus Christ himself, God incarnate,
who died and rose to free us from sin and death. We are challenged to be people of depth,
attentive to what is happening around us and spiritually alert. To dialogue means to believe that
the "other" has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view and
perspective. Engaging in dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions, but the claim
that they alone are valid or absolute".
"May the image of the Good Samaritan who tended to the wounds of the injured
man by pouring oil and wine over them be our inspiration. Let our
communication be a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts. May the
light we bring to others not be the result of cosmetics or special effects, but rather of our
being loving and merciful "neighbours" to those wounded and left on the side of the road. Let us
boldly become citizens of the digital world. The Church needs to be concerned for, and present in,
the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them
encounter Christ. She needs to be a Church at the side of others, capable of accompanying everyone
along the way. The revolution taking place in communications media and in information
technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh
energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God".
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