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ImageThe Light of the World (Keble College version)
Pope Francis’ address to bishops presiding over the commissions for communication
and to national directors of communication offices,
to participants in the meeting organized by the dicastery for communication
Clementine Hall – Monday, 27 January 2025
“Communicating this Christian worldview is beautiful”
(Editor’s note: This address to VIPs, but the contents is excellent and refers to us, ordinary Catholics).
I am pleased to welcome you who carry out a service of leadership in the field of communications in your local Churches.
It is good to see bishops, priests, men and women religious, lay men and women gathered here, called to communicate the life of the Church and a Christian worldview.
Communicating this Christian worldview is beautiful.
We meet today, after celebrating the Jubilee of the World of Communications, to do an assessment together and also an examination of conscience. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen” (cf. 11:1).
Motivated by this faith, let us take a moment to reflect on the concrete way we communicate.
Let us ask ourselves:
what do we do to sow hope in the midst of all the despair that surrounds and challenges us?
What do we do to overcome the virus of division that undermines our communities?
Is our communication inspired by prayer? – Or
do we limit ourselves to communicating about the Church – following the rules laid down by corporate marketing?
We should ask ourselves all of these questions.
Are we witnessing to the fact that human history is not tied to an inexorable destiny?
What are we doing to encourage others to look forward to a future that is not predetermined?
I like the phrase “writing the future”.
It is up to us to write the future.
Are we able to communicate that hope is not an illusion?
Hope never disappoints. But do we communicate that?
Are we able to communicate that it is possible to improve the lives of those around us,
and that we can make a difference?
Can I, in turn, bring beauty into the lives of others?
Are we able to communicate and convince others that it is possible to forgive?
This is very hard to do!
Christian communication is about showing that the kingdom of God is near.
It is present here and now, like a miracle that can be experienced by every person and by every culture.
A miracle that must be told by offering the hermeneutic necessary to look beyond the mundane, beyond evil, beyond prejudices, beyond stereotypes, beyond oneself
(Editor’s note: There are generally four steps of the Biblical hermeneutical process – (1) understanding the historical and cultural context, (2) understanding the literary context, (3) making observations, (4) drawing application.
This process can help us approach any text of the Bible as we seek out God’s intended meaning- end of editor’s note)
The kingdom of God is outside us. The kingdom of God comes even through our imperfections and that is beautiful! The kingdom of God comes when we pay attention to others and carefully analyze the world around us. It comes in the ability to see and spread the hope that there is goodness in the world, in the overcoming of desperate fanaticism.
This may be an institutional ministry for you, but it is also calling on every Christian, of every baptized person.
Every Christian is called to recognize and share the stories of good that bad journalism tries to erase by focusing only on evil. Evil exists.
It must not be hidden, but it should move us and lead us to questions and answers.
This is why your task is so important: it requires you step out of yourself, to dedicate yourself to a “symphonic” work that involves everyone, that values young and old, women and men, and takes into account every language, through the use of words, art, music, painting and images.
We are all called to examine how and what we communicate. We must always Communicate.
Sisters and brothers, this is a challenging task.
Therefore, I encourage you to increase your efforts to collaborate at the continental and universal levels so that we can build a different model of communication.
The difference lies in the unlimited spirit, creativity and poetic power that flows from the Gospel. Communication is always original. When we communicate, we create languages and bridges.
We become creators. It must be a model of communication that conveys harmony and proposes a concrete alternative to today’s towers of Babel. Think about this: the new towers of Babel.
They all spoke but they did not understand each other. Think about this image.
I leave you with two words: together and network.
1. Together.
Only together can we share the beauty we have encountered: not because of our talents or because we have more resources, but because we love one another.
From this we draw the strength to love even our enemies, to embrace those who have done wrong, to unite what is divided and to resist despair. But also to sow hope.
Remember: sowing hope. is not the same as sowing optimism. Not at all. We have to sow hope.
Communicating is an act of love
Communicating is not a tactic for us. It is not a technique.
It is not the repetition of catch phrases or slogans, nor is it merely writing press releases.
Communicating is an act of love. Only an act of selfless love can create networks of goodness.
These networks of goodness should be regenerated and restored every day, with patience and faith.
2. Network
Network is the second word I invite you to think about.
Today, we have forgotten the older meaning of this word, as if it is only associated with the digital world. In fact, it is an ancient word. Before it makes us think of social networks, it should remind us of the fishermen’s nets and of Jesus’ invitation to Peter to become a fisher of men.
This means putting skills, knowledge and resources into a network capable of providing adequate information and thus escaping the sea of despair and disinformation.
This in itself is already a message, a lesson we can learn.
Let us think of how much we could accomplish together – thanks to the new tools of the digital era and to artificial intelligence – if instead of worshipping technology, we were more committed to networking.
I have to admit something: what worries me, more than artificial intelligence, is natural intelligence, the intelligence that we need to develop.
When we feel that we have fallen into an abyss, we must look up, beyond ourselves. Nothing is lost.
We can always start again by trusting in each other and trusting God together.
This is the secret of our ability to communicate. Networking! Be a networker!
Instead of being seduced by the sterile sirens of self-promotion and the celebration of our own initiatives, let us consider how we can build a story of hope together.
This is your task. It is rooted in antiquity.
The greatest miracle Jesus performed for Simon and the other disappointed and weary fishermen was not so much a net full of fish, but that he kept them from giving in to disappointment and discouragement in the face of defeat.
Please, do not give in to that type of interior sadness.
Do not lose your sense of humor, which is wisdom, everyday wisdom.
Sisters, brothers, our network is for everybody. For everyone!
Catholic communication is not something isolated/
It is not just for Catholics.
It is not a fenced area where we can keep to ourselves, (a sect where we can talk to each other). No!
It is the open space of a living witness who knows how to listen to and interpret the signs of the kingdom.
It is the welcoming place of real relationships.
Let us ask ourselves: are our ministries and our relationships like this?
Our network is the voice of a Church that only finds itself and the reason for its hope by stepping out of herself. The Church must step out of herself.
I like to think of the passage in Revelation when the Lord says, “I stand at the door and knock” (Rev 3:20).
He says this because He wants to come in.
But today the Lord often knocks from the inside because he wants us, as Christians, to let him out!
Too often we keep the Lord in. We need to let the Lord out – he is knocking at the door to be let out – and not keep him “enslaved” in some way for our own purposes.
Do our offices, relationships and networks really resemble a missionary church?
Thank you, thank you for your work!
Go forward with courage and the joy that comes from evangelizing.
I bless you all from my heart. And please do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!
