杏MAP导航

By Alessandro Gisotti 

Stories 鈥渃an help us understand and communicate who we are鈥� because we 鈥渉uman beings are storytellers鈥� who need to be 鈥溾�榗lothed鈥� with stories to protect our lives鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis emphasizes this in his message for World Communications Day 2020, published on Friday, the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Patron Saint of journalists. The message, however, embraces a much broader horizon than the profession of journalism, which the 杏MAP导航 has got us accustomed to since his first message for World Communications Day (2014) when he established an ideal link between the evangelical figure of the Good Samaritan and the mission carried out today by 鈥済ood communicators鈥�. At a time marked by the deceptive and divisive use of the word, an 鈥渋llness鈥� from which the Catholic world is unfortunately not immune, the 杏MAP导航 reminds us that communication is authentic if it builds and does not destroy. It should be 鈥渉umble鈥� in the 鈥渟earch for truth鈥�, as he stressed to the journalists of the Foreign Press Association last May. And in the face of the spread of 鈥渇alse and evil鈥� stories 鈥� including the sophisticated aberration of deepfake - the 杏MAP导航 encourages that narration speak 鈥渙f ourselves and of the beauty all around us鈥� and help us 鈥渞ediscover the roots and the strength to go ahead together鈥�. We need, he exhorts, 鈥渢o make our own the truth contained in good stories鈥�. 

Sacred Scripture, a 鈥淪tory of stories鈥� 

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message mentions storytelling, a technique increasingly in vogue in various fields from advertising to politics, but the story that 杏MAP导航 Francis thinks about does not follow the worldly logic. It has a deeper value that revives 鈥渙ur memory of what we are in God鈥檚 eyes鈥�. Moreover, a revealing indication of what the 杏MAP导航 considers to be a model of narration already comes from the theme chosen for the Message: 鈥淭hat you may tell your children and grandchildren (Ex 10:2), Life becomes history鈥�. Noting that Sacred Scripture is 鈥渁 story of stories鈥�, the Pontiff says that the Bible shows us 鈥渁 God who is both creator and narrator鈥�. 鈥淎s narrator,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 continues, 鈥淕od calls things into life, culminating in the creation of man and woman as his free dialogue partners.鈥� Just ahead of the celebration of the 鈥淔irst Sunday of the Word of God鈥� (January 26), instituted by the Apostolic Letter 鈥淎peruit Illis鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis also invites us with this message, to be close to Sacred Scripture, to make it our own, reminding us that 鈥渢he Bible is thus the great love story between God and humanity鈥�. On the other hand, as the Book of Exodus teaches us, and from which is taken the theme of the message - we learn that the 鈥渒nowledge of the Lord is handed down from generation to generation mainly by telling the story of how He continues to make Himself present鈥�. 

Temptation of false and destructive stories 

An important part of the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message is dedicated to 鈥渄estructive stories鈥�, which are reminiscent of many of his homilies at Mass at Santa Marta. Once again - as has already been dealt with in his message for the World Day of Communications 2018, which is dedicated to the phenomenon of fake news 鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis this time warns against the temptation of the serpent, as narrated in the Book of Genesis, which 鈥渋ntroduces into the fabric of history a knot difficult to undo鈥�. 

The 杏MAP导航 denounces those stories that 鈥渓ull us, convincing us that to be happy we continually need to gain, possess and consume鈥�. And, taking up a theme very dear to him, he stigmatizes the greed of 鈥渃hatter and gossip鈥� which 鈥渨e may not even realize鈥�, as well as 鈥渉ow much violence and falsehood we are consuming鈥�. The ultimate consequence is the spread of 鈥渄estructive and provocative stories that wear down and break the fragile threads binding us together as a society.鈥� The message says that what is at risk is human dignity, which is stripped away by the combination of 鈥渦nverified information鈥� with the repetition of 鈥渂anal and deceptively persuasive arguments鈥� that strike with 鈥渉ateful messages鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 urges all to react to these with 鈥渃ourage鈥� and reject such threats. 鈥淎mid today鈥檚 many troubles,鈥� the Holy Father says, 鈥渨e need stories that reveal who we truly are, also in the untold heroism of everyday life鈥�. 

No human story is insignificant to God

杏MAP导航 Francis, therefore, turns his attention to the story of Jesus, which shows how God has taken man to heart and that for Him 鈥渘o human stories are insignificant or paltry鈥�. 鈥淏y the power of the Holy Spirit,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 explains, 鈥渆very story, even the most forgotten one,鈥� can be reborn as a masterpiece, and become an appendix to the Gospel.鈥� He cites some stories that have 鈥渁dmirably scripted the encounter between God鈥檚 freedom and that of man鈥� from Augustine鈥檚 鈥淐onfessions鈥� to 鈥淭he Brothers Karamazov鈥�. He invites us to read the stories of the saints and to share those 鈥渟tories that have the fragrance of the Gospel鈥� that each of us knows. 鈥淭elling God our story is never useless,鈥� he reiterates, because 鈥渘o one is an extra on the world stage, and everyone鈥檚 story is open to possible change鈥�. For this reason, the 杏MAP导航 notes, 鈥渨hen we tell of evil鈥� we can also 鈥渞ecognize the working of goodness and give it space鈥�. 

杏MAP导航 Francis concludes his message with a prayer to Mary so that she listens to our stories and cherishes them. Recalling an image dear to him, which has featured in many of his homilies at Santa Marta, the Holy Father implores the Virgin Mary to untie 鈥渢he tangled knots in our life鈥� and 鈥渉elp us build stories of peace, stories that point to the future鈥�.