杏MAP导航 invites Italian Catholic communicators to go against the flow

杏MAP导航

杏MAP导航 Francis meets journalists of the two Catholic TV and radio broadcasting networks of the Italian bishops, and encourages them to continue to communicate the Church's closeness to the most vulnerable and marginalized.

By Lisa Zengarini

Amid the 鈥渧ortex of technological innovation鈥� taking place in the world of communication and information, including now artificial intelligence, Catholic communicators must never lose sight of their fundamental mission of bringing 鈥渢he light of hope鈥� to the darkness that surrounds us.

杏MAP导航 Francis as he welcomed to the Vatican on Monday the managers and employees of TV2000 and the inBlu2000 Catholic broadcasting networks owned by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their foundation.

Noting that 鈥渃ommunication and information always have their roots in the human," the Holy Father highlighted, for those attending the audience, three key words for their work.

Closeness vs the 鈥渄ominant logic鈥� of power-focused media

The first word was "closeness." 鈥淓very day, through television or radio,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥測ou draw near to many people, who find in you friends from whom they can receive information, with whom they can spend pleasant time, or discover new realities, experiences, and places."

He therefore encouraged the Italian Catholic communicators 鈥渢o continue to create networks, to weave bonds," to tell about the beauty and good of their communities, and to put in the foreground those who are on the margins of society, rejecting the 鈥渄ominant logic" complacent to power that leads even to 鈥渃reating fake news.鈥�

鈥淣ever forget those who are on the margins, the poor, those who are alone, and the discarded people," the 杏MAP导航 said.

鈥淚 like to think that closeness is one of the qualities of God, who became close to us. There are three things that make us see God: closeness; He becomes our neighbour; tenderness: God is tender; compassion: He always forgives.鈥�

Go against the flow with the heart

The second key word 杏MAP导航 Francis cited was "heart."

鈥淣ever separate facts from heart!鈥� he urged. 鈥淓verything starts from there,鈥� as it is the heart that 鈥渕akes closeness possible.鈥�

He, therefore, invited those present to have the 鈥渃ourage鈥� (whose root, "cor," he noted, in Latin means "heart") to 鈥済o against the flow鈥�.

鈥淭hose who have heart also have the courage to be different, without however becoming argumentative or aggressive; to be credible, without claiming to impose their point of view; to be a bridge builder.鈥�

鈥淲e can think of a communicator as a bridge, because the communicator is necessarily a builder of bridges.鈥�

Responsibility

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis spoke about 鈥渞esponsibility鈥�.

鈥淓veryone,鈥� he said, 鈥渕ust do their part to ensure that every form of communication is objective, respectful of human dignity, and attentive to the common good.鈥�

鈥淵ou are called to be messengers who inform with respect and competence, counteracting divisions and discord. And always remembering that the person is at the centre of every service, of every article, of every programme.鈥�

Concluding, 杏MAP导航 Francis reiterated his call on the journalists of Sat2000 and Radio inBlu to continue to communicate 鈥渨ith closeness, the heart, and responsibility鈥�, recalling the words of Saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists and writers.

"It is not for the greatness of our actions that we please God, but for the love with which we perform them."

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