By Verghese V Joseph –
Pope Francis on Friday urged Christian journalists to be a mouthpiece of hope, a bearer of trust in the future, especially during the current pandemic situation the world is experiencing.
On Friday morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, a delegation of the Belgian Christian weekly “Tertio”, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary. In an interaction with them, he said, “In the society we live in, information is an integral part of our daily life. When it is of quality, it allows us to better understand the problems and challenges that the world is called to face, and inspires individual, family and social behaviors. In particular, the presence of Christian media specialized in quality information on the life of the Church in the world, capable of contributing to the formation of consciences , is very important.”
He also mentioned the noteworthy contribution of the Christian media to foster a new lifestyle in Christian communities, free from all forms of preconception and exclusion. “The Christian information professional must therefore be a mouthpiece of hope, a bearer of trust in the future. Because only when the future is accepted as a positive and possible reality, does the present also become livable. These reflections can also help us, especially today, to nurture hope in the pandemic situation the world is experiencing. You are sowers of this hope for a better tomorrow. In the context of this crisis, it is important that the means of social communication help ensure that people do not fall ill from loneliness and can receive a word of comfort” he added.
He reminded them that, “Communication is an important mission for the Church. Christians engaged in this area are called to put into practice in a very concrete way the Lord’s invitation to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel (cf. Mk 16:15). Due to his high professional conscience, the Christian journalist is required to offer a new testimony in the world of communication without hiding the truth or manipulating information.”
The Holy Father recalled that, “In fact – we know – “gossip closes the heart of the community, closes the unity of the Church. The big talker is the devil, who is always saying bad things about others, because he is the liar who tries to disunite the Church, to alienate his brothers and to not create community”(Angelus , 6 September 2020).