In his message for the 55th World Communications Day, Pope Francis says that Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see” is the way to communicate the Christian faith.
By Vatican News staff reporter
“The call to ‘come and see’ … is the method for all authentic human communications,” says Pope Francis in his work Message for the 55th World Communications Day. The Vatican published the text of the Pope’s Message on Saturday, the eve of the feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists.
“This year,” says Pope Francis, “I would like to dedicate this message to the invitation to“ come and see, ”which can serve as inspiration for all communications that strive to be clear and honest in the press. Internet, in the daily preaching of the Church and in political or social communication “. This theme recalls the gospel account of the early disciples ’first encounters with Jesus, which invited them to“ Come and see ”to establish a relationship with Him. Later, one of these disciples, St. Philip, speaking to his friend Nathaniel, invited him to “come and see” the Messiah he had found.
“This is how the Christian faith begins and how it is communicated: as direct knowledge, born of experience and not of rumors. says Pope Francis. He explains that seeing something for himself is the best way to get the truth of things and “the most honest proof of every message, because, to know it, we have to meet, to let the person I have in the in front, so that his testimony may reach me. “
Hit the streets
Pope Francis harshly criticizes the tendency to reduce the news to pre-packaged self-referential sound bites, which reflect only the concerns and views of the “powers.”
This leads to a flow of information “created in newsrooms,” which does not accurately reflect reality on the ground. Rather, he says, we need to “take to the streets” to see things we wouldn’t otherwise know, share knowledge that would not otherwise circulate, and have encounters that would not otherwise occur.
The courage of journalists
Journalists, in particular, says Pope Francis, must be willing to go where no one goes, they must have the desire to see things for themselves: a “curiosity, an openness, a passion.” He praised the courage of journalists who have faced serious risks to share the stories of the oppressed, the suffering of the poor and creation, of the forgotten wars. “It would be a loss not only for the news, but for society and for democracy in general, if those voices fade,” he says. “Our whole human family would be impoverished.”
Pope Francis points out that many current situations call for someone to “come and see” things as they really are. Too often, he says, we risk seeing things only through the eyes of the richest part of the world. This can lead to a divergence between the news we receive and what is really going on.
Internet opportunity and risks
Pope Francis also notes the importance of modern media, especially the Internet. “The Internet, with its endless expressions of social media, can increase the ability to report and share, with many other eyes set on the world and a constant flood of images and testimonials.” It allows many more people to share their stories and witness what they see and hear.
At the same time, however, Pope Francis warns that “there is a risk of spreading the wrong information on social media,” which has now “become evident to everyone.” The Internet is “a powerful tool,” says the Pope, who requires of us, both as producers and consumers of information, great caution and responsible care in how we use it. “We are all responsible for the communications we make, the information we share, the control we can exercise over fake news by exposing it,” he says. “We must all be witnesses to the truth: go, see and share.”
No substitute to see with our own eyes
Pope Francis stresses that “in communications, nothing can ever completely replace seeing things in person.” Some things, he insists, “can only be learned through first-hand experience.”
Jesus’ message was inseparable from the personal encounter with Him. “In fact, in Him, the incarnate Logos – the Word took hold; the invisible God let himself be seen, heard and touched. “
This is true for all communications, which can only be effective when others participate in a meeting, an experience, a dialogue, says Pope Francis. The gospel is spread through personal encounters, as seen in the experience of those who knew Jesus or who heard the message of St. Paul. “Likewise, the gospel comes to life in our day, as long as we accept the convincing testimony of people who have changed their lives for their encounter with Jesus.”
“For two millennia, a chain of these meetings has communicated the appeal of the Christian adventure,” says Pope Francis. “The challenge that awaits us, then, is to communicate by meeting people, where they are and how they are.”
The Pope’s message concludes with a prayer:
Lord, teach us to overcome,
and go out in search of the truth.
Teach us to go out and see,
teach us to listen,
not to entertain prejudices
or draw hasty conclusions.
Teach us to go where no one else will go,
take the time to understand,
pay attention to the essentials,
don’t be distracted by the superfluous,
to distinguish deceptive appearances from truth.
Give us the grace to recognize your homes in our world
and the honesty needed to explain to others what we have seen.