January 24, 2013
(Romereports.com) Benedict XVI published on Thursday his message for the World
Communications Day. Under the title “Social Networks: portals of truth
and faith; new spaces for evangelization,” the Pope reflected on the
importance of being inclusive and truthful within social networks. “At
times the gentle voice of reason can be overwhelmed by the din of
excessive information,” he said. “And it fails to attract attention
which is given instead to those who express themselves in a more
persuasive manner.”
FULL TEXT:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As the 2013 World
Communications Day draws near, I would like to offer you some
reflections on an increasingly important reality regarding the way in
which people today communicate among themselves. I wish to consider the
development of digital social networks which are helping to create a new
"agora", an open public square in which people share ideas, information
and opinions, and in which new relationships and forms of community can
come into being.
These spaces, when engaged in a wise and
balanced way, help to foster forms of dialogue and debate which, if
conducted respectfully and with concern for privacy, responsibility and
truthfulness, can reinforce the bonds of unity between individuals and
effectively promote the harmony of the human family. The exchange of
information can become true communication, links ripen into friendships,
and connections facilitate communion. If the networks are called to
realize this great potential, the people involved in them must make an effort to be authentic since, in these spaces, it is not only ideas and information that are shared, but ultimately our very selves.
The
development of social networks calls for commitment: people are engaged
in building relationships and making friends, in looking for answers to
their questions and being entertained, but also in finding intellectual
stimulation and sharing knowledge and know-how. The networks are
increasingly becoming part of the very fabric of society, inasmuch as
they bring people together on the basis of these fundamental needs. Social networks are thus nourished by aspirations rooted in the human heart.
The
culture of social networks and the changes in the means and styles of
communication pose demanding challenges to those who want to speak about
truth and values. Often, as is also the case with other means of social
communication, the significance and effectiveness of the various forms
of expression appear to be determined more by their popularity than by
their intrinsic importance and value. Popularity, for its part,
is often linked to celebrity or to strategies of persuasion rather than
to the logic of argumentation. At times the gentle voice of reason can
be overwhelmed by the din of excessive information and it fails to attract attention which is given instead to those who express themselves in a more persuasive manner. The
social media thus need the commitment of all who are conscious of the
value of dialogue, reasoned debate and logical argumentation;
of people who strive to cultivate forms of discourse and expression
which appeal to the noblest aspirations of those engaged in the
communication process. Dialogue and debate can also flourish and grow
when we converse with and take seriously people whose ideas are
different from our own. "Given the reality of cultural diversity, people
need not only to accept the existence of the culture of others, but
also to aspire to be enriched by it and to offer to it whatever they
possess that is good, true and beautiful" (Address at the Meeting with
the World of Culture, Bélem, Lisbon, 12 May 2010).
The challenge facing social networks is how to be truly inclusive:
thus they will benefit from the full participation of believers who
desire to share the message of Jesus and the values of human dignity
which his teaching promotes. Believers are increasingly aware that,
unless the Good News is made known also in the digital world, it may be
absent in the experience of many people for whom this existential space
is important. The digital environment is not a parallel or
purely virtual world, but is part of the daily experience of many
people, especially the young. Social networks are the result of
human interaction, but for their part they also reshape the dynamics of
communication which builds relationships: a considered understanding of
this environment is therefore the prerequisite for a significant
presence there.
The ability to employ the new languages is required, not just to keep up with the times, but precisely in order to enable the infinite richness of the Gospel
to find forms of expression capable of reaching the minds and hearts of
all. In the digital environment the written word is often accompanied
by images and sounds. Effective communication, as in the parables of
Jesus, must involve the imagination and the affectivity of those we wish
to invite to an encounter with the mystery of God’s love. Besides, we
know that Christian tradition has always been rich in signs and symbols:
I think for example of the Cross, icons, images of the Virgin Mary,
Christmas cribs, stained-glass windows and pictures in our churches. A
significant part of mankind’s artistic heritage has been created by
artists and musicians who sought to express the truths of the faith.
In
social networks, believers show their authenticity by sharing the
profound source of their hope and joy: faith in the merciful and loving
God revealed in Christ Jesus. This sharing consists not only in the
explicit expression of their faith, but also in their witness, in the
way in which they communicate "choices, preferences and judgements that
are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of
specifically" (Message for the 2011 World Communications Day). A
particularly significant way of offering such witness will be through a
willingness to give oneself to others by patiently and respectfully engaging their questions and their doubts
as they advance in their search for the truth and the meaning of human
existence. The growing dialogue in social networks about faith and
belief confirms the importance and relevance of religion in public
debate and in the life of society.
For those who have accepted
the gift of faith with an open heart, the most radical response to
mankind’s questions about love, truth and the meaning of life –
questions certainly not absent from social networks – are found in the
person of Jesus Christ. It is natural for those who have faith to desire
to share it, respectfully and tactfully, with those they meet in the
digital forum. Ultimately, however, if our efforts to share the Gospel
bring forth good fruit, it is always because of the power of the word of
God itself to touch hearts, prior to any of our own efforts. Trust in
the power of God’s work must always be greater than any confidence we
place in human means. In the digital environment, too, where it
is easy for heated and divisive voices to be raised and where
sensationalism can at times prevail, we are called to attentive
discernment. Let us recall in this regard that Elijah
recognized the voice of God not in the great and strong wind, not in the
earthquake or the fire, but in "a still, small voice" (1 Kg 19:11-12).
We need to trust in the fact that the basic human desire to love and to
be loved, and to find meaning and truth – a desire which God himself has
placed in the heart of every man and woman – keeps our contemporaries
ever open to what Blessed Cardinal Newman called the "kindly light" of
faith.
Social networks, as well as being a means of evangelization, can also be a factor in human development.
As an example, in some geographical and cultural contexts where
Christians feel isolated, social networks can reinforce their sense of
real unity with the worldwide community of believers. The networks facilitate the sharing of spiritual and liturgical resources, helping people to pray with a greater sense of closeness
to those who share the same faith. An authentic and interactive
engagement with the questions and the doubts of those who are distant
from the faith should make us feel the need to nourish, by prayer and
reflection, our faith in the presence of God as well as our practical
charity: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Cor 13:1).
In
the digital world there are social networks which offer our
contemporaries opportunities for prayer, meditation and sharing the word
of God. But these networks can also open the door to other dimensions
of faith. Many people are actually discovering, precisely thanks
to a contact initially made online, the importance of direct
encounters, experiences of community and even pilgrimage,
elements which are always important in the journey of faith. In our
effort to make the Gospel present in the digital world, we can invite
people to come together for prayer or liturgical celebrations in
specific places such as churches and chapels. There should be no lack of
coherence or unity in the expression of our faith and witness to the
Gospel in whatever reality we are called to live, whether physical or
digital. When we are present to others, in any way at all, we are called
to make known the love of God to the furthest ends of the earth.
I
pray that God’s Spirit will accompany you and enlighten you always, and
I cordially impart my blessing to all of you, that you may be true
heralds and witnesses of the Gospel. "Go into all the world and preach
the Gospel to the whole creation" (Mk 16:15).
From the Vatican, 24 January 2013, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
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