Pope Francis: Christian communicators can bring hope to the world in crisis
It is important to have Christian media that provide quality coverage of the Church's life and that are able to form people's consciences, Pope Francis said.
Professional Christian communicators “must be heralds of hope and trust in the future. Because only when the future is accepted as something positive and possible, does the present also become livable, ”he said.
The pope made his remarks on September 18 in a private audience in the Vatican with staff members of Tertio, a Belgian weekly specializing in Christian and Catholic perspectives. The print and online publication celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its founding.
"In the world we live in, information is an integral part of our daily life," he said. “When it comes to quality (information), it allows us to better understand the problems and challenges the world is called to face”, and inspires people's attitudes and behaviors.
"Very important is 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", he added.
The field of "communication is an important mission for the Church," the pope said, and Christians who work in this field are called to respond concretely to Christ's invitation to go and proclaim the Gospel.
"Christian journalists are obliged to offer a new testimony in the world of communication without hiding the truth or manipulating information".
The Christian media also help to bring the voice of the Church and of Christian intellectuals into "an increasingly secularized media landscape in order to enrich it with constructive reflections".
Being heralds of hope and confidence in a better future can also help people build a sense of hope during this time of global pandemic, he said.
In this period of crisis, "it is important that the means of social communication help to ensure that people do not fall ill from loneliness and can receive a word of comfort".