In his message for the 55th World Communications Day, Pope Francis says that Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see” is the way in which the Christian faith is communicated.
By Vatican News staff reporter
“The call to ‘come and see’ … is the method for all authentic human communication”, says Pope Francis in his Message for the 55th World Communications Day. The Vatican released 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 an inspiration for any communication that strives to be clear and honest, in the press, on the Internet, on daily preaching of the Church and in political or social communication ”. This theme recalls the Gospel account of the first disciples’ first encounters with Jesus, who invited them to “come and see”, to enter into a relationship with him. Later, one of these disciples, St. Philip, speaking to his friend Nathanael, invited him to “Come and see” the Messiah he had met.
“This is how the Christian faith begins and is communicated: as direct knowledge, born from experience, not from rumor. says Pope Francis. He explains that seeing something for yourself is the best way to get to the truth of things, and “the most honest proof of every message, because to know, we need to find, let the person in front of me speak, to allow your testimony reaches me ”.
Taking the streets
Pope Francis strongly criticizes the tendency to reduce the news to pre-packaged self-referential catchphrases, reflecting only the concerns and points of view of the “constituted powers”.
This leads to a flow of information “created in the newsrooms”, which does not accurately reflect the local reality. Instead, he says, we should “go out into the streets” in order to see things that we would not otherwise know, share knowledge that otherwise would not circulate and have meetings that would otherwise not happen.
The courage of journalists
Journalists in particular, says Pope Francis, must be willing to go where no one goes, they must have a desire to see things for themselves – a “curiosity, an openness, a passion”. He praised the courage of journalists who faced serious risks to share the stories of the oppressed, the sufferings of the poor and creation, the forgotten wars. “It would be a loss not only for reporting, but for society and democracy as a whole, if those voices were to go out,” he says. “Our entire human family would be impoverished.”
Pope Francis notes that many situations today require someone to “come and see” things as they really are. Often, he says, we run the risk of 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 happening.
Internet opportunity and risks
Pope Francis also highlights the importance of modern media, especially the internet. “The internet, with its many expressions on social media, can increase the capacity to report and share, with much more eyes in the world and a constant flood of images and testimonials.” It allows many more people to share their stories and be witnesses of what they see and hear.
At the same time, however, Pope Francis warns of “the risk of disseminating incorrect information on social networks”, which has now “become evident to everyone”. The Internet is “a powerful tool”, says the Pope, who demands from us, as producers and consumers of information, a lot of prudence and responsible care in the way we use it. “We are all responsible for the communications we make, the information we share, the control we can exercise over false news, exposing it,” he says. “We must all be witnesses of the truth: go, see and share.”
There is no substitute for seeing with our own eyes
Pope Francis emphasizes that “in communications, nothing can 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 on a face; the invisible God allowed himself to be seen, heard and touched. “
This goes for all communication, which can only be effective when it involves others 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 met Jesus or heard the message of St. Paul. “Likewise, the Gospel comes alive in our day, whenever we accept the convincing testimony of people whose lives have been changed by their encounter with Jesus.”
“For two millennia, a chain of meetings like this has communicated the attractiveness of the Christian adventure,” said 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 ends with a prayer:
Lord, teach us to go beyond ourselves,
and set out in search of the truth.
Teach us to go out and see,
teach us to listen,
don’t feed prejudices
or jump to conclusions.
Teach us to go where no one else will go,
take the time to understand,
to pay attention to the essentials,
not to be distracted by the superfluous,
to distinguish deceptive appearances from the truth.
Grant us the grace to recognize your home in our world
and the honesty needed to tell others what we saw.