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Pope Benedict's Message for 44th World Day of Communications

All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of his saving grace in the sacraments.

Vatican Radio
First published 2010-01-23

VATICAN - (RV) Below is Pope Benedict's full message for the 44th World Day of Communications:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The theme of this year's World Communications Day - The Priestand Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service ofthe Word - is meant to coincide with the Church's celebration of theYear for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitivepastoral area of digital communications, in which priests candiscover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and forthe Word of God. Church communities have always used themodern media for fostering communication, engagement withsociety, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level.Yet the recent, explosive growth and greater social impact of thesemedia make them all the more important for a fruitful priestlyministry.

All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of JesusChrist, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of hissaving grace in the sacraments. Gathered and called by the Word,the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion that Godcreates with all people, and every priest is called to build up thiscommunion, in Christ and with Christ. Such is the lofty dignity andbeauty of the mission of the priest, which responds in a special wayto the challenge raised by the Apostle Paul: "The Scripture says, 'Noone who believes in him will be put to shame ... everyone who callson the name of the Lord will be saved.' But how can they call on himin whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in himof whom they have not heard? And how can they hear withoutsomeone to preach? And how can people preach unless they aresent? (Rom 10:11, 13-15).

Responding adequately to this challenge amid today's cultural shifts,to which young people are especially sensitive, necessarily involvesusing new communications technologies. The world of digitalcommunication, with its almost limitless expressive capacity, makesus appreciate all the more Saint Paul's exclamation: "Woe to me if Ido not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16) The increased availability ofthe new technologies demands greater responsibility on the part ofthose called to proclaim the Word, but it also requires them tobecome more focused, efficient and compelling in their efforts.Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologiescreate deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, theyare called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever moreeffectively at the service of the Word.

The spread of multimedia communications and its rich "menu ofoptions" might make us think it sufficient simply to be present onthe Web, or to see it only as a space to be filled. Yet priests canrightly be expected to be present in the world of digitalcommunications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising theirproper role as leaders of communities which increasingly expressthemselves with the different "voices" provided by the digitalmarketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel byemploying the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images,videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongsidetraditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue,evangelization and catechesis.

Using new communication technologies, priests can introduce peopleto the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover theface of Christ. They will best achieve this aim if they learn, from thetime of their formation, how to use these technologies in acompetent and appropriate way, shaped by sound theologicalinsights and reflecting a strong priestly spirituality grounded inconstant dialogue with the Lord. Yet priests present in the world ofdigital communications should be less notable for their media savvythan for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ. This will notonly enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a "soul" to thefabric of communications that makes up the "Web".

God's loving care for all people in Christ must be expressed in thedigital world not simply as an artifact from the past, or a learnedtheory, but as something concrete, present and engaging. Ourpastoral presence in that world must thus serve to show ourcontemporaries, especially the many people in our day whoexperience uncertainty and confusion, "that God is near; that inChrist we all belong to one another" (Benedict XVI, Address to theRoman Curia, 21 December 2009).

Who better than a priest, as a man of God, can develop and put intopractice, by his competence in current digital technology, a pastoraloutreach capable of making God concretely present in today's worldand presenting the religious wisdom of the past as a treasure whichcan inspire our efforts to live in the present with dignity whilebuilding a better future? Consecrated men and women working inthe media have a special responsibility for opening the door to newforms of encounter, maintaining the quality of human interaction,and showing concern for individuals and their genuine spiritualneeds. They can thus help the men and women of our digital age tosense the Lord's presence, to grow in expectation and hope, and todraw near to the Word of God which offers salvation and fosters anintegral human development. In this way the Word can traverse themany crossroads created by the intersection of all the different"highways" that form "cyberspace", and show that God has hisrightful place in every age, including our own. Thanks to the newcommunications media, the Lord can walk the streets of our citiesand, stopping before the threshold of our homes and our hearts, sayonce more: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hearsmy voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine withhim, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).

In my Message last year, I encouraged leaders in the world ofcommunications to promote a culture of respect for the dignity andvalue of the human person. This is one of the ways in which theChurch is called to exercise a "diaconia of culture" on today's "digitalcontinent". With the Gospels in our hands and in our hearts, wemust reaffirm the need to continue preparing ways that lead to theWord of God, while being at the same time constantly attentive tothose who continue to seek; indeed, we should encourage theirseeking as a first step of evangelization. A pastoral presence in theworld of digital communications, precisely because it brings us intocontact with the followers of other religions, non-believers andpeople of every culture, requires sensitivity to those who do notbelieve, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulateddesire for enduring truth and the absolute. Just as the prophetIsaiah envisioned a house of prayer for all peoples (cf. Is 56:7), canwe not see the web as also offering a space - like the "Court of theGentiles" of the Temple of Jerusalem - for those who have not yetcome to know God?

The development of the new technologies and the larger digitalworld represents a great resource for humanity as a whole and forevery individual, and it can act as a stimulus to encounter anddialogue. But this development likewise represents a greatopportunity for believers. No door can or should be closed to thosewho, in the name of the risen Christ, are committed to drawing nearto others. To priests in particular the new media offer ever new andfar-reaching pastoral possibilities, encouraging them to embody theuniversality of the Church's mission, to build a vast and realfellowship, and to testify in today's world to the new life whichcomes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus, the eternal Son who cameamong us for our salvation. At the same time, priests must alwaysbear in mind that the ultimate fruitfulness of their ministry comesfrom Christ himself, encountered and listened to in prayer;proclaimed in preaching and lived witness; and known, loved andcelebrated in the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist andReconciliation.

To my dear brother priests, then, I renew the invitation to makeastute use of the unique possibilities offered by moderncommunications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heraldsof the Gospel in the new "agorà" which the current media areopening up.

With this confidence, I invoke upon you the protection of the Motherof God and of the Holy Curè of Ars and, with affection, I impart toeach of you my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2010, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales.

2010-01-23

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