Rome, Italy - August 2024 - A compelling testimony on the communication of the three most recent pontificates (John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis) rounded off the morning of the fifth day of the World Communication Conference "Shaping Tomorrow". The speaker was Vaticanist Valentina Alazraki, who has been closely following the Popes since 1978. Alazarki highlighted the great media openings of Pope John Paul II, from his first greeting on the day of his election to the free display of his physical decline, through the countless public gestures he made that were perfectly 'newsworthy' for the media. The pontificate of Benedict XVI was then examined, a Pope with a great human trait and a profound word, but often misunderstood or even attacked by the media, due to prejudices towards the 'Theologian Pope', to the more shy and reserved nature of the Bavarian Pope, and to a different management of the communication dynamics of that period. Lastly, the communicative novelty brought by Pope Francis, with his search for direct and personal contact with the people and his unexpected and spontaneous gestures, amidst related challenges and opportunities, was also explored. In conclusion, the speaker emphasised how in all three Popes the Holy Spirit was seen in action: “all three different, each with his own charisma, but all united in the service of the Church”.
(ANS - Rome) - Sunday, 4 August 2024, the fourth day of the "Shaping Tomorrow" Worldwide Communication Conference, commenced with a special celebration of the Sunday Holy Eucharist.
(ANS – Vatican) – On 3 August 2024, the third day of the "Shaping Tomorrow" Communication Conference, the participants were given a special visit to the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See.
(ANS - Rome) - An attentive and qualified excursus between the past, present and future of the Church's communication on the web constituted the last work session of the weekend for the approximately 150 participants at the World Conference on Social Communication "Shaping Tomorrow". Journalist and President of the Association of Catholic Webmasters (WeCa) of Italy, Fabio Bolzetta, returned to the stage for the second time to address the topic of the Church in the digital world and the approach to new technologies in Church Communication.
Rome, Italy - Aug. 3, 2024 - "Ten good practices of evangelization in social networks, of which the last one is the best": with this catchy beginning Sister Xiskya Valladares returned to the stage of the World Social Communication Conference "Shaping Tomorrow," underway in Rome (Aug. 1-7) to offer in a quick, clear and entertaining way some tricks to be effective in evangelizing and educational communication on the web. Among her suggestions: set relevant and defined goals; know your intended audience well; create relevant and specific content for that audience; have a project mentality, plan and schedule content; capture the audience's attention from the start; optimize content for each platform; keep interaction high with a "call to action" and immediate response to comments; measure and analyze the performance of your actions, and refine your strategy accordingly; take advantage of user-generated content; and finally - most important - take care of Eucharistic life.
Rome, Italy - 2 August 2024 - The last session of the first day of work at "Shaping Tomorrow", the World Conference on Social Communication promoted by the Salesian Congregation's Social Communication Sector and the Salesian Pontifical University's Faculty of Social Communication, featured journalist Maurizio di Schino, who spoke on the theme: "communicating with migrants and refugees". The speaker, who himself, as a boy with his family, experienced the experience of being a migrant, urged those present not to recount migrations as "emergencies, since they are part of our history" and called for the responsible use of words, also providing some texts and deontological references for communicators. Then, referring to his direct experiences in the field, he also emphasized the need to tell migration stories by empathizing with migrants and refugees, because such an attitude makes it possible to discover relationships and connections in reality that otherwise would not be seen.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – The missionaries of the 155th Salesian Missionary Expedition: Angelot Dorisse Herimampionona Rakotonirina, from Madagascar (MDG) to the Albania-Kosovo-Montenegro (IME) Delegation(ANS – Rome) – Angelot, from Madagascar, is a new missionary in Europe, active in the new Delegation of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, belonging to the Province of Southern Italy (IME). Regarding his plans, he says: "My dream and my project in my mission are nothing more than the project of Christ through Don Bosco: the salvation of souls".
EDITORIAL
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Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
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Italy – The chapel of the relics at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin celebrates 90 years and celebrates them with an exhibition on the Shroud(ANS – Turin) – Again this year, on 14 September, on the occasion of the liturgical feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the day of the Opening of the Crypt, the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin hosted an evening dedicated to the Shroud, as part of the "Culture in the Basilica" exhibition, entitled "The Shroud: witness of great love".
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – Int’l Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Salesian Missions highlights life-changing programs that aid poor youth(ANS – New Rochelle) - Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in honoring the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty held on Oct. 17 each year. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the 35th anniversary of the World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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OUR ANNUAL GIFTTHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR,
Fr Stefano Martoglio, SDBTraditionally as a Salesian Family, we receive the Strenna every year - a gift at the beginning of the year. I hold it dear to look inside this gift with these few lines so as to welcome it as it deserves, without losing anything of the freshness of the gift.