At Saturday's meeting in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father delivered the speech he had prepared for the occasion and spoke to workers in communication, reminding them of the deepest sense of their vocation: ‘To communicate is to go out of oneself a little to give a little of self to the other. Your work is a work that builds, keeps everyone going...' he said.
He stressed further that for communication to be effective, it is necessary to remain anchored in the truth. And the Pope's question to journalists is even higher and more radical: ‘But are you true? Not only the things you say, but inwardly, in your life, are you true?’
In the speech delivered to those present, however, the Pontiff emphasised the importance of free and responsible journalism, recalling the sacrifice of many reporters who have given their lives for the truth, and launched an appeal for the release of imprisoned journalists around the world.
The Pope also urged communicators not to give in to the temptation of superficiality and disinformation, reiterating that the mission of journalism must always be guided by the search for truth and justice. So much so that, in order to be saved from the ‘’cerebral putrefaction‘’ caused by the addiction to continuous scrolling on social media’ the Pontiff said, ‘We need media literacy, to educate ourselves and to educate to critical thinking, to the patience of discernment necessary for knowledge.’
The following day, the celebration of the Jubilee of Communication was completed with the Eucharist of the Sunday of the Word of God in which Pope Francis reflected on the central role of the Gospel as a sure guide and source of hope.
‘The Gospel is a living and certain Word, which never disappoints,’ he said, inviting the faithful not to give in to the illusions of power and vanity. The Pontiff recalled that history proves that evil does not have the last word and that war and death will not prevail over peoples. ‘Evil's days are numbered,’ he said firmly, urging the Christian community to remain steadfast in faith and love of neighbour.
The Pope also turned his thoughts to the weakest and most vulnerable, emphasising that the Church's mission is to accompany those who suffer and those who are marginalised. ‘Jesus frees us from every inner chain,’ he said, urging everyone to live with hope and solidarity. He reiterated that true freedom comes from trusting in the Word of God, which offers support and guidance in times of difficulty.
Francis also issued an invitation to the Christian community to be a witness of hope in a world marked by conflicts and divisions. Indeed, the Holy Father stressed how the Christian faith must be a beacon of light in the darkness, offering comfort and support to those in need.
With the words of his homily the Pope finally reaffirmed the centrality of the Word of God for all the faithful and in particular the value of the Gospel as ‘a word of mercy, compassion, light, freedom and joy’ and for this reason he urged everyone to be inspired by the Gospel by reading it daily.
