"Moreover, one of his most famous statements, 'the heart speaks to the heart,' has inspired generations of believers (...). It shows how for him [St. Francis de Sales] communication should never be reduced to an artifice, to—one might say today—a marketing strategy, but was the reflection of the soul, the visible surface of an invisible core of love" (Message of Pope Francis for the 57th World Day of Social Communications).
With this vision rooted in the experience of the gift and the gratuitousness of God's love, Francis de Sales opened an original path of spirituality, communicative art, and pastoral action.
"Everything in the Church is love: everything lives in love, for love, and of love." With this expression, St. Francis de Sales, unique in his time, initiated a true revolution in the way of communicating. The word communication is the key to the theology and spirituality of the saint, who undertook an inner pilgrimage in the wise and loving search for God.
Communication, as an interpretative key to the life and doctrine of St. Francis de Sales, refers to a richness and multiplicity of aspects that find their foundation in the theology of the trinitarian mystery, to which man is called to participate by grace and by vocation. Francis de Sales embodies a model of communication that, in both content and dynamics, is inspired by the Gospel.
For him, to communicate means to give oneself to the other, to share one's experiences, and to establish authentic relationships of friendship. Communication is effective only when one is capable of creating bonds, opportunities for meeting, and proximity.
Communication is fruitful when it allows for communion and the exchange of one's experiences. Francis starts from a fundamental principle: God communicates out of love. This love is God's gift to His creatures, who freely respond with a filial spirit, loving surrender, and joyful commitment, which translates into a path of holiness in collaborating with God's project in the world.
St. Francis is a communicator who lived his life and accomplished his works with creativity and intensity. This demonstrates his important and decisive way of communicating, which remains relevant today: to live a spiritual life open to the inner dynamism of the heart and soul in union with God in service to others.
Fr Gildasio Mendes,
General Councillor for Social Communication
