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(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has released Pope Francis’ Message for the 51st World Day of Social Communications. The theme of this year’s message is "Fear not, for I am with you": Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time. The World Day of Social Communications is celebrated in almost all countries on the Sunday before Pentecost. The message is being issued on  24 January, the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.

Find the full text of the message below

«Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5):

Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time

Access to the media – thanks to technological progress – makes it possible for countless people to share news instantly and spread it widely.  That news may be good or bad, true or false.  The early Christians compared the human mind to a constantly grinding millstone; it is up to the miller to determine what it will grind: good wheat or worthless weeds.  Our minds are always “grinding”, but it is up to us to choose what to feed them (cf. SAINT JOHN CASSIAN, Epistle to Leontius).

I wish to address this message to all those who, whether in their professional work or personal relationships, are like that mill, daily “grinding out” information with the aim of providing rich fare for those with whom they communicate.  I would like to encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter, helping all of us to view the world around us with realism and trust.

I am convinced that we have to break the vicious circle of anxiety and stem the spiral of fear resulting from a constant focus on “bad news” (wars, terrorism, scandals and all sorts of human failure).  This has nothing to do with spreading misinformation that would ignore the tragedy of human suffering, nor is it about a naive optimism blind to the scandal of evil.  Rather, I propose that all of us work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent and resignation that can at times generate apathy, fear or the idea that evil has no limits.  Moreover, in a communications industry which thinks that good news does not sell, and where the tragedy of human suffering and the mystery of evil easily turn into entertainment, there is always the temptation that our consciences can be dulled or slip into pessimism.

I would like, then, to contribute to the search for an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamourize evil but instead to concentrate on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients.  I ask everyone to offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart “good news”.

Good news

Life is not simply a bare succession of events, but a history, a story waiting to be told through the choice of an interpretative lens that can select and gather the most relevant data.  In and of itself, reality has no one clear meaning.  Everything depends on the way we look at things, on the lens we use to view them.  If we change that lens, reality itself appears different.  So how can we begin to “read” reality through the right lens?

For us Christians, that lens can only be the good news, beginning with the Good News par excellence: “the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God” (Mk 1:1).  With these words, Saint Mark opens his Gospel not by relating “good news” about Jesus, but rather the good news that is Jesus himself.  Indeed, reading the pages of his Gospel, we learn that its title corresponds to its content and, above all else, this content is the very person of Jesus.

This good news – Jesus himself – is not good because it has nothing to do with suffering, but rather because suffering itself becomes part of a bigger picture.  It is seen as an integral part of Jesus’ love for the Father and for all mankind.  In Christ, God has shown his solidarity with every human situation.  He has told us that we are not alone, for we have a Father who is constantly mindful of his children.  “Fear not, for I am with you” (Is 43:5): these are the comforting words of a God who is immersed in the history of his people.  In his beloved Son, this divine promise – “I am with you” – embraces all our weakness, even to dying our death.  In Christ, even darkness and death become a point of encounter with Light and Life.  Hope is born, a hope accessible to everyone, at the very crossroads where life meets the bitterness of failure.  That hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5) and makes new life blossom, like a shoot that springs up from the fallen seed.  Seen in this light, every new tragedy that occurs in the world’s history can also become a setting for good news, inasmuch as love can find a way to draw near and to raise up sympathetic hearts, resolute faces and hands ready to build anew.

Confidence in the seed of the Kingdom

To introduce his disciples and the crowds to this Gospel mindset and to give them the right “lens” needed to see and embrace the love that dies and rises, Jesus uses parables.  He frequently compares the Kingdom of God to a seed that releases its potential for life precisely when it falls to the earth and dies (cf. Mk 4:1-34).  This use of images and metaphors to convey the quiet power of the Kingdom does not detract from its importance and urgency; rather, it is a merciful way of making space for the listener to freely accept and appropriate that power.  It is also a most effective way to express the immense dignity of the Paschal mystery, leaving it to images, rather than concepts, to communicate the paradoxical beauty of new life in Christ.  In that life, hardship and the cross do not obstruct, but bring about God’s salvation; weakness proves stronger than any human power; and failure can be the prelude to the fulfilment of all things in love.  This is how hope in the Kingdom of God matures and deepens: it is “as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow” (Mk 4:26-27).

The Kingdom of God is already present in our midst, like a seed that is easily overlooked, yet silently takes root.  Those to whom the Holy Spirit grants keen vision can see it blossoming.  They do not let themselves be robbed of the joy of the Kingdom by the weeds that spring up all about.

The horizons of the Spirit

Our hope based on the good news which is Jesus himself makes us lift up our eyes to contemplate the Lord in the liturgical celebration of the Ascension.  Even though the Lord may now appear more distant, the horizons of hope expand all the more.  In Christ, who brings our human nature to heaven, every man and woman can now freely “enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Heb 10:19-20).  By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

Confidence in the seed of God’s Kingdom and in the mystery of Easter should also shape the way we communicate.  This confidence enables us to carry out our work – in all the different ways that communication takes place nowadays – with the conviction that it is possible to recognize and highlight the good news present in every story and in the face of each person.

Those who, in faith, entrust themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit come to realize how God is present and at work in every moment of our lives and history, patiently bringing to pass a history of salvation.  Hope is the thread with which this sacred history is woven, and its weaver is none other than the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.  Hope is the humblest of virtues, for it remains hidden in the recesses of life; yet it is like the yeast that leavens all the dough.  We nurture it by reading ever anew the Gospel, “reprinted” in so many editions in the lives of the saints who became icons of God’s love in this world.  Today too, the Spirit continues to sow in us a desire for the Kingdom, thanks to all those who, drawing inspiration from the Good News amid the dramatic events of our time, shine like beacons in the darkness of this world, shedding light along the way and opening ever new paths of confidence and hope.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2017

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The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has warned that the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna is a dangerous sign Nigeria is ignoring.

He said it was unfortunate that some prominent Nigerians and government officials were insisting that the crises have no religious undertones when that is clearly what is happening.

“Immediately you play into a religious matter, nobody can intervene in any serious way, and that is really a pity,” he told Nigeria’s Punch newspaper.

“This is why the statement attributed to the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, is generating ripples.

“He tried to say we should not give this any religious colouring but the fact is that there is now a religious colouring and that is what he must admit and tackle.

“Whether it is in Southern Kaduna or Plateau State, all these conflicts are a continuation of the tribal wars of the last century and those tribal wars have some religious connotation.

“After all, they are called Jihad. We are in a situation now whereby, for historical reasons, any conflict in that area takes up a religious tone which is why it becomes very difficult to handle”.

On the claim that over 800 lives have been lost in recent months, Onaiyekan said “The statement of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan was issued more than a month ago. This is a serious allegation.”

“It is clear (from), concrete statistics of damage done, lives lost, homes destroyed, people displaced and I am sure they have evidence of all these allegations.

“For the governor and indeed the President to still say everything is okay is dangerous because it means that it is okay that people are getting killed.

“For me, it is better, easier, and more effective if the president simply insists that no human being should be badly treated. Any Nigerian should have the right not to be killed

“I have no reason to doubt the statistics which my colleague has put together. I believe that he just did not sit back in his house and draw up those numbers. I believe in those numbers, and I am very worried about them.

“He sent it to all the bishops in Nigeria, and we are all in one way or the other reacting to it. What exactly can we do? There should be a meeting of people who are not just Christians or Muslims.

“We believe that if what is happening in Southern Kaduna is not stemmed, it can become very dangerous for the whole country.”

Speaking of the seeming silence of President Muhammadu Buhari, the prelate said he is the only one who can take responsibility because sincerity is in the heart.

“You know how difficult it is to get to Aso Villa, so it is possible for the President to sit there looking through all kinds of papers.

“There are a lot of issues to deal with in Nigeria: economic, climate change, diplomatic relations, Boko Haram and then somebody brings a file on Southern Kaduna, and it depends on how the person who brings it presents it and it is possible that Mr President can sit there and not know how bad the situation is.

“The President doesn’t send someone to the newsstand to buy newspapers. Somebody looks at the newspapers and brings him the items that he is supposed to pay attention to.

“There is no excuse for Mr President to be kept in the dark about it and if I were Mr President and I finally found out that all these things have been happening and I was not told, then all those who should have informed me would be fired immediately.

“They are destroying his work. I am saying this because it will be difficult for Mr President to know all these things and keep quiet. If he does, it means that he is happy with what is happening.

“Some are even suggesting that maybe he is behind it all, well if he does nothing, he cannot stop people from speculating that.”

 (Wale Odunsi, Nigeria’s Daily Post )

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(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has sent an official delegate from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development to Aleppo in Syria.

Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, the Pope’s delegate, visited the war-ravaged city on the 18-23 January, accompanied by Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nunzio to Syria, and Msgr. Thomas Habib, Counselor to the Nunziature.

A statement released on Tuesday by the Dicastery for Integral Human Development said this was the first official visit by representatives of the Holy See after the end of hostilities in Aleppo.

“The delegation was able to meet with the Christian communities and their pastors, who expressed gratitude to the Pope for his constant concern for beloved Syria. They also visited charitable Catholic institutions and several refugee camps. In particular, a humanitarian assistance centre, overseen by Caritas Aleppo, was opened in the Hanano neighborhood.”

The Vatican delegation also participated in an ecumenical prayer service organized on occasion of the week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Another moment of encounter occurred when the delegation met with representatives of Islam, during which “the responsibility of religions to educate for peace and reconciliation was underlined”.

Local civil and religious authorities “praised the delegation, manifesting particular gratitude for the Holy Father’s gesture of raising the Pontifical Representative of the country (Cardinal Zenari) to the dignity of the cardinalate and recognizing in him the special closeness of the Pope to the battered Syrian population”.

The statement goes on to detail the importance of the encounters with Catholic charities in the country.

“In the meetings with institutions of Catholic charity, the importance of aid offered by these institutions to the benefit of the entire Syrian population emerged. With the support of the universal Church and thanks to the generous contribution from the international community, that aid will be intensified in the future to confront people’s growing necessities.”

In conclusion, the statement detailed the items currently most needed, which include “food goods, clothing, education, sanitary equipment, and housing”.

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Mexico City, Mexico, Jan 24, 2017 / 03:21 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following a school shooting in Monterrey, Mexico last week, the local archbishop offered his prayers and support.

“I have listened with great concern to the news of the difficult events that occurred today at the facilities of your admirable institution,” said Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López of Monterrey in a Jan. 18 message.

“I want to express to you my most sincere support, as the father of the Church in Monterrey, in sympathy over these difficult events. In addition, as a pastor, I lift up to the Lord God my prayer for the entire school community you make up, especially for the people involved and their families.”

Earlier that day, a 15-year-old student at the American School of the Northeast opened fire on his classmates and teacher before shooting and killing himself. The teacher and three students were wounded in the attack.

According to state officials, the young man had been receiving therapy for a mental health problem.  

Archbishop Cabrera López voiced his prayers for consolation, saying, “May the Lord Jesus, who came to console the afflicted and share with us the Holy Spirit of Wisdom remain now and forever at your side and grant you peace.”

He offered encouragement for the school community “to continue with the valuable work of comprehensive education you have always undertaken, since we know that it is the seed of a better society.”

 

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Vatican City, Jan 24, 2017 / 03:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his annual message to communicators around the world, Pope Francis again condemned the tendency for media to focus on the “bad news,” saying journalists, while being accurate, must also offer a message of hope.

“We have to break the vicious circle of anxiety and stem the spiral of fear resulting from a constant focus on ‘bad news,’” such as war, terrorism, scandal and other human failures, the Pope said in his message for the World Day of Social Communications.

It was published Jan. 24 to mark the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers, journalists and the Catholic press. The actual day of communications will be celebrated May 28, and will focus on the theme of the Pope’s message: “Fear not, for I am with you: Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time.”

In his message, the Pope said steering clear of bad news “has nothing to do with spreading misinformation that would ignore the tragedy of human suffering,” and neither does in involve “a naive optimism blind to the scandal of evil.”

“Rather, I propose that all of us work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent and resignation that can at times generate apathy, fear or the idea that evil has no limits,” he said.

Pointing to those in the communications industry who operate with the mentality that “good news does not sell,” and where evil and human suffering often become a form “entertainment,” Francis stressed that “there is always the temptation that our consciences can be dulled or slip into pessimism.”

He urged those who work in the field of communications to pursue “an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamourize evil,” but rather tries to focus “on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients.”

“I ask everyone to offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart ‘good news,’” he said.

Pope Francis’ appeal for a more positive take on the news isn’t the first time he’s made such a request, nor is it the first time he’s condemned journalists who always focus on negativity and scandal.

In an interview with Belgian weekly magazine “Tertio” published Dec. 7, 2016, the Pope gave a stern warning to journalists to steer clear of the temptations of slander, defamation, misinformation and focusing excessively on scandal.

Using vivid language, he compared the latter to the disease of “coprophilia,” a mental illness in which a person has an abnormal interest in feces.

A few months earlier, Francis dedicated his prayer intention for October 2016, to praying for journalists, specifically asking that they be truthful and ethical in their reporting.

In his message for the world day of communications, the Pope noted that thanks to modern technology, media “makes it possible for countless people to share news instantly and spread it widely.”

“That news may be good or bad, true or false,” he said, recalling how early Christians compared the human mind to a “constantly grinding millstone.” In this image, it is up to the miller to decide what grind: “good wheat or worthless weeds.”

For those who are constantly “grinding out information” in their personal and professional lives, it’s important to engage in “constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice toward others and foster a culture of encounter,” he said, adding that this will help everyone “to view the world around us with realism and trust.”

When it comes to reporting the good news rather than always focusing on the bad, Francis said we have to change the lens thought which we view reality. For Christians, he said, this above all means viewing reality through the lens of “the Good News par excellence: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God.”

“This good news – Jesus himself – is not good because it has nothing to do with suffering, but rather because suffering itself becomes part of a bigger picture,” he said, noting that this suffering is “an integral part of Jesus’ love for the Father and for all mankind.”

With Christ, “even darkness and death become a point of encounter with light and life,” he said, adding that from here a hope “accessible to everyone” is born and “does not disappoint,” since from this hope God’s enters our hearts.

“Seen in this light, every new tragedy that occurs in the world’s history can also become a setting for good news, inasmuch as love can find a way to draw near and to raise up sympathetic hearts, resolute faces and hands ready to build anew,” he said.

Pope Francis then used Jesus' Ascension into heaven as an example of what our hope is based on, saying that even though the Lord might appear distant at the moment, “the horizons of hope expand all the more.”

With the help and power of the Holy Spirit, we can become both “witnesses and communicators” of a renewed and redeemed humanity throughout the world, he said.

Confidence in “the seed of God’s Kingdom” spread throughout the world ought also shape the way we communicate, he said, adding that this confidence allows everyone in the communications field to carry out their work with the conviction “that it is possible to recognize and highlight the good news present in every story and in the face of each person.”

In a Jan. 24 news briefing for the publication of the Pope’s message, Msgr. Dario Eduardo Vigano, Prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communications, stressed the importance of having “constructive communication,” that leans neither toward scandal nor optimism, but is realistic.

It’s important to not “make evil the protagonist,” even when reporting on tragic events, he said, and also warned journalists to steer clear of hypocrisy, which he called an “impure gaze” of reality that “impedes charity.”

Also present at the briefing was Delia Gallagher, Vatican correspondent for CNN, who said the Pope’s document was “an opportune message” that’s important for news agencies to keep in mind.

She focused specifically on the need to be accurate when reporting the news, saying one “can’t be a good journalist if they are not certain of the facts.”

Pope Francis’ message provides a path “if not of truth, precision – to give the news accurately,” she said, and used the Pope himself and how he is often reported as an example.

While it’s not always easy to convey his message due to translations and a variety of other challenges, it’s important to stick to the facts and “to give the context when he says something,” rather than just reporting on snippet of what he said without offering the reader the full picture.

“It’s a job that seems easy, but requires experience,” she said, encouraging her colleagues to be accurate and precise, adding that “from the good news can also come from this.”

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Vatican City, Jan 24, 2017 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Irish bishops are just finishing up their first ad limina visit to Rome in 10 years – a time that’s been marked by a rapid increase in secularism, the legalization of same-sex marriage and the country's tragic clerical sex abuse crisis.

However, despite the vast array of challenges the Irish bishops currently face and the many hurdles they have already overcome, one topic stood out, and was mentioned in every single meeting they had with different Vatican departments: the role women in the Church today.

“I would say I don't think there was any congregation that we didn't mention it,” Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick told CNA Jan. 20.

He called the attention currently being given to women and their role “one of the signs of the times.”

The Holy Spirit “is saying something,” Leahy said, adding that while exactly what the Holy Spirit wants is “the big question for us all,” one area that keeps coming up is engaging women more in decision-making processes.

Bishop Leahy is just one of the many Irish prelates who gathered in Rome last week for their ad limina visit, which typically serves as a time of rest and prayer for bishops during which they meet with the Pope and have the opportunity to visit each of the Vatican departments.

He was one of four bishops who spoke to journalists after their Jan. 20 meeting with Pope Francis, which lasted just over two hours and covered a wide range of topics.

Other prelates who spoke were Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh in Northern Ireland and president of the Irish bishops' conference, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin.

In his comments to CNA, Bishop Leahy noted that “women are so much at the heart of the Church in Ireland, they are very, very involved in the Church.”

However, throughout the past 10 years of meetings, assemblies and, in his case, a diocesan synod, the bishops have been doing a lot of listening, and one thing they’ve consistently heard from women is they want their role to be “more greatly enhanced,” visible, appreciated and articulated.

This is a reflection they brought up with each of the Vatican dicasteries they visited, as well as with the Pope, who “recognizes that it is a serious issue.”

Leahy said that during their meeting with the Pope, led as a conversation with no prepared text, Francis pointed to Swiss theologian Hans von Balthasar, which has done in the past, offering reflections on two specific dimensions in the Church: the Petrine and the Marian.

“Peter, Mary...these two profiles. Because they are complimentary,” he said. “Women bring their way of seeing things, their way of understanding, their way of feeling about issues, their distinctiveness into the life of the Church.”

While the topic itself and what it means for the work and life of the Church requires more reflection, “we need to appreciate” the specific qualities that women bring, and “we need to see how we can articulate that more.”

However, referring to Pope Francis' advice, Leahy cautioned that while the enhancing the role of women must be pursued, it shouldn’t be approached from a “simply functionalistic perspective.”

“We can't just come up with simplistic solutions, and I think women themselves would be the first to say that,” he said, explaining that the next step is to explore together “how best to articulate the life of the Church in such a way that women will feel that their role is genuinely appreciated.”

The bishop said that after their meetings in the Vatican, he feels that their concern about the topic “has been heard,” and “to be fair, we’re not the only ones saying it.”

Pope Francis himself often says the role of women is something the entire Church needs to look into, he said, explaining that for he and his fellow bishops in Ireland, they will head back with plans for “a tremendous engagement” based on listening and dialogue.

Referring to Pope Francis’ constant emphasis on the importance of discernment, Leahy said there’s no quick solution, but it’s something that “needs time, it needs reflection, it needs exploration to discern together.”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin echoed Leahy’s sentiments, telling journalists that one of the “most alienated groups” in Ireland is “young women.”

He said that specifically in their meeting with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, they discussed the areas in the Church where “a stronger position” of not only women, but laypeople in general, “is not only licit, but is desirable.”

Other issues touched on by the bishops in their meeting with the Pope were youth, vocations, the influx of refugees to the country, and of course the Pope’s upcoming visit to Ireland in 2018 for the World Meeting of Families

Although the bishops’ visit comes in wake of the abuse scandal that rocked the country and a rapid increase in secularization, Archbishop Eamon Martin said none of the bishops felt “under investigation” or interrogation during the ad limina.

It was “a very different atmosphere,” particularly in their meeting with the Pope, which he called a “fascinating encounter.”

“We haven’t received any raps on the knuckles,” but were rather assured that they are “not alone” in the challenges the face, many of which stem from the fact that the voice of the Church and her authority in society and in the lives of individuals has taken a drastic dip, in large part due to the abuse scandal.
 
Archbishop Diarmuid said the bishops “are realistic about the challenges we are facing in Ireland at the moment,” but are also hopeful that they are moving to “a new place of encounter and dialogue” in Irish society where the Church has an important voice.

“Not the dominating voice or domineering voice that perhaps some say we’ve had in the past – but we are contributing to important conversations” on topics such as life, marriage, family, poverty and education.

Discussion also focused at length on how to be a bishop, with the Pope comparing their role to a goalkeeper, “and the shots keep coming from everywhere, and you stand there ready to take them from wherever they come.”

While there was “a fair bit of laughing and joking,” the bishops all got very serious when talking about abuse.

Archbishop Martin said the number of abuses in Ireland “was small compared to society at large,” and noted that the Church has made significant progress since the scandals came out.

Referring to their meeting with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Archbishop Eamon Martin pointed to a four-step model Benedict XVI recommended to them when the abuse scandal first broke out in the country: to establish the truth of what happened, put preventative procedures into place, to adhere to justice and to bring healing.

“We’ve been working in all four areas,” he said, noting that in the healing process for those abused, “to have their story told” makes a big difference.

Ireland is “now speaking from a sense of maturity” and can be a reference point to the rest of the Church from their position, he said, noting that as he was speaking a new report was published in Belfast by leaders of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland on the abuse of children in residential institutions, some run by Catholic religious orders.

Overall there was a recognition that Ireland had gone “through a bad time – not for us, but particularly for children who were abused,” he said, adding that there was also an acknowledgment that “anything that we did would inevitably be inadequate in responding to the suffering they experienced.”

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