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Vatican City, Oct 4, 2016 / 09:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his latest prayer video Pope Francis dedicates the month of October to praying for journalists – specifically that their work would always be motivated by strong ethics and respect for the truth.

The video, released Oct. 4, opens showing scenes of a television studio, recording studio, writing desks and satellites, which flash across the screen as the Pope speaks.

Addressing viewers in his native Spanish, the Pope says he often wonders, “How can media be put to the service of a culture of encounter?”

“We need information leading to a commitment for the common good of humanity and the planet,” he said, and, as the faces of different journalists around the Vatican flashed across the screen, asked if viewers would join him in praying for those who work in the field of communication.

Specifically, he prayed “that journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for the truth and a strong sense of ethics.”

The video closes with the Pope asking viewers if they can help him with the request, a question to which the journalists featured each respond one by one saying, “yes.”

Among the journalists featured in the video is Alvaro de Juana, a Rome correspondent for CNA’s sister-agency ACI Prensa. Originally from Spain, he has been working as a journalist for 12 years.

In comments to CNA, de Juana said having strong ethics and a high respect for the truth are always important, but moreover carry special weight in today’s society.

“For years there has been talk of an economic crisis, but the Church and concretely Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have said on many occasions that there is also a crisis of values,” he noted.

Within this crisis, “ethics and morality have been forgotten and have been discarded in many environments and in important questions,” de Juana said, explaining that because of this, a journalist “has the duty to respect ethics and morality.”

“There is no journalism without ethics,” he said, explaining that if ethics were removed from the equation, “it would be to dirty and undermine this profession that has the truth as its foundation.”

Communication also plays a fundamental role in evangelization, he said, noting that “the Church is universal and we could say that communication is, too.”

Christ used words and actions to make God’s love known to the people, and in doing so communicated, de Juana said, adding that communication is “a very important instrument” that can be used to reach those far from the Church.

When asked how journalists themselves can collaborate with the Pope in helping to ensure his prayer is answered, de Juana said the answer is simply “being faithful to this principle of the truth” and by carrying out one’s work with the conviction that “not everything goes.”

“The Pope asks that all journalists and people who work in communication to be faithful to these principals,” regardless of whether or not they are Catholic or not.

The theme Pope Francis chose for 2017's World Day of Communications was released late last month, and is titled “'Fear not, for I am with you' (Is 43:5): Communicating hope and trust in our time.”

In the communique published alongside the theme, the Vatican's Secretariat for Communications said the theme was “an invitation to tell the history of the world and the histories of men and women in accordance with the logic of the 'good news.'”

Shortly before the announcement of the theme, Pope Francis had a Sept. 22 audience with journalists, during which he reflected on the importance of respect for human dignity, telling them that their profession can never be used as a destructive weapon, nor should it be used to nourish fear.

“Certainly criticism is legitimate, and, I would add, necessary, just as is the denunciation of evil, but this must always be done respecting the other, his life and his affect. Journalism cannot become a 'weapon of destruction' of persons or even nations,” the Pope said at the Vatican's Clementine Hall.

“Neither must it nourish fear in front of changes or phenomena such as migration forced by war or by hunger,” he said.

An initiative of the Jesuit-run global prayer network Apostleship of Prayer, the Pope’s prayer videos are filmed in collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and mark the first time the Roman Pontiff’s monthly prayer intentions have been featured on video.

The Apostleship of Prayer, which produces the monthly videos on the Pope’s intentions, was founded by Jesuit seminarians in France in 1884 to encourage Christians to serve God and others through prayer, particularly for the needs of the Church.

Since the late 1800s, the organization has received a monthly, “universal” intention from the Pope. In 1929, an additional missionary intention was added by the Holy Father, aimed at the faithful in particular.

While there are two intentions, the prayer videos are centered on the first, universal intention.

His intentions this year have so far focused on themes he speaks out about frequently, such as interreligious dialogue, care for creation, families in hardship, the elderly and marginalized, and respect for women.

Francis’ prayer intentions for the rest of the year are listed on the organization’s website and center on other themes close to Francis’ heart, such as prayers for countries receiving migrants and refugees, and an end to child-soldiers.

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(Vatican Radio)  Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles is of Mexican origin and says we are called to build bridges and not walls when it comes to tackling the issue of immigration to the U.S. He is the first-ever Hispanic Archbishop of Los Angeles, a U.S. city with one of the highest proportions of Hispanic/Latino residents, and is chairman of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. The archbishop was interviewed by Susy Hodges.

Listen to the interview with Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles:

Archbishop Gomez is actively involved in efforts to welcome immigrants and to discern ways in which the U.S. Church can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, especially through his participation in the ‘V Encuentro’ ministry. The V Encuentro calls for the development of resources and initiatives to better serve the fast-growing Hispanic populations in dioceses and parishes across the U.S.

Archbishop Gomez reminded that immigration is about people, not politics or numbers and spoke about the importance of opening up “our hearts and our lives to new immigrants” in our midst. Saying immigration is “a global reality,” that will not disappear, the archbishop stressed that we are “called to build bridges and not walls” and spoke of the need for the U.S. authorities to tackle the issue of immigration in a comprehensive manner.

“I think it’s important for anybody in a position of leadership in our government to find a way to address the reality of immigration to our country," he said.

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(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis visited the earthquake-hit towns of central Italy in a surprise journey on Tuesday morning, praying with the residents of Amatrice on the feast day of his namesake, St. Francis, telling them to ‘move forward’ together for ‘there is always a future’

Listen to Devin Watkins' report:

The Holy Father arrived by car with the Bishop of Rieti, Domenico Pompili, in Amatrice on Tuesday morning at 9:10 a.m. to visit those people affected by the earthquake of 24 August.

His first visit was to the newly constructed ‘Capranica’ school, where the Pope met with elementary and middle-school aged children, who gave him several of their handmade drawings.

Pope Francis hugged them one-by-one and listened to their stories of the deadly earthquake in Amatrice where 231 of the total 297 people died.

During his visit, Pope Francis told the residents of Amatrice, “I thought long and hard in the first days of these many pains that my visit, perhaps, would be more of a hindrance than a help, a greeting. I didn’t want to be a bother so I let a little time pass, so that some things could be resolved, like the school. But from the first moment, I felt that I needed to come to you! Simply to express my closeness to you, nothing more. And I pray, pray for you! Solidarity and prayer: this is my offering to you. May the Lord bless you all; may Our Lady watch over you in this moment of sadness, pain, and trial.”

After blessing them, he said, “Let’s move forward; there is always a future. There are many loved ones who have left us, who fell here under the rubble. Let us pray to Our Lady for them; let us do it together. Always look ahead. Courage, and help each other. One walks better together, alone we go nowhere. Forward! Thank you.”

The Holy Father then went to the heavily damaged centre of Amatrice accompanied by the Mayor Sergio Pirozzi. There he paused for several minutes to pray.

A press release by the Holy See Press Office said, “Already on Sunday, during his inflight press conference on the flight from Baku to Rome, Pope Francis had said he would make this visit ‘privately, alone, as a priest, as a bishop, as Pope. But alone. This is how I want to do it. And I would like to be close to the people.’”

Nearly 4,000 people are living in tents near Amatrice after their homes were destroyed in the 6.0-magnitude earthquake.

Afterwards, the Pope stopped to have lunch with around 60 elderly people living in the 'St. Raphael Assisted Living Facility' in Rieti, whilst on his way to nearby Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto to bring his message of hope and solidarity to them as well.

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Pope Francis named Bishop Martin S. Jumoad as the new bishop of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz (Philippines).

Bishop Jumoad  will transfer from the Prelature of Isabela, Basilan to replace resigned Msgr. Jesus Dosado  as shepherd of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz, Philippines.

Bishop Martin S. Jumoad, DD was born on Nov. 11, 1956 in Kinasangan, Pardo, Cebu City. He was ordained a priest on April 7, 1983. Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Isabela, Basilan on Nov. 21, 2001. His episcopal ordination as the Third Bishop-Prelate of Isabela (Basilan) was on Jan. 10, 2002. He was installed on Jan. 12, 2002. 

Bishop Jumoad is currently member of CBCP Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itenerant People (ECMI) and the Episcopal Commission on Mission (ECM). He was also the Assistant Pastor of Isabela Cathedral (1983-1986), Pastor of the parish of St. Anthony in Lamitan (1986-1989), Assistant and later dean of the “Remase” seminarians in Davao (1990-1992), Pastor of the parish of St. Peter in Lamitan (1992-1994),  Chancellor of the Prelature of Isabela (1998- 2001), Director of Claret College of Isabela (1999-2001) and  Administrator of the Prelature of Isabela (2001).  He speaks English, Tagalog, Bisaya and Chavacano.

Meanwhile, former shepherd of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz, Msgr. Jesus Dosado  resigned from his post since he already reached the retirement age for bishops, 75 year old. He is now 77.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has released his videomessage accompanying his monthly prayer intention for October. This month’s intention is for Journalists: That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.

The text of the video message reads:

“I often wonder: How can media be put to the service of a culture of encounter?

We need information leading to compromise for the good of humanity and the planet.

Join me in this prayer request.

That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics. 

Can you help me spread this prayer request?

Yes.”

The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed the "Pope Video" initiative to assist in the worldwide dissemination of monthly intentions of the Holy Father in relation to the challenges facing humanity. 

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