Pope Francis says in the October The Pope Video, “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.”
Today the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network has released the latest The Pope Video, this month focused on the prayer intention of Pope Francis, “That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.”
Since the beginning of his pontificate the Pope has had a lively relationship with journalists. In an address to representatives of the Communications Media in 2013, Pope Francis thanked the media for their work, but challenged them to cover events in a truthful way, being attentive to what they are doing. He said to them:
“Your work calls for careful preparation, sensitivity and experience, like so many other professions, but it also demands a particular concern for what is true, good and beautiful. This is something which we have in common, since the Church exists to communicate precisely this: Truth, Goodness and Beauty ‘in person.’ It should be apparent that all of us are called not to communicate ourselves, but this existential triad made up of truth, beauty and goodness.”
This comes at a very fitting time in the world today, especially in the United States, where the media has become separated into various “camps,” focusing not on the true, good and beautiful, but on a specific ideology. Pope Francis’ words challenge journalists to serve the common good of all, recognizing the importance of their role in communicating a “culture of encounter.”
Father Frédéric Fornos, SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and its youth branch, the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) said that, “Respect for truth and sense of ethics are pillars of good communication. On September 22 Pope Francis received 400 journalists from the Italian National Council of the Order of Journalists and referred to three fundamental elements of the profession: love truth, live with professionalism and respect human dignity. This month we ask for the journalists in the exercise of their profession, that they may always be motivated by these values, which are those that enable the society as a whole to build the long-awaited culture of encounter.”
The Pope Video was created to spread these intentions of Pope Francis and raise awareness of the urgent need to pray and act on them. Conceived and produced by La Machi Communication for Good Causes, it has the support of the Society of Jesus, IndigoMusic, GettyImagesLatam, R/GA, with the collaboration of Vatican Television Center. Anyone wishing to donate to this monthly project, may do so withthis link.
And today we celebrate...