On January 24, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI released his Message for the World Day of Communications. He chose as his theme: “The Media: at the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others.”
The Message is fascinating, because in the course of it he says: “Humanity today is at a crossroads.” He feels that modern media has become such a powerful force that it is shaping and fashioning the minds and hearts of all of us.
Among many other things, he says. . . . .
“There is no area of human experience in which the media have not become an integral part.”
“In view of their meteoric technological evolution, the media have acquired extraordinary potential, while raising new and hitherto unimaginable questions and problems.”
“There is no denying the contribution they can make to the diffusion of news, to knowledge of facts and to the dissemination of information.”
“They have played a decisive part in the spread of literacy, in the development of democracy, and in dialogue among peoples.”
“Unfortunately, though, they risk being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to the dominant interests of the day.”
“This is what happens when communication is used for the aggressive advertising of consumer products.”
“In order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence.”
“It offers new possibilities for good, but at the same time opens up appalling possibilities for evil.”
“Is it wise to allow the instruments of social communication to be exploited for indiscriminate self-promotion?”
“Today, communication seems not to represent reality, but to determine it. . . . ”
“In certain situations the media are used not for the purpose of disseminating information, but to create events.”
“Social communication must now be considered as the key challenge of the third millennium.”
“It is essential that social communications should respect human dignity.”
“Social communications have a special responsibility to promote respect for the family, presenting it in all its beauty.”
“The media must avoid becoming spokesmen for economic materialism, which is a scourge of our time.”
“Seeking and presenting the truth about humanity constitutes the highest vocation of social communication.”
“The many refined and engaging techniques that the media have at their disposal is an exciting task, entrusted in the first place to managers and operators in the sector. Yet it concerns us all, because we are all consumers and operators of social communications in this era of globalization.”
“The new media ‑ telecommunications and internet in particular — are changing the very face of communication.”
“Man thirsts for truth, he seeks truth. . . ”
“Only God can respond fully to the thirst for life and love that is present in the human heart.”
“We must raise up courageous communicators who will commit themselves to the quest for truth and for developing communion between persons and among nations.”
This Message applies to media all over the world. But it certainly is good advice to our media here in the Philippines!
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Archbishop Talamayan of Tuguegarao was accused of concealing the truth by one of our local newspapers, on their front page.
On January 8, several Bishops met with the President, asking her to scrap the requirement that priests first attend an NSO-sponsored seminar on matrimonial law, prior to the renewal of their state authorization to solemnize marriages. Since the President listened graciously and hosted them courteously, he wrote her a gracious letter of thanks. The letter was written on January 11.
Two weeks after the meeting with the President, some Bishops met with Cabinet members, to discuss concerns in their remote dioceses, over which the state authorities had competence. Archbishop Talamayan was interviewed by several newsmen about this meeting.
One of the reporters asked: “Did the President attend the meeting?” The Archbishop said: “No.” This reporter went into print with the letter of gratitude that the Archbishop had written to the President two weeks earlier about a totally different meeting. Their front page headline was: “Bishop denies meeting GMA yet letter says thanks.”
The comment of Archbishop Talamayan was: “I wish that our journalists would get their data straight before they publish it.”