Communication and Communion

by Fr. Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office

Fr. Federico Lombardi recentely spoke at a meeting of the communications commission for the Spanish bishops’ conference about Catholic communication. Zenit.org posted a lengthy translation of his talk that you can read here. In this article, I want to highlight what Fr. Lombardi said about community building and about the role of Vatican communication.

Communication builds community

The instruments of Catholic social communication are essential instruments for the building of the Christian community and of the wider human community.

The importance to invest in communication

Communication -above all in the Church – is a value that requires energy and entails costs, but which rarely generates revenues. In this connection it is necessary to help our superiors to have a long view, to keep in mind that there are returns and results that are not monetary but important, so that it is worthwhile to invest and spend, otherwise they will not be obtained.

Communication, both as information and as circulation of other messages, testimonies, further reflection, etc. must be at the service of ecclesial communion.

Good Catholic communication is both local and universal

Good communication in the Church needs the integration of the different levels of communication, each one of which is necessary, and they must be complementary among themselves: the local level (parochial or diocesan), the intermediary level (normally national) and the universal level.

The role of Vatican communications

The function of the Vatican means of communication must be seen as a service that attempts to integrate the indispensable communicative commitment of the local Churches. We do not consider ourselves absolutely able to embrace all communication in the Church, but we do consider ourselves as the central nucleus of a very great network spread out in a capillary way throughout the world.

Don’t be afraid!

At the end of his address, Fr. Lombardi quoted the last Apostolic Letter of John Paul II of 2005, dedicated precisely to the “Rapid Development of the Social Means of Communication”:

“Do not be afraid of the new technologies, as they are among the wonderful things (’Inter mirifica’) which God has placed at our disposition to discover, use, and make the truth known, including the truth on our dignity and destiny as his children, heirs of the Eternal Kingdom.

Do not be afraid of the world’s opposition! Jesus has assured us “I have overcome the world.”

Do not be afraid of your weakness and incapacity! The Divine Teacher has said: “I am with you all days until the end of the world.” Communicate the message of hope, of grace and of love of Christ, always maintaining alive, in this passing world, the eternal perspective of heaven”.