Pope Francis stressed the importance of "human connection" in all forms of communication as he described it as a “round trip” in his address to the plenary assembly of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication on November 13.
“There is no one-way communication: it goes and comes back; it goes and comes back. And in this we too grow,” the Pope said.
The Pope said that only parrots communicate without listening to the response of their interlocutors.
Pope Francis met with members and employees of the Discastery’s various branches, including Fr. George Plathottam, SDB, Executive Secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC)-Office of Social Communication (OSC), who was appointed by Pope Francis as a consultor to the Dicastery for Communications on September 29.
The Pope reminded us that Communication is “a human connection” which should resemble a telephone conversation in which a person speaks but also listens.
The Pope stated that this dialogue “always brings risks” because it means overcoming the temptation toward inertia where nothing changes even if it is poorly received.
He described the idea of communication as “communicative restlessness”, which drives media persons to engage with their audience.
“The communicator must always take risks, must always be on the road, always engage with life,” the Pope said.
He encouraged communicators should embrace their Christian and human values so that they can teach others “the way to communicate with God.”
The Pope stressed the communication of values, that “each person must communicate with our values", which does not mean “praying a novena to a saint every day.”
Pope Francis stated that he is wary of “aseptic communicators” who focus merely on their journalistic “technique”.
He said, “Technique helps you if there is a heart behind it if there is a mind if there is a man, a woman who gives of his or her own self.”
The Pope lauded the Dicastery for Communication for the “humanism” present within it and its work, a trait that the Dicastery’s Prefect, Dr Paolo Ruffini has helped engender and which should be preserved.
“Strive forward, Take risks, and don’t be afraid! Take risks, to meet the other in communication,” the Pope encouraged. - With inputs from Vatican News
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