Instituted at the initiative of the Catholic Church, at the end of Vatican Council II, the day of social communications manifested at the time the awareness of the social issues (moral and spiritual) that represented the means of communication of the mass.

To say that the situation has changed for 40 years is obvious, and the fact that you read this manual directly on your computer quickly makes you aware of how far you have come. The theme chosen for World Social Communications Day in 2011 was “Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age”. In 2013, she is interested in social networks. In 2014, it focuses on “Communication at the service of a genuine culture of meeting”.

Every year, the Holy See publishes a message on the occasion of this day, to be found directly on the official website of the Vatican. 

Source: Text: vdio.com   Image: Depositphotos

Here are a few paragraphs from Pope Francis’ message for this year:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Last year we reflected on the need to “Come and See” in order to discover reality and be able to recount it beginning with experiencing events and meeting people. Continuing in this vein, I would now like to draw attention to another word, “listen”, which is decisive in the grammar of communication and a condition for genuine dialogue.

In fact, we are losing the ability to listen to those in front of us, both in the normal course of everyday relationships and when debating the most important issues of civil life. At the same time, listening is undergoing an important new development in the field of communication and information through the various podcasts and audio messages available that serve to confirm that listening is still essential in human communication.

A respected doctor, accustomed to treating the wounds of the soul, was once asked what the greatest need of human beings is. He replied: “The boundless desire to be heard”. A desire that often remains hidden, but that challenges anyone who is called upon to be an educator or formator, or who otherwise performs a communicative role: parents and teachers, pastors and pastoral workers, communication professionals and others who carry out social or political service.

Listening with the ear of the heart

(…) We all have ears, but many times even those with perfect hearing are unable to hear another person. In fact, there is an interior deafness worse than the physical one. Indeed, listening concerns the whole person, not just the sense of hearing. The true seat of listening is the heart. Though he was very young, King Solomon proved himself wise because he asked the Lord to grant him a “listening heart” (cf. 1 Kings 3:9).

Source: Text: Vatican.va