By Paschal Norbert
VATICAN NEWS, JANUARY 28, 2025 (CISA) – Pope Francis has called for a renewed commitment to communication rooted in hope, gentleness, and human connection in his message for the 59th World Day of Social Communications, released by the Holy See Press Office on January 24, emphasizing the transformative role of communication in fostering unity and understanding.
The theme of the 2025 World Day of Social Communications is “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts” (cf. 1 Pet 3:15-16). It highlights the importance of spreading hope in an increasingly polarized world.
In his message, Pope Francis highlighted the perils of modern communication, particularly its tendency to incite fear, prejudice, and division.
“Too often today, communication generates not hope, but fear and despair, prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred,” he wrote.
The Pope expressed concern over the manipulative use of information, noting how it often prioritizes provocation and sensationalism over truth and understanding.
“It uses words like a razor; it even uses false or artfully distorted information to send messages designed to agitate, provoke or hurt,” he warned, cautioning against a growing culture of aggression in media, from talk shows to social media platforms.
He underscored the importance of what he termed “disarming communication” – an approach that seeks to purify dialogue from hostility, encouraging empathy and mutual understanding.
Addressing the challenges of contemporary media, the Pope emphasized the need for communication to foster unity, counter disinformation, and encourage hope in a fragmented world.
Pope Francis framed hope as a “tenacious and patient” virtue, vital for both individuals and society. Reflecting on the words of Georges Bernanos, he described hope as “the risk of risks,” urging communicators to embrace this hidden virtue as an essential part of their mission.
“For Christians, hope is not an option but a necessary condition,” the Pope explained, quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s Spe Salvi: “The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.”
This hope, Pope Francis said, must be shared with gentleness, as instructed in the First Letter of St. Peter: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15-16).
The Pope shared his vision for a form of communication that builds bridges, fosters unity, and inspires hope: “I dream of a communication capable of making us fellow travelers, walking alongside our brothers and sisters and encouraging them to hope in these troubled times.”
He called on communicators to reject self-promotion and the temptation to dominate conversations, instead promoting dialogue that heals and nurtures the human spirit. Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., he added, “If I can help someone as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song… then my living will not be in vain.”
Pope Francis tied his message to the broader themes of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, emphasizing the communal nature of hope. He described the Jubilee as an opportunity for renewal, a call to journey together through the Holy Door, and a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for one another.
“We are all invited – all of us! – to start over again, to let God lift us up, to let him embrace us and shower us with mercy,” he affirmed.
