The past several days have been very exciting with our newly elected Pope all over the news, both Catholic and secular.\u00a0 I have seen excellent moments where our faith is shared and explained especially in secular media sources.\u00a0 It\u2019s appropriate that so early in his Papacy, Leo XIV held an audience with journalists from all over the world.\u00a0 He said to them, \u201cYour service, with the words you use and the style you adopt, is crucial. As you know, communication is not only the transmission of information, but it is also the creation of a culture of human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and discussion. In looking at how technology is developing, this mission becomes ever more necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace,\u201d continued Pope Leo, \u201cbegins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others, and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: We must say \u2018no\u2019 to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.\u201d<\/p>\n
His call to greater respect in communication not only applies to journalists, but to every one of us.\u00a0 It is so easy to do violence to others through our words, even when right and the other person is wrong.\u00a0 Nobody has a right to misrepresent or mistreat another in word or deed.<\/p>\n
Saint James reminds us in Scripture, in the third chapter of his letter, \u201cin the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretentions.\u00a0 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God.\u00a0 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers.\u201d\u00a0 Our words are powerful!<\/p>\n
On the front row at the audience with journalists was a the Peruvian journalist, Paola Ugaz, who for years has worked closely with the Pope while he was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru to bring to justice perpetrators of abuse.\u00a0 She had planned to meet with the Cardinal after the Conclave and had brought him a scarf as a gift from Peru.\u00a0 Since now he\u2019s Pope, she presented it to him at the audience.\u00a0 It was a touching moment. \u00a0Paola reports that the Holy Father said to her, \u201cthere will soon be news about Peru.\u201d \u00a0Could it be a Papal visit? \u00a0A new Cardinal? \u00a0A positive step in regards to the abuse cases, particularly in regards to the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana? \u00a0We will wait.<\/p>\n
May we heed this important lesson from the Pope: that we will be kind in communicating, never doing violence to the other.<\/p>\n