His holiness Pope Francis counsels for a humble and free journalism that serves truth and goodness. The meeting of around 400 journalists of the Foreign Press Association of Italy on May 18, His Holiness Pope Francis said “do not indulge in selling the rotten food of misinformation but rather offer the healthy bread of truth and goodness.”
His Holiness Pope Francis encouraged saying “I therefore urge you to work according to truth and justice, so that communication is truly an instrument for building, not for destroying.”
“for meeting, not for clashing; for dialoguing, not for monologizing; for orienting, not for disorienting; for understanding, not for misunderstanding,”
“for walking in peace, not for sowing hatred; for giving a voice to those who have no voice, not for being a megaphone to those who shout louder.”
Pope Francis expressed the Church’s esteem for their precious work, “contributes to the search for the truth, and only the truth makes us free.”
To work in Humility which is the basic element of the profession and the search for truth. A humble journalism indulges in searching the truth, instead of having a “shouting headlines” that provokes rather to ponder on that cancels the thought of spreading misinformation. When too many hostile words are used to say bad things and classify about others has become a habit for many. We must always remember that each person has his or her intangible dignity, which can never be taken away.
His holiness Pope Francis prayed for the journalist who lost their lives in showing courage for their work and dedication. He called on reporters to help the world not to forget those persecuted and discriminated against for their faith or their ethnicity and the victims of violence and trafficking in human beings. The Pontiff said those forced to leave their homes because of disasters, wars, terrorism, hunger and thirst, are not numbers, but a face, a story and a desire for happiness. “There is a submerged ocean of goodness that deserves to be known and that gives strength to our hope,” The Pontiff said, noting that women journalists are particularly sensitive to such stories of life.
At the end of his talk, His Holiness Pope Francis gifted the journalists a copy each of a book entitled, “Communicare il Bene” (Communicating the Good), containing his talks to various groups of journalists and his messages for World Communications Days.
