Pope Benedict XVI has released this year’s World Communications Day message.
The theme for 2010 ties in with the Church’s “Year for Priests”, that runs until June 2010, and is entitled:
The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word.
Pope Benedict calls for priests to discover new digital possibilities to proclaim the Word of God and carry out their ministry.
“Using new communication technologies, priests can introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ. They will best achieve this aim if they learn, from the time of their formation, how to use these technologies in a competent and appropriate way, shaped by sound theological insights and reflecting a strong priestly spirituality grounded in constant dialogue with the Lord. Yet priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ. This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a ‘soul’ to the fabric of communications that makes up the ‘Web’.”
The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day is traditionally published on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers (January 24).
World Communications Day 2010 will be celebrated on 16 May.
Read/download the full text
Pope Benedict XVI’s message for World Communications Day 2010 (pdf)
Links
The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications
