Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 48th World Communications Day

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 48th World Communications Day

Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter

                                                1 June 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we are living in a world which is growing ever “smaller” and where, as a result, it would seem to be easier for all of us to be neighbours.  Developments in travel and communications technology are bringing us closer together and making us more connected, even as globalization makes us increasingly interdependent.  Nonetheless, divisions, which are sometimes quite deep, continue to exist within our human family.  On the global level we see a scandalous gap between the opulence of the wealthy and the utter destitution of the poor.  Often we need only walk the streets of a city to see the contrast between people living on the street and the brilliant lights of the store windows.  We have become so accustomed to these things that they no longer unsettle us.  Our world suffers from many forms of exclusion, marginalization and poverty, to say nothing of conflicts born of a combination of economic, political, ideological, and, sadly, even religious motives.

In a world like this, media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which can in turn inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all.  Good communication helps us to grow closer, to know one another better, and ultimately, to grow in unity.  The walls which divide us can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another.  We need to resolve our differences through forms of dialogue which help us grow in understanding and mutual respect.  A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to give, but also to receive.  Media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when the networks of human communication have made unprecedented advances.  The internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity.  This is something truly good, a gift from God.

This is not to say that certain problems do not exist.  The speed with which information is communicated exceeds our capacity for reflection and judgement, and this does not make for more balanced and proper forms of self-expression.  The variety of opinions being aired can be seen as helpful, but it also enables people to barricade themselves behind sources of information which only confirm their own wishes and ideas, or political and economic interests.  The world of communications can help us either to expand our knowledge or to lose our bearings.  The desire for digital connectivity can have the effect of isolating us from our neighbours, from those closest to us.  We should not overlook the fact that those who for whatever reason lack access to social media run the risk of being left behind.

While these drawbacks are real, they do not justify rejecting social media; rather, they remind us that communication is ultimately a human rather than technological achievement.  What is it, then, that helps us, in the digital environment, to grow in humanity and mutual understanding?  We need, for example, to recover a certain sense of deliberateness and calm.  This calls for time and the ability to be silent and to listen.  We need also to be patient if we want to understand those who are different from us.  People only express themselves fully when they are not merely tolerated, but know that they are truly accepted.  If we are genuinely attentive in listening to others, we will learn to look at the world with different eyes and come to appreciate the richness of human experience as manifested in different cultures and traditions.  We will also learn to appreciate more fully the important values inspired by Christianity, such as the vision of the human person, the nature of marriage and the family, the proper distinction between the religious and political spheres, the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, and many others.

How, then, can communication be at the service of an authentic culture of encounter?  What does it mean for us, as disciples of the Lord, to encounter others in the light of the Gospel?  In spite of our own limitations and sinfulness, how do we draw truly close to one another?  These questions are summed up in what a scribe – a communicator – once asked Jesus: “And who is my neighbour?” (Lk 10:29).  This question can help us to see communication in terms of “neighbourliness”.  We might paraphrase the question in this way: How can we be “neighbourly” in our use of the communications media and in the new environment created by digital technology?  I find an answer in the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is also a parable about communication.  Those who communicate, in effect, become neighbours.  The Good Samaritan not only draws nearer to the man he finds half dead on the side of the road; he takes responsibility for him.  Jesus shifts our understanding: it is not just about seeing the other as someone like myself, but of the ability to make myself like the other.  Communication is really about realizing that we are all human beings, children of God.  I like seeing this power of communication as “neighbourliness”.

Whenever communication is primarily aimed at promoting consumption or manipulating others, we are dealing with a form of violent aggression like that suffered by the man in the parable, who was beaten by robbers and left abandoned on the road.  The Levite and the priest do not regard him as a neighbour, but as a stranger to be kept at a distance.  In those days, it was rules of ritual purity which conditioned their response.  Nowadays there is a danger that certain media so condition our responses that we fail to see our real neighbour.

It is not enough to be passersby on the digital highways, simply “connected”; connections need to grow into true encounters.  We cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves.  We need to love and to be loved.  We need tenderness.  Media strategies do not ensure beauty, goodness and truth in communication.  The world of media also has to be concerned with humanity, it too is called to show tenderness.  The digital world can be an environment rich in humanity; a network not of wires but of people.  The impartiality of media is merely an appearance; only those who go out of themselves in their communication can become a true point of reference for others.  Personal engagement is the basis of the trustworthiness of a communicator.  Christian witness, thanks to the internet, can thereby reach the peripheries of human existence.

As I have frequently observed, if a choice has to be made between a bruised Church which goes out to the streets and a Church suffering from self-absorption, I certainly prefer the first.  Those “streets” are the world where people live and where they can be reached, both effectively and affectively.  The digital highway is one of them, a street teeming with people who are often hurting, men and women looking for salvation or hope.  By means of the internet, the Christian message can reach “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Keeping the doors of our churches open also means keeping them open in the digital environment so that people, whatever their situation in life, can enter, and so that the Gospel can go out to reach everyone.  We are called to show that the Church is the home of all.  Are we capable of communicating the image of such a Church?  Communication is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church; today the social networks are one way to experience this call to discover the beauty of faith, the beauty of encountering Christ.  In the area of communications too, we need a Church capable of bringing warmth and of stirring hearts.

Effective Christian witness is not about bombarding people with religious messages, but about our willingness to be available to others “by patiently and respectfully engaging their questions and their doubts as they advance in their search for the truth and the meaning of human existence” (BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 47th World Communications Day, 2013).  We need but recall the story of the disciples on the way to Emmaus.  We have to be able to dialogue with the men and women of today, to understand their expectations, doubts and hopes, and to bring them the Gospel, Jesus Christ himself, God incarnate, who died and rose to free us from sin and death.  We are challenged to be people of depth, attentive to what is happening around us and spiritually alert.  To dialogue means to believe that the “other” has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view and perspective.  Engaging in dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions, but the claim that they alone are valid or absolute.

May the image of the Good Samaritan who tended to the wounds of the injured man by pouring oil and wine over them be our inspiration.  Let our communication be a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts.  May the light we bring to others not be the result of cosmetics or special effects, but rather of our being loving and merciful “neighbours” to those wounded and left on the side of the road.  Let us boldly become citizens of the digital world.  The Church needs to be concerned for, and present in, the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them encounter Christ.  She needs to be a Church at the side of others, capable of accompanying everyone along the way.  The revolution taking place in communications media and in information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2014, the Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales.

FRANCISCUS

Holy Mass Celebration of The Newly Appointed Superior Regional of Korea Regio and his councils.

On Monday Evening, January, 13th, in the chapel of St. Josef Freinademetz community of Seoul,The newly appointed Superior Regional of Korea Regio: Fr. Kim Jong Il, Benedict, SVD along with his new councils and senior priests of the SVD Korea regio, presided a solemn mass of his installation as new leader of Korea Regio. Before presiding the mass, Fr. Peter Sam, new vice Superior regional read the appointment letter from Generalate regarding the appointment of the new conggregational leadership of SVD Korea.

 Fr. Kim Jong Il, Benedict, SVD is the first native Korean nationality to become Superior Regional after 30 years of the present of the SVD in Korea. (The SVD came to Korea in 1984, on the invitation from diocese of Suwon). In his speech during the mass, he expressed his grateful and thanked to the previous administration (Fr. Dennis Callan, SVD and his councils) for their great efforts and contributions for the development of the Regio. He also thanked and respected all the members of Korea Regio, especially the senior members who have been sacrificing for the progression of the Regio through various apostolates.

The mass was well celebrated and attended by about hundreds of people. Among them there were also our fellow sisters of the Servant of The Holy Spirit (SSpS Korea Province) who came to support and encourage their fellow brothers SVD. A group of faithful, which is consists of our Korea Benefactors, people who usually coming for various masses in our community, as well as Fr. Superior Regional's family and relatives also came to witness this ceremony.
Fr. Superior Regional in his speech also, requested all the members of SVD Korea Regio to work hard together and build a team-work for the better future of the Regio. Before the mass ended, Fr. Superior Regional gave a chance to his new council members: Fr. Peter Sam, SVD (vice superior) and Br. Kim Bong Jong, John, SVD (Admonitor) to introduce themselves before the faithful who attended the mass.

 After mass, a simple supper together as Arnold Janssen family was held in the dinning room of St. Josef Freinademetz house. Thank you very much for our beloved benefactors (사랑하는 형재 자매님들) who have been work so hard to provide the food for the celebration. Everyone was so happy and congratulate the new Superior Regional and wished him and his council to get success in the years advanced as they begin to serve the Regio of SVD Korea for the next triennium from
2014-2016.

Let us put our prayer before the Lord, so that The Holy Spirit may give them wisdom and courage that they may need in order to lead this Regio according to God's will.
We also give our best thanks to the previous administration (Fr. Dennis Callan, SVD and Fr. Fidelis Armin, SVD) for their great effort and sacrificed during their term and wish them a good health and continue to bear witness as religious-missionary through their ministries and apostolates.
"May The heart of Jesus lives in the heart of all people". (Luis Sakera, 2014-01-23)

ACTION PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF ASPAC CHARACTERISTIC DIMENSIONS (NONG BHUA LAMPHU, 04-09 NOVEMBER 2013)

Notes: This article is part of ASPAC Triennial Gathering of Characteristic Dimension   Mission, Bible, JPIC and Communication     Coordinators held in Nong Bhua Lampu, Thailand last November 2013.

I believe the complete report on this had been sent by the previous Superior Regional, as well as he had shared during our community meeting last December 2013, so here, I just want to share again only the point about "THE ACTION PLAN OF EVERY CHARACTERISTICS DIMENSIONS" as a guide for us, according to our Regio's situation to try to integrate these four characteristic dimensions into our ministries or apostolates. may It also benefits for each of us, as we put our effort to serve God and His people in Korea.

Action Plan for the Future

I. Mission

STATEMENT ON THE MEETING

ASPAC four SVD Characteristic Dimensions is such a very good and fruitful event which should be continued in the years to come. It can be made as a three year program for the zone. The participants got a lot of inspirations through the input and report from the generalate prespective that give us the panorama and concern of the whole Society on the four CDs; and the reports, discussion and sharing within the coordinators from each country/sub-zone and inter-characteristic dimensions as well give us a lot of inputs, insight, information and sometimes new understanding and new ways to deal with the responsibily or taks entrusted to us by the Society. It enlarge and strenghten our undertanding of the four charecteristic dimensions integratedly and help us to bring it back to share with our confreres in our respective province/region or sub-zone.

The process and the dinimac in the whole program of the meeting is good. It really help us to actively participate and involve in the whole process.

ACTION PLAN MISSION ANIMATION

1. Create inter-linking sharing among mission secretaries within the ASPAC zone and with the Generalate Mission Secretary at leas once a month (through emails)
2. Fostering awareness among the confreres that the 4 CDs should be in their life and mission (it is also a part of his responsibility) (care for the missionaries, confrere)
3. There should be proper trained and preparation for the one appointed to be a mission secretary
4. Mission secretary should be write for sharing information or stories through the news letter of the province.
5. Encourage and foster the formation (on mission) for our lay-partners/lay-associates in the next three years (involving the three other CDs).
6. Creative way of fund raising for mission

COMMON INTERGRATED-CHARACTERISTIC DIMENSION

1. The provincial superior/cousel call for the meeting with the 4 CDs regularly, at least once a year; the same meeting also in a level of inter-province or sub-zone level.
2. Prior to the meeting with the provincial superior/council, the meeting within the four CDs should be done
3. Promote and encourege the lay-missionaries partner to go to other provinces/region or country for mission (for exposure, assistance in teaching, or other pastoral ministry etc)
4. Continue sharing resource person and materials (on 4CDs, pastoral and spiritual) materials (themes) of retreat or recollection for the specific group, especially family and youth with the 4 CDs
5. Create net-working among 4 CDs in the ASPAC zone for sharing informations and materials on the 4 CDs
6. At lesat once a year mission secretary invite Bible Apostolate Coordinator, JPIC and Communicatio Coordinator to go our formation house to give animation on 4 CD for our seminarians
7. Formation in 4 CDs to be put into the (yearly) formation programs
8. Giving talk on AJS and mission to the parishioners (regularly) in collaboration with the AJS Team
9. Looking for the possibilities for cross-cultural and intercultural mission exposure for the youth/student inter-province or in ASPAC zone (area) – youth missionary group

II. Bible

DIVINE WORD BIBLICAL MINISTRY

 The ASPAC Zonal Assembly 2013 opened with the Enthronement of the Sacred Scriptures --- an acknowledgement of its central place to make real the Characteristic Dimensions of the Society of the Divine Word.

The keynote expositions of the Secretaries of the Characteristic Dimensions provided a platform for insightful sharing among the Province Biblical Coordinators.

The Sharing Session was a forum for listening to and learning from one another. These were moments of learning that help fan the flame of dedicated enthusiasm to achieve better the aim of the Ministry.

The group of Provincial Bible Coordinators agreed to have one focus priority from among the priorities put forward by the last SVD General Chapter between this Zonal Assembly and the next : FAMILY AND YOUTH

A DEVELOPING DYNAMIC: This Zonal Assembly in Nonbualamphu has fired up the need to join efforts with the three other Priority Dimensions of the SVD: MISSION ANIMATION, JPIC and COMMUNICATIONS

Workable Action Plan

AD INTRA

• To make use of Province /District / Unit Meetings as opportunities for Bible Sharing among confreres.
• Help create an attitude of consistency among confreres
• Facilitate to commit confreres participate in existing on-going Biblical Formation, Conferences. Example: the “Jornada Biblica”.
• Continue holding Biblical Seminars, pursuing regular Lectio Divina or Biblical Reflections using relevant and practical methods.
• Suggest to provincials to have a common regular meetings with the Coordinators of the Characteristic Dimensions [CD]
• Creation of The Biblical Ministry Yahoo Group. To make use of the up-coming SVD Website of the CD

AD EXTRA

• Where it may be viable, work with the other CD, the Youth, Parents and other lay leaders organise and conduct Youth Camps.
• To facilitate the possibility of having Dei Verbum Course in the ASPAC Zone tailored more to the realities and needs of the Zone, and as a Collaborative Project of all the CDs together with Provincial leaders of the Zone.
• Translations of existing materials from other languages to English, Bahasa, Japanese, Chinese…. And sharing them to other Province’s Biblical Coords.
• To help initiate the process of translating the Bible to languages still denied of its own Bible translation in collaboration with other knowledgeable and competent translators.
• Get the collaboration of willing lay partners to create materials for schools.
• Establish a collaboration with existing Christian/Catholic Marriage Groups to produce relevant and useful materials especially for the year 2014.

III. JPIC

Report and Action Plan Report of the proceedings of zonal meeting:

SVD ASPAC zonal meeting held at Nongbualamphu from 4-9th of November 2013 with special focus on four characteristic dimensions of the XVII General Chapter was indeed a unique experience for the JPIC coordinators from ASPAC zone. It was very well organized and gave a platform for all to learn from one another the ways and methods of doing mission with the marginalized. It was an enriching experience to listen to four characteristic dimensions of our society in sharing our mission that helped us to be more rooted in our SVDness (we feeling as SVDs). Today we feel that we have one mission as SVDs with four different characteristic dimensions of mission. JPIC as one of the characteristic dimensions has a transformative effect in our ministry when collaborated with other dimensions. This zonal meeting opened our eyes to the awareness of commonality in our missions and the need to move our confreres to imbibe the same spirit. The presence of Formation secretary from Generalate and VIVAT representative helped us to find ways and means to incorporate the four dimensions into the formation program and to network effectively with VIVAT International.

Action Plans of JPIC Commission

JPIC coordinators from different sub zones drafted action plans that are to be implemented in the coming three years based on the sharing and discussions with four characteristic dimensions of 17th general chapter.

1. Create a data bank of all JPIC activities at Province, Sub Zone and Zonal level and share with the JPIC Generalate coordinator as well as VIVAT International.
2. Quarterly video conferencing of all JPIC Sub Zonal coordinators along with the Generalate Coordinator through skype.
3. Constant sharing of information and reports of JPIC activities among the coordinators.
4. Migration and human trafficking have been identified as the major issue that needs immediate attention and response at the zonal level. Through the zonal coordinator establish network between sending and receiving PRMs of different countries. We recommend through Execom to the superiors of PRMs to appoint personnel to work exclusively for the migrants both at sending as well as receiving PRMs. (Recommendations 2.1.1)
5. Special effort to be made to collaborate with lay partners on issues of JPIC.
6. Organize JPIC retreat for confreres and lay associates and other interested partners in each PRM.
7. Make JPIC an integral part at every stage of formation.
8. Organize capacity building programs (training) for JPIC coordinators to equip them with the new ways and means to be effective in the ministry.
9. Promote internship as well as participation at UN Conference and VIVAT International.

Common interdisciplinary action plan at zonal level

1. Publish and make known to the world our best practices through the help of communication dimension.
2. Conduct an evaluation of formation program with coordinators of all four characteristic dimensions in our sub zone to know how each dimension can be effectively integrated into different stages of formation.
3. Conduct mission animation programs for young confreres on four characteristic dimensions.
4. Coordinators of all four dimensions could come together at least once a year for sharing and to find ways and means to collaborate with one another in fulfilling our common mission.
5. Include zonal coordinator for formation also in the video conferencing of JPIC coordinators.

IV. RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION PLAN FROM SOCIAL COMMUNICATION GROUP

We the the eight socialcommunication coordinators representing India, Indonesia, Philippines, PNG, China, Korea, Viet and Japan gathered at Nongbualamphua from 4th – 8th November. We shared and evaluated our ministry in social communication during last three years.

We listen to and share with confreres who are ministering in other characteric dimensions. We recognnise and share our common concerns and challenges, we call for more collaboration and cooperation in order to enhance our svd identity ministries in a more effective way.

After our discussion, we recommend the following action plans for the provincial/regional level and zonal inter-characteristic dimension level:

1. For social communication coordinators:
   1. Twice a year a zonal SVD ASPAC e.letter to be published. The content can also be provided from other characterisc dimension coordinators. First edition will be availabe by Feb 2014 (Limited to four pages for each province/region);
   2. Skype conference at 10.00am (Thailand time) on 17th March 2014;
   3. Support and promote the www.svdworld.org.
2. For the zonal inter-characteristic dimensions:
   1. Animating our confreres to own the characteristic dimensions as an svd identity in order to raise the awareness toward common responsibility;
   2. As far as possible , the characteristic dimension coordinators to be included at the provincial/regional meeting on regular base;
   3. More regular meeting to enhance the collaroration and coperation among the characteristic dimension coordinators in the zone;
   4. Making a project oriented SMART plan (Specific, Measuarable, Attainnable, Reasonable, Time frame) among the characterisc dimension coordinators.

5. Conclusion

The meeting was solemnly concluded with a thanks giving prayer service led by Fr. S.M. Michael and proposing of vote of thanks to Fr. Timothy Norton and his team from the Australian Province for their dedicated and fraternal service to make this meeting successful. The meeting also had several exposure programme to the SVD ministries in Thailand. The participants had an opportunity to visit a Buddhist centre to learn about other religions. The meeting came to an end with a SVD get –together and dinner with cultural programmes at the newly built SVD House in Nong Bua Lampu.

SVD KOREA REGIO NEW LEADERSHIP 2014-2016

Fr. Kim Jong Il, Benedict, SVD

Superior Regional

Fr. Nguyen Peter Sam, SVD

Vice Superior Regional

Br. Kim Bong Jong, John, SVD

Admonitor Regio

CONGRATULATION FOR THE NEW LEADERSHIP

AND LET US CONTINUE TOGETHER PRAY FOR THEM

AND FOR THE BETTER FUTURE OF KOREA REGIO.