To always state the truth

To use a “clear, simple and comprehensible” language, “to always state the truth, even when confronted with complex questions”, “to convey honest and exhaustive information”, to “promote and encourage the development of social communication tools” acknowledging them as “crucial to the erection of a Christian community”. The director of the Vatican Press Room F. Federico Lombardi delivered his reflections during Portugal’s Social Communication Days (September 10-11), held in Fatima on the theme “Press Offices in the Church: a luxury or a need?”. Serving the truth. Ensuring that “communication content and channels are coherent” with Gospel teaching, that they are “marked by the love of God and man, and seek the good of the human person” are priority themes for all those charged with the responsibility of an ecclesial press office. “We’re not political propaganda communicators”, said F. Lombardi. “We don’t advocate particularistic interests nor are we mere media professionals”. “First and foremost we are Christian faithful” and in these capacities “we are obliged to ascertain that we’re serving the good of our brothers and sisters and that although our positions may appear to counter mainstream thought our purpose is to serve the good and the happiness of the recipients of Church message”. “The way of communication, along with respectful and truthful language, ought to reflect God’s love for the world”. Thus, “it’s important to cultivate the virtue of discreteness”, and “to speak out when needed”. Open but not naïve. However, being discreet doesn’t mean being hostile towards other journalists. “We are at the service of our colleague journalists and therefore we ought to do our best to contribute to their best performance”, stated Fr. Lombardi who encouraged “An open and positive attitude that ought to be cautious and not naïve”. “We mustn’t view journalists as biased and insidious. We ought to be aware that there are journalists with all kinds of orientations and approaches and that we ought to help them take a step in the right direction” by enabling them “to draw-up objective media reports” if “they are inclined to do so”. The Church in dialogue with the world. Father Lombardi describes the press office as “an open door enabling dialogue between the Church and the world”. While on the one side “there is an ongoing flow of information, messages and reports”, on the other “there is a incoming tide of questions, opinions, reactions linked to expectations, needs and problems that involve the Church and that we ought to respond to in order to present the most appropriate solutions”. The director of the Vatican press office highlighted the importance of “the human dimension in the relations with other people”. “We ought to live our service to our fellow-journalists also as a pastoral, human and spiritual service, although with due discretion”. For this purpose, “participating in the most important moments of their lives – joy and suffering – is crucial to the erection of the community of communicators”. The features of a good communicator. “We must always be honest reporters of the truth”, also when “addressing difficult questions”. By being open, “credibility and trust” ensues. It’s important to “convey immediate responses” in order to “prevent restlessness and curb the spread of false news that will be hard to belie at a later stage”, “to adopt a clear, straightforward language” that will enable the “message to pass through and be retained in the minds of the reader”. These are the key features of the commitment of a good communicator who works in Church environment. It’s equally important “to aim at serious and in-depth information”, Father Lombardi pointed out, “even though communication is often too brief, rapid and superficial”.Energy-demanding value. Lastly, the director reiterated the importance of cooperation and of the connection among “Catholic social communication tools”, that are crucial “to the erection of the Christian community and of the larger human community”. For this reason it is worthwhile investing and “allocating or seeking economic resources in order to promote communication, focusing on the formation of skilled and qualified media workers”, in full awareness that “communication – especially in the Church – is a highly energy-consuming value which rarely brings financial gains”.