Cardinal Grech: the challenge of communication in the synodal journey
The invitation to recover the conciliar lesson that urges "not to trivialize the message". This was formulated by Cardinal Matteo ZuppiArchbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, during the presentation, on Wednesday, June 14, at the Lumsa University of Romefrom Angelo Scelzo's book 'Dal Concilio al web. La comunicazione vaticana e la scorta della riforma', published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
The work represents "the testimony left by a modest 'insider' at an important moment of change", as the author himself, who was vice-director of 'L'Osservatore Romano', undersecretary of the then Pontifical Council for Social Communications and vice-director of the Holy See Press Office, points out in conclusion.
"Sometimes journalistic interpretation does not include the reading of the text," Zuppi pointed out, citing the case of the speech delivered by Benedict XVI at Regensburg. Sometimes it happens that "the journalist's attitude is so prejudiced that the text ends up becoming irrelevant."
The challenges of communication
The book analyzes the communication challenges facing the Church in a world dominated by new technologies, in order to use them as instruments of evangelization. In the first pages the story of the steps that led to the reform desired by Pope Francis. In the background, the origins of Vatican communication born of the Council. Mention is made of the changes in the field of communication, the great events covered by the media, the different styles and languages of the popes and communication in times of pandemic.
Zuppi described it as a "historical excursus" that helps to retrace the "complexity" of the Holy See's communication from Vatican II to today, explaining that "there is a 'speaking with the language of the heart', simple, direct, immediate", like that of Pope Francis, but there is also "interpretation", in which there is sometimes a certain "malice".
Communication, a fundamental part of the mission
After the greeting of the Rector of Lumsa Francesco Bonini, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, pointed out that "communication is a fundamental part of the Church's mission". The challenge is "to build, with the humility of artisans, a relational system capable of collecting, organizing and networking a different reading of the world".
Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office from 2006 to 2016, lived through the first steps of the reform. "There was a common conviction that it was necessary," he says, "it was felt that it was urgent and that too much was being expected, but the feeling was that someone was missing who had the courage to set a process in motion. This happened with the pontificate of Pope Francis."
In recent years, Vatican communication has experienced "an avalanche of scoops," added Gabriele Romagnoli, columnist for La Repubblica, recalling Benedict XVI's helicopter flight to Castel Gandolfo after resigning from the papacy, and Pope Francis' prayer in a deserted St. Peter's Square during the pandemic.
For Marco Tarquinio, former editor-in-chief of Avvenire, in an age in which everything "goes fast," even the Church has to catch up. It is enough to think "of the means that bring to earth the voice of man speaking for God, at a time when machines are beginning to speak for and in place of man."
The meeting was moderated by Valentina Alazraki, correspondent for Tve Mexico.
