Juan Narbona: "Mistrust in institutions weakens society".We offer the second part of the interview which Juan Narbona, professor of Digital Communication at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, gave to Omnes. In the first part, published a few days ago, he explained that distrust in institutions weakens society, and now he focuses on the Church.
Is it safe to say that the lack of trust is more than just a communication problem?
- Communication serves to reach out when one considers oneself worthy of trust, and to set in motion the mechanisms that make us worthy of it. In an organization, the communication department's mission is to recall the inspirational role of values, to create a corporate culture at the service of people (e.g. by listening) and to show, in words and images that are understandable, the company's own proposal. But anyone who uses communication to disguise their own incoherent, selfish or incapable behavior will fail sooner or later.
For example, if a reality of the Church, in order to get closer to those far away, were to defend truths contrary to the faith, perhaps it would appear to be more capable - "they are close to the people"- or benevolent - "they have a modern and open mentality"-, but they would cease to be upright and, therefore, sooner or later they would lose the trust of those who want a testimony of faith. As Groucho Marx used to say: "These are my principles, and if you don't like them I have others...". Someone like that does not inspire much confidence, does he?
There is concern in some quarters about the loss of credibility of the Church that may result from reports of sexual abuse. Is there a direct link between the two issues?
- These scandals have undoubtedly eroded the credibility of the Church. Where such cases have occurred, they have given the image of an institution that has defended itself and not the people it was meant to protect. And in many cases this has been the case.
Inspiring trust again is a long process that requires patience, because before regaining trust it is necessary to change the dynamics that allowed those crimes and lies.
It is sometimes claimed that regaining credibility would require changing the content proposed to the faithful to believe....
- A healthy desire to reform is very positive if it generates changes in line with one's own identity and mission. It is not a matter of ceasing to be who you are in order to regain the public's applause. That would be a false change.
Crises are an opportunity to return to one's roots, to dust off the reasons why an organization or initiative was launched. They are also an opportunity to free oneself from the useless weight acquired over time, from bad practices or ways of doing things that served for a time, but which we must be able to get rid of if they do not help the mission, which in the case of the Church is the salvation of souls.
Discerning what can be changed and what cannot is an exercise that requires large doses of prudence and courage. As I said at the beginning, the limits within which we can move are marked by who I am and what my role is. These guidelines are useful for the Church, for any organization and for each one of us.
You said that deserving trust requires demonstrating integrity, benevolence (desiring the good of the other) and capability. How to communicate "inconsistency", in a sense is unavoidable as the "incoherence" of the other person's behavior is not only a matter of trust, but also a matter of trust.he Church is made up of sinners as well as saints?
- Communicating one's vulnerability is a delicate but necessary subject. For example, apologizing may cost, but it is an action that helps bring the values one has betrayed back to the forefront. If an organization where money has been mismanaged apologizes, it is admitting that it wishes to be guided by financial honesty going forward.
I keep repeating that forgiveness must follow the rule of the three Rs: "recognize" the damage caused, "repair" to the extent possible the damage caused to the other party, and "rectify" the circumstances that may have led to that wrongdoing. It is not always easy, but to apologize - to admit that one's own behavior has distanced oneself from the values that should guide us - is the cry of the sinner who still trusts that he or she can be a saint. Recognizing one's own fragility is, paradoxically, the basis on which one can work solidly to regain the trust of others.
Ask for forgiveness, - is the Gospel question - how many times? In addition, some in the Church are also expected to apologize and take the consequences of the mistakes of others.
- The Church feels the responsibility to ask forgiveness for the offenses committed by some of its ministers, and it will have to do so as long as there are people who have been hurt. But I refer to the three "r's" above: they show that asking for forgiveness is an important, serious and profound act. It is important not to trivialize it, nor to use it as a marketing tool.
It is equally serious to ask for forgiveness: one must explain the reasons, and not demand it simply to humiliate the other party or to take revenge for the harm suffered. If justice is sought, yes, it is perfectly legitimate. Moreover, the Church is called to go beyond justice and to be a teacher of charity.
As for "benevolence," could the question be raised as to whether the Church wants the good of the faithful?
- As the Pope said, "power is service", something that at times has not been understood either by those who exercise authority or by those who follow it. For this reason, we view with suspicion the leaders of many institutions, not only in the Church. The current crisis of confidence in those organizations that are governed by a structured system should make us think. It is not a question of eliminating hierarchies - which are necessary - but of finding new ways of participation. More dialogue can help each person to feel a sense of responsibility for the future and the good health of his or her own organization - the Church, too; it would help to find creative proposals to meet the challenges of a society in continuous change, to understand the difficulties of those who run the organization, to know the needs and expectations of those who are part of it, to have a more complete and realistic vision of the context in which one works....
In my opinion, the synodality proposed by Pope Francis - which is a good with theological roots and not a simple technique of democratic participation - is an example, but each reality has to find its own methods to increase listening and participation. The critical sense that we all have can become something positive if we achieve a system that orients it towards constructive solutions.
Let us now turn to competence. In what sense can the Church be "competent"? Catholics always have the possibility of doing good, but we do not always do it.
- In the Church we will always have the impression of not being able to offer the world the full wonder of the Christian message. This does not mean that in every age we should not strive to renew our language, clothing our proclamation with new words that awaken people's interest. To achieve this, it is important to learn to listen. As the poet Benedetti said: "When we had the answers, they changed the questions". That is the impression we can have in the Church.
What questions do people ask themselves today, and why does the Christian proposal not always answer their questions? Nor can we forget that, in a polarized world with little room for dialogue, and in which emotions sometimes carry too much weight, the serene and constant witness of Christians - in works of charity, for example - will continue to be an enormous source of trust.
The works demonstrate that we are capable to do good. I like to quote what St. Francis said to his disciples to remind them of the value of witness: "Let us go out and preach, if necessary even with words". Sometimes it is enough to rely on the enormous power of a coherent life. Actions communicate by themselves when they are well done.
Where to anchor fidelity, if there is a perceived lack of consistency in actions?
- Remember frequently that we do not have to be faithful to an institution, but to a Person. Christ and his Church are inseparable, that is why we are sure that in the Church we find Christ. But each person, in different cultural, social or intellectual contexts, searches for the treasure of faith. at the Church. Therefore, at times, in order to remain faithful, it is necessary to change the accessories. Fidelity is not immobility, but love in movement.
By losing the "trust" of a part of the people, does the Church lose "credibility"?
- As we said at the beginning, trust is related to the expectations of others. At times, some people may have expectations of the Church that it cannot meet. Being consistent with the faith, even if it costs us to lose the trust of some, can strengthen the trust of others.
The Church has an identity that it cannot change. It is itself believerThe mission: he bases his faith on God. At the same time, he has a mission to accomplish, so he has to be credible. But even so, it is not enough: it also has to be "dear". You cannot love that which causes you fear or suspicion, but you can love those who desire your good, are coherent and know how to help you, even if they are wrong. Therefore, I would say that Christians and the Church must acquire these three consecutive characteristics: we are called to be believers, credible and "lovable".
Public opinion moves so fast that it hardly has time to think. In this context, how can matters such as faith or the Church, which require slow consideration, be communicated?
-The Internet has accelerated communications, increasing the volume of information and decreasing, at the same speed, our capacity for analysis. Whatsapps, mails, series, posts, stories... invade each of our attention spans. If we do not protect ourselves, we simply lose the ability to reflect -which is a malleable habit, like any other-.
Sherry Turkle, a pioneer in the analysis of the social impact of the Internet, maintains that in order for the network not to alienate us from others, it is necessary to promote physical dialogue: at home, with friends, at work... But also with oneself! This interior space is essential for cultivating our faith - which is also a personal relationship - in reflection, prayer and ongoing study. In an apparent paradox, in an accelerated society, the Church can gain attractiveness as a serious space for reflection and balance, also for non-believers. For them to trust us, we first need to trust that faith is powerfully attractive.
