Paolo Ruffini Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication at the Vatican, Rome, has moderated a duologue with the Communicators gathered in Rome for the celebration of the Jubilee of Communication, on the topic: “Hope for a Better Communication”.
Communicators were charged during the January 25, 2025 duolugue which featured various speakers including Ms..Maria Ressa, Ms. Colum McCann and Mr. Mario Calabresi, to remain courageous, collaborative and uncompromising of their values; stick to the truth, amidst the present-day manipulative society.
“Embrace your fear and prepare for it. Give the people facts, find the courage to stand for the truth. Draw the line and hold the line, and don’t voluntarily give up your right,” Ms. Ressa emphasized, adding that Journalists must always be prepared for the worse.
They were also encouraged to seek support and solace in their respective communities, and share ideas with persons who share their values, in order to be more effective as communicators.
Communicators were further encouraged to stay hopeful, bearing in mind that Journalists must keep doing their work, despite all odds, while looking forward to a time when they will gain the respect of the communities they serve.
Underpinning the fact that evil tends to triumph when good people choose to remain quiet, the Communicators were urged to not just be journalists, but more people of faith; people who believe together, noting that the Catholic Church will always fight to stand for the truth.
For communicators to be able to find peace on their job, they have to find the right balance, knowing that fear is bound to come up, but this can be handled by always being prepared for the worse. “Learn to trust others and you’ll never be alone. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.
The Journalists were further brought to the realization that Church communication is not all about sending out messages or marketing their organizations, but more about “the message that binds us together, a message of peace, a message of relief and a message for the common good”.
“We need to reach out to others in our communications and not to close up on people or limit our messages to only a sector but spread the truth to the whole world”.
On maintaining journalists’ integrity, Communicators were cautioned to always consider their safety first, and foremost, and that of their families. They should be able to offer support an encouragement to the journalists on the battle field.
“As journalists, we don’t need to be talking all the time. You need to reflect sometimes on what you see and how it really is before you talk. Be patient in talking. Truth is patient,” advised Mr. McCann.
B y: Sr Emmanuella Dakura, HHCJ (Sister Communicator, Rome)
