Pope Benedict has just released his message for the 45th World Day of Social Communications. In a letter titled "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age," the pope addressed changes in our ways of communicating with one another that are as momentous in their effects, in his view, as the Industrial Revolution.
His message was an exhortation to stay grounded in our Catholic identity and call to love our neighbor, even while suspended in the artificial cyberspace of the digital age where everyone, and no one, is your neighbor.
The pope is not a stranger to the digital arena. Though he writes long-hand and is not a regular computer user, he has explored the web, and the papacy’s communications efforts include a YouTube channel, as well as Facebook.
The pope, however, did not sugar coat the dangers and pitfalls of living more online than in personal interaction with others. He warned that even if we accumulate hundreds of online “friends” through MySpace, Facebook or other platforms, we always run the risk of then forgetting who our “neighbor” is: those people whom we encounter in our actual lives that the Gospel commands us to love and care for as Christ did:
This is a great opportunity, but it also requires greater attention to and awareness of possible risks. Who is my "neighbor" in this new world? Does the danger exist that we may be less present to those whom we encounter in our everyday life? Is there is a risk of being more distracted because our attention is fragmented and absorbed in a world "other" than the one in which we live? Do we have time to reflect critically on our choices and to foster human relationships which are truly deep and lasting? It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives.
The pope also admonished that so-called “likes”, numbers of clicks and followers, and general popularity, do not necessarily correlate with truth. “We must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its "popularity" or from the amount of attention it receives. We must make it known in its integrity, instead of seeking to make it acceptable or diluting it. It must become daily nourishment and not a fleeting attraction.”
We must make sure that the Gospel is influencing the web, and not the other way around. In the fast and loose online world, the Gospel must be handled with reverence and deliberation. As the pope noted, “the truth of the Gospel is not something to be consumed or used superficially; rather it is a gift that calls for a free response.”
The most important take-away from the pope’s message went to the very heart of what social networks and their popularity are truly signaling: “In the final analysis, the truth of Christ is the full and authentic response to that human desire for relationship, communion and meaning which is reflected in the immense popularity of social networks.”
In essence, the exploding popularity of social media reflects a yearning for meaning and personal connection that the Church must be particularly attuned and responsive to if it is to truly live its mission. Catholics, lay and religious, can’t ignore it and hope to remain effective and engaged as communicators of the Gospel. The challenge is to use it as an effective tool, while remembering that it is in fact a tool in service of authentic human interaction, and never a substitute for it.
- Paul Ciarcia
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