Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Communication, intercultural relations, and mission were the central themes of the International Congress celebrated on May 15, at the Pontifical Urban University, at the end of which a presentation was made of the Masters in Social Communications in the intercultural and missionary context. The Masters’ program is an intent to educate from the theoretical and practical point of view, those who work in areas related to the missions, interreligious dialogue, and multicultural environments. The Urbaniana is a perfect example of such an area, as it has students from 90 different countries.
Regarding the challenges of communication in a missionary Church and how to find the balance between communication and mission with ethics and values of the Church’s Social Doctine, Agenzia Fides consulted Monsignor Ambrogio Spreafico, Rector of the Pontifical Urban University. “Above all, I believe in the need for formation,” he said. “Because, it’s not enough to simply be an expert in technical instruments, or an expert in audiovisual equipment. There is a need for a philosophical and theological formation that allows for the communication of content. Therefore, it is not only a specific expertise...but I believe that what is becoming ever-more necessary is a deeper understanding of what the fundamental elements of ethics are, according to the Church. In this sense, with this Masters’ program, we do not wish to focus so much on the technical part and the theory on the problems of communication in general, but rather examine more closely the most specific elements of communication in a multicultural and missionary context. This is at the heart of our desire and this is why we have designed it to be a one-year program, without making it too lengthy.”
Among the ethical principles of communication is that it correspond to the truth. The relationship between the mass media and the truth has not always been one of harmony, including in Italy. “I think that many times the media distorts the facts,” the Rector said. “Therefore, we are in need of people that have a well-formed conscience, an attention to the truth and that know how to see human aspects of it and not only the sensationalism of news, that simply makes things known for the sake of making them known. We need people who are responsible and not only in search of success, that know how to be guided by the truth. In this sense, the Holy Father teaches us each day to understand how one of the essential characteristics of our existence, is to live in truth and communicate the truth in charity. I think that the mass media should make some serious reflection on this.”
Education, therefore, is an instrument for correct communication and Msgr. Spreafico points out that they expect the Masters’ program to focus above all on “the area of missions and multi-cultural environments, including Africa and Asia, but also Italy and Europe, where there are intercultural concerns, that is, the concern to reach areas that are still far from the Church’s range. The missionary concern is not only outside Europe, but it should be a concern for the situation in which we live,” Msgr. Spreafico concluded. (PC) (Agenzia Fides 16/5/2008; righe 41, parole 528)
