The head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State; Pope Francis has warned the world’s largest Catholic communications association that social media and mass communication could pose “serious ethical questions” to human relations.
The Pontiff advised the World Catholic Association for Communication, also known as SIGNIS – a Catholic movement dedicated to promoting best practices in communication. SIGNIS is officially accredited by the Vatican and caters to professionals in the press, cinema, social media, technology, and more.
Pope Francis told the SIGNIS audience that social media and mass communication can help the “human family” understand each other and make peace when used responsibly.
Pope wrote, “The use of digital media, especially social media, has raised a number of serious ethical issues, which demand wise and prudent judgments for communicators, and all those concerned with the authenticity and quality of human relationships.”
“It is my hope that, in your communication, you will listen to one another, listen to the will of the Lord, and grow in the awareness in which we participate, by helping God’s holy and faithful people in our commitment in this process. Will contribute. A feast that comes first and includes us.”
The Pope called for communicators to develop a strong sense of inquiry and judgment and warned against failure to distinguish between truth and fiction. Pope Francis, It also warned against the spread of fake news, rumours, scams, and immorality.
SIGNIS is holding its annual world meeting this August in Seoul, South Korea.
The Bishop of Rome celebrated the importance of communication professionals, stating that “communication is not just a profession, but a service of dialogue and understanding between individuals and larger communities in pursuit of a calm and peaceful coexistence.”
This is not the first time the Pope has warned the world of the dangers of the unethical or thoughtless use of mass communication.
The pontiff dismissed press reports and speculation about himself and the Vatican on 7 April. The pope wrote a letter to Argentine journalist Gustavo Silvestre about the journalists’ principles of refusing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by not explicitly naming Putin.
The Pope accused the journalists of participating in the general journalistic “sin” of “disinformation, slander, defamation, and coprophilia”.