While we are not officially part of the Catholic Media, Where Peter Is recognizes our responsibility as stewards of online media that strives to deliver content that is faithful to Catholic teaching. For this reason, when the Pope speaks to Catholic writers and communicators, we strive to pay particular attention. This week, in a letter signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV addressed the French Catholic Media Federation (Fédération des Médias Catholiques) in commemoration of the 29th gathering for the Days of St. Francis de Sales in Lourdes.
The Holy Father emphasized the role that Catholic media needs to play in our increasingly polarized world. He encouraged us to live out the preferential option for the poor in our work by giving a voice to those who are voiceless and imparting the experiences of the marginalized.
Echoing his previous calls for the faithful to be disarmers of hearts, Pope Leo also encouraged us to use our work to push back against the division and extremism that is taking over so much of our public discourse: “I encourage you to be sowers of good words, amplifiers of voices that courageously seek reconciliation by disarming hearts of hatred and fanaticism.”
The Pope alluded to the changes that the media is facing with the advent of AI and the challenges that navigating this new technology presents. He urged us to focus on promoting what is true and what draws people together.
In his letter, Pope Leo presented Father Jacques Hamel, who was martyred while celebrating Mass in 2016. During his lifetime, Father Hamel worked toward interfaith dialogue and, as Pope Leo wrote, “was convinced that it is urgent to know how to show closeness to others, without exception.” Each year, the Fédération des Médias Catholiques awards a prize in Father Hamel’s honor. The award is given to journalists who have used their writing to promote peace and interreligious dialogue. This year, the prize was awarded to Amira Souilem for her writings about a Gazan family’s journey over multiple continents. Her work highlights an example of solidarity between Muslims and Jews.
Pope Leo ended his message with the hope that writers and communicators will “be seekers of truth in the love that explains everything, artisans of a word that embraces, of a communication capable of bringing together what is broken, of a balm for the wounds of humanity.”
Image: “溫暖的角落” (CC BY 2.0) by Adikos
Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. She is currently writing a women's fiction novel and a middle-grade mystery series. Her non-fiction book, Raising Sunshine: A Guide to Parenting Through the Aftermath of Infant Death is available on Amazon. More of her work can be found at https://mysustaininggrace.com.
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