Pope urges Catholics to use social networks to spread Gospel truth

(January 24, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging Catholics to use the various forms of social networking to spread the truth of the Gospel online in a way that is honest and open, and responsible and respectful of others. The Pope made the invitation in his annual message for the Catholic Church’s World Day of Social Communications for this year, which has as its theme, "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age." Most dioceses will mark the annual day this year on June 5, the Sunday before Pentecost. “It follows that there exists a Christian way of being present in the digital world: this takes the form of a communication which is honest and open, responsible and respectful of others,” the Pope said in the message which the Vatican released at a press conference on Monday. Pope Benedict warned 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,” the Pope said, adding, “the proclamation of the Gospel requires a communication which is at once respectful and sensitive, which stimulates the heart and moves the conscience.” Without mentioning any specific social networks or platforms by name, such as Facebook, YouTube or Blogging, the Pope sprinkled his message with terms such as "sharing," "friends," and "profiles". He spoke about the many benefits and dangers of the digital age, saying social networks are a wonderful way to build relationships and community. But he warned against replacing real human contact and friendships with virtual ones and the temptation to create artificial public profiles rather than authentic ones. “To proclaim the Gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one’s own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically.” “Furthermore, it is also true in the digital world that a message cannot be proclaimed without a consistent witness on the part of the one who proclaims it.” In this regard, he said, “Christians are once again called to offer a response to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within them.” The Pope’s message for the World Day of Social Communications is released well ahead of time in order to give local dioceses and communities time to prepare for it adequately.