43rd World Communications Day – A challenge for Fostering Inter-Religious Dialogue

(May 23, 2009) Social communications constitute “an approach imbued with the spirit of authentic and integral inter-religious dialogue” and represents “a pastoral imperative for the Church in Asia,” said Mgr Thomas Dabre, the newly-appointed bishop of Poona and Chairman of the Doctrinal Commission. Speaking on the World Communications Day, celebrated on the 24^th of May, he explained the risks and opportunities that modern media offer for coexistence in Indian society. The theme of this year’s 43rd World Communications Day is “New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship”. For Mgr. Dabre, who is also a member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, there is an unbreakable link between social communications and inter-faith dialogue. He is convinced that all communication media are an important resource allowing cultures and religions to meet. In his message for the World Communications Day, the Pope said the “new digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows people from different countries, cultures and religions, to encounter and to know each other’s traditions and values;” however, he also insisted that dialogue must “be rooted in a genuine and mutual search for truth if it is to realise its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance.” Mgr Dabre said that because the “media have become an integral and important part of life,” there is an urgent need of underlining inter-religious spirit in the teaching of social communications.” For this reason words like “friendship” and “dialogue”, which are at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI’s message, become even more important in light of today’s social problems. In such circumstances mass media and the cyberspace are decisive for religious freedom and evangelisation. For Mgr Dabre educating the younger generations who want to choose a media profession is a great challenge though one need to be aware of the “trend of secularization which removes religion from the public domain and relegates it into the private is steadily creeping into the educational institutions of the traditionally religious societies of Asia.”