Pope thanks EU broadcasters, friends and allies in Churches mission

Meeting with representatives from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Saturday in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI told them they are “friends and allies” not only in his mission but also in that of the entire Catholic Church. The men and women drawn from across Europe’s radio networks had participated in the EBU General Assembly hosted by Vatican Radio. Led by EBU President Jean Paul Philippot, and Fr Federico Lombardi S.J. Director General of Vatican Radio, the were received by the Pope at the conclusion of the meeting.

He appealed to them “not to become discouraged or tempted to give up” in the face of the many difficult challenges that contemporary society presents to broadcasters, such as “the challenge of competition from commercial broadcasters, the conditioning of politics understood as dividing up of powers rather than service of the common good, scarcity of economic resources made more acute by situations of crisis, the impact of developments in new technologies of communication, the laborious search for viewers and listeners”.

Pope Benedict said “The task of radios and televisions is to nourish correct information and balanced in depth debate on a daily basis to find the best shared solutions to these issues in a pluralistic society. It is a task that requires great honesty, professional correctness and respect, openness to a different prospective, clarity in dealing with problems, freedom from ideological barriers and awareness of the complexity of the relevant problems. It means a patient search for the “everyday truth” which better reflects the values in life and better directs the path of society, and is sought by all with humility”.

“Yours is a “public service””, the Pope reminded participants, “a service to the people, to help them each day to know and understand better what is happening and why it is happening, and to communicate actively so as to accompany them in society’s journey together”. And he concluded with an appeal to broadcasters to “place your international contacts and activities at the service of reflection and commitment aimed at ensuring that the instruments of social communication promote dialogue, peace and development of peoples in solidarity, overcoming cultural separation, uncertainties and fears”.


Below the full text of Pope Benedict XVI’s discourse to the EBU General Assembly


Dear friends,

I am very pleased to welcome you all, members and participants of the 17th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, which this year is hosted by Vatican Radio, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its founding. I greet Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. I thank the President of the European Broadcasting Union, Jean Paul Philippot, and Father Federico Lombardi, Director General of Vatican Radio, for the kind words with which they presented the nature of your meeting and the challenges you face.

When my predecessor Pius XI turned to Guglielmo Marconi to provide Vatican City State with a radio station complete with the best technology available at that time, he demonstrated a great clarity of vision regarding the direction of developments in the world of communications and the potential that radio could offer to the service of the Church's mission. Indeed, through radio, Popes have been able to transmit messages of great importance for humanity beyond borders, like Pope Pius XII’s celebrated message during World War II, that gave voice to the deepest aspirations for justice and peace, or like that of John XXIII at the height of the crisis between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1962. Through radio, Pius XII was also able to distribute hundreds of thousands of messages from families addressed to prisoners and those missing during the war, carrying out humanitarian work which earned him an undying gratitude. Moreover through radio, the expectations of believers and peoples under regimes that oppress human rights and religious freedom, have long been met. The Holy See is aware of the extraordinary potential of the world of communications for the progress and growth of individuals and society. We can say that all Church teaching in this sector, from the speeches of Pius XII, through the documents of the Second Vatican Council, to my most recent messages on the new digital technologies, is crossed by a thread of optimism, hope and sincere sympathy for those who engage in this field to promote encounter and dialogue to serve the human community and to contribute to the peaceful growth of society.

Naturally, each of you knows of course that in the development of social communications, there are also hidden difficulties and risks. Allow me then to demonstrate to you all my interest and solidarity for the important work you do. In today's society, the basic values for the good of humanity are at stake, and public opinion, in the formation of which your work has great importance, is often confused and divided. You know of the Churches’ concerns regarding respect for human life, the defense of the family, the genuine recognition of the rights and legitimate aspirations of peoples, imbalances caused by underdevelopment and hunger in many parts of the world, the welcoming of immigrants, unemployment and social security, new forms of poverty and social marginalization, discrimination and violations of religious freedom, disarmament and the search for peaceful solutions to conflicts. I referred to many of these issues in the Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate'. The task of radios and televisions is to nourish correct information and balanced in depth debate on a daily basis to find the best shared solutions to these issues in a pluralistic society. It is a task that requires great honesty professional correctness and respect, openness to a different prospective, clarity in dealing with problems, freedom from ideological barriers and awareness of the complexity of the relevant problems. It means a patient search for the “everyday truth” which better reflects the values in life and better directs the path of society, and is sought by all with humility.

In this search, the Catholic Church has a specific contribution to offer, which she intends to offer by witnessing to her adherence to the truth that is Christ, yet doing so in a spirit of openness and dialogue. As I said during my meeting with leading figures from the worlds of British culture and politics at Westminster Hall in London last September, religion does not seek to manipulate non-believers, but to assist reason in the discovery of objective moral principles. Religion contributes by “purifying” reason, helping it not to fall prey to distortions, such as manipulation by ideology or partial application that fails to take full account of the dignity of the human person. At the same time, religion likewise recognizes its need for the corrective of reason in order to avoid excesses, such as fundamentalism or sectarianism. “Religion ... is not a problem for legislators to solve, but a vital contributor to the national conversation.” I therefore invite you too, “within your respective spheres of influence, to seek ways of promoting and encouraging dialogue between faith and reason” with a view to serving the common good of the nation.

Yours is a “public service”, a service to the people, to help them each day to know and understand better what is happening and why it is happening, and to communicate actively so as to accompany them in society’s journey together. I am well aware that this service meets with difficulties that take on different features and proportions in different countries. These can include the challenge of competition from commercial broadcasters, the conditioning of politics understood as dividing up of powers rather than service of the common good, scarcity of economic resources made more acute by situations of crisis, the impact of developments in new technologies of communication, the laborious search for viewers and listeners. But the challenges of the modern world on which you have to report are too great and too urgent to let yourselves become discouraged or tempted to give up in the face of such difficulties.

Twenty years ago, in 1991, when your General Assembly was received in the Vatican by the Venerable John Paul II, whom tomorrow I shall have the joy of beatifying, he encouraged you to develop your mutual collaboration in order to favour the growth of the community of the peoples of the world. Today, I think of the processes unfolding in certain countries of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, some of which are also members of your Association. We know that the new forms of communication continue to play a role of some significance in these very processes. I urge you to place your international contacts and activities at the service of reflection and commitment aimed at ensuring that the instruments of social communication promote dialogue, peace and development of peoples in solidarity, overcoming cultural separation, uncertainties and fears.

Finally, dear friends, while I sincerely wish all of you and your Association much success in your work, I would also like to express my thanks for the specific collaboration that on many occasions you have provided for my ministry, and that you continue to provide, as during the great festivals of Christmas and Easter, or on my apostolic journeys. For me too, and for the Catholic Church, you are therefore important allies and friends in our mission. In this spirit I am pleased to invoke the Lord’s blessing upon all of you, upon those who are dear to you and upon your work.


Below text of address of Director Generalo f Vatican Radio, Fr Federico Lombardi S.J, to Pope Benedict XVI on occasion of EBU General Assembly


Your Holiness,

Five years ago, to mark the 75th anniversary of Vatican Radio, you came to visit our headquarters at Palazzo Pio where you spoke through our microphones (in a live broadcast), you entered our offices, prayed in our chapel, and encouraged us with your words. It was an unforgettable encounter between you and “your” Radio, the Radio whose mission it is to collaborate with you in your mission of service.

Now, for its 80th anniversary, we proposed a different kind of encounter, less informal but with far-reaching connotations. We asked you to meet, not just us, but a larger and more articulate community of which the Vatican Radio is part – the European organizations involved in public service radio broadcasting, or rather, Europe’s “national radio stations”. It is a community that is still growing, even beyond the borders of Europe: in the past few years, for example, it has come to include an increasing number of public radios on various sides of the Mediterranean.

Vatican Radio has always taken international relations very seriously. It has always considered them an integral part of its responsibilities as a social communications structure that is open to the whole world. Dialogue with other radios has made precious contributions to many vitally important areas in which Vatican Radio works. The continuous exchange of experiences and information is not limited to the journalistic or editorial spheres either, but extends to the technical and even juridical fields as well. We have many problems in common and the fact of being able to count on the experience and advice of others is of indispensable value.

If after 80 years, and despite the rapid changes in the world and communications technology, Vatican Radio is still young and able to confront the challenges of our times, it is also largely thanks to its dynamic and ongoing participation in the international community of broadcasters represented here.
Therefore, we are proud to introduce you to the members of the EBU Radio Assembly who gladly accepted our invitation to meet this year in the Vatican.
They are both our colleagues and our friends. As people responsible for public service radios, they are asking serious and thought-provoking questions about how best to fulfil the task to which their nations have called them. They await your words of encouragement and inspiration to assist them in their efforts and in their great responsibilities, and they are grateful to you for so kindly and so readily accepting our request to meet you.