Pope Francis at the Jubilee of Communicators: "Communication is what God does with His Son

27 January 2025

The first of the great Jubilee events of the Holy Year, the Jubilee dedicated to the World of Communications, ended yesterday. Thousands of journalists, editors and industry professionals came to Rome from 139 countries round the world.

The pilgrims were welcomed on Friday 24 January, to the Basilica of St John Lateran, where they took part in a penitential celebration organized by the Diocese of Rome and a Mass presided over by the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldo Reina. The following morning, the communicators, including editors of various international newspapers, set off from Piazza Pia with the Jubilee cross, taking part in a pilgrimage of prayer towards the Holy Door of St. Peter's along the Via della Conciliazione. After the blessing in the Basilica, the participants headed for the Paul VI Hall for a meeting organized by the Dicastery for Communication followed by an audience with the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

The round table session on the morning of Saturday, January 25, on the theme of ‘communication and hope’, was moderated by the former editor of the Italian national newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, Mario Calabresi. The journalist Maria Ressa from the Philippines who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, and the Irish writer, Colum McCann, who, among other publications, wrote Apeirogon, both spoke at the event. The journalist put the topic of the crisis of democracy, shaken by the manipulations of artificial intelligence, at the center of her speech. "Collaborate, and seek the truth with moral clarity," she told those present, "because silence in the face of injustice is complicity. Then … protect the most vulnerable and recognize your power. Remember that hope is not passive."

Colum McCann continued with a similar plea: "If we live in times of rupture, then the new theme must be repair," he said. "Among the ‘pilgrims of Hope’ we honor here today are our journalists, our communicators who are in a privileged position to help tell the stories of others. They know that for a story to be told, it must first be listened to carefully. And these stories, along with the understanding they foster, can go beyond the classroom or the newsroom."

After the meeting, there was a performance by Maestro Uto Ughi and his orchestra, offered for the Jubilee by the Uto Ughi Foundation. The program included the Concerto in A minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla.

Around 11:30, the communicators rose to welcome the arrival of Pope Francis in the Sala Nervi. "I just wanted to say a word or two about communications. Communicating means going out of myself a little

bit to give something of myself to the other. And communication is not only the transmission of news, but also the encounter with the other person. Knowing how to communicate is great wisdom, great wisdom! I am happy with this Jubilee of communicators. Your work is a work that builds … it builds up society, it builds up the Church, it makes everyone move forward, as long as it is true (...) That is such a great test. Communicating is what God does with His Son, and God's communication with the Son is the Holy Spirit. Communicating something divine. Thank you for what you do."

The Jubilee concluded on Sunday, January 26, with the communicators participating in a Mass in St Peter's Basilica, presided over by the Pope, on the day the Sunday of the Word of God was celebrated.