Directors of Communications for Religious Orders and Bishops’ Conferences Come to Strategize

The Dicastery for Communications invited some 200 directors of communications in the religious orders and congregations as well as directors of communications for the Bishops’ Conference throughout the world to come together January 27-29, 2025. For three days, the group met at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome to reflect on various aspects of the Church’s program of communications.

January 27

To start off the conference, the participants were invited to meet with Pope Francis in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall. He spoke to the group about engaging the world and not remaining in an enclosure in which Catholics talk only among themselves. Genuine power of communication comes in building connections and crafting “narratives of our hope.” He proposed that Christian communication “conveys harmony” and needs to be an alternative to the disorder of modern communication. The pope sees modern communication as “new towers of Babel” where “everyone is talking, and they don’t understand each other.” Each member was able to greet the pope individually.

Among the speakers were Maria Ressa who had spoken on Saturday in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Speaking on Navigating the Contemporary Media Environment, she highlighted the most pressing challenges facing the contemporary media environment, including disinformation, polarization, and radicalization. She invited participants on how the Church’s communications might transform this context into a space of hope.

This was followed by a two person panel focused on “Change of the Communication Paradigm: The Rise of Social Media and Catholic Influencers.”

Fr Paolo Benanti, TOR, made an excellent presentation on artificial intelligence, providing insights into it future development, and explored its impact on the communication of the Church. Benanti teaches at the Pontifical Gregorian University, advises the pope on AI and technology ethics, and has been consulted by the Italian government on AI. This was followed by Eli Pariser, founder of New Public network, speaking about creating online communities that foster connection, facilitate pluralism, and encourage civic engagement.

In the afternoon, Cardinal Luis Tagle who works in the area of evangelization, gave a spiritual reflection on the Christian response in the midst of today’s communication challenges.

January 28

The following day, the third session began with the Irish writer Colum McCann discussing narratives and storytelling that can bridge differences, shatter stereotypes, and building communion among people. A five-person panel followed focused on their initiatives in storytelling. This was followed by another five-person panel with additional concrete examples of engagement with young people and those on the margins, bearing witness in challenging contexts, and standing up to disinformation and crises.

The 4th session in the afternoon, provided four parallel workshops with participants attending any two of them. The workshops were on platformization, best practices in broadcasting liturgy, strategies for communications offices, and, finally, formation.

The group then departed for the St. Peter’s Basilica where the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, celebrated Mass at the Altar of the Chair in the Vatican Basilica. The Mass was attended by about 200 communication officers from bishops' conferences and religious families who had been attending the conferences at the Urbaniana University.

Following up on the Gospel of the day, Jesus speaking of the scribes and Pharisees, the cardinal traced the symptoms of some rampant “spiritual diseases” and their respective “medicines.” He said, “I believe that none of us lacks the humble awareness to recognize that our hearts can also be affected by such diseases,” referring to the hypocrisy mentioned by Jesus in the Gospel passage.

Using the various tools of communication— voice, writing, images— “you are called to narrate,” but without ever disregarding “the primary value” of others, making use of a word that is “adequate and never shouted,” ensuring “confidentiality, magnanimity” and “discretion.” For the cardinal, this is responsible communication.

January 29

The final day was spent in small groups, divided according to language. Members were asked to highlight the most important questions that emerged over the previous days. These were then presented to the whole group in a plenary session. The day and conference concluded with the group picture taken by the papal photographer.