Mass media: learning a more authentic and human communication from the family
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - In a world where people often curse, use foul language, speak badly of others, sow discord and poison our human environment by gossip" in which the media presents abstract models "to be accepted or rejected, defended or attacked" -, the family so much maligned by the media - is instead" the first place where we learn to communicate" something that can "make communications more authentic and human".
These are some
of the themes that Pope Francis discuses in his Message for the 49th World Day
of Social Communications, made public today. In many countries, the day will be
celebrated on May17.
The theme "Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with
the Gift of Love", was
chosen because the family is the theme of the two synods, held last year (extraordinary)
and this year. The message, more than giving technical guidance on
communication, shows the human dynamic of communication. And as the
"icon" of this points to the meeting between the Virgin with
Elizabeth (Lk 1,39- 56), in which the encounter between the two women becomes a
meeting between the two children, Jesus and John, that the two mothers are
carrying .
In this way,
"communication" becomes " a dialogue
intertwined with the language of the body" [italics in the original text].
"Joy at meeting others - said the Pope
- which
is something we learn even before being born, is, in one sense, the archetype
and symbol of every other form of communication. The womb which hosts us
is the first "school" of communication, a place of listening and physical
contact where we begin to familiarize ourselves with the outside world within a
protected environment, with the reassuring sound of the mother's
heartbeat. This encounter between two persons, so intimately related
while still distinct from each other, an encounter so full of promise, is our
first experience of communication. It is an experience which we all
share, since each of us was born of a mother".
But the family is "
A womb made up of various
interrelated persons: the family is "where we learn to
live with others despite our differences" (Evangelii Gaudium, 66).
It is "the bond that is the root of language"; where "you learn
to speak in the "mother tongue ", that is the language of our
ancestors", creating history, a link between what precedes and what we can
generate now and in the future. Hence the family "is the paradigm of all communication",
even "religious" communication, because in it we learn how to pray
and "the love of God which is given to us and which we offer to others".
In the family, we learn " as
recognizing and creating closeness. When we lessen distances by
growing closer and accepting one another, we learn to embrace and support one
another, to discern the meaning of facial expressions and moments of silence,
to laugh and cry together with people who did not choose one other yet are so
important to each other".
This interchange has the opportunity to expand into the world: "To "visit" is to open doors, not remaining closed in our
little world, but rather going out to others".
And since the family is "where we daily
experience our own limits and those of others", it also becomes a "school
of forgiveness."
"A perfect family does not exist - says Francis-
We should not be fearful of
imperfections, weakness or even conflict, but rather learn how to deal with
them constructively... Forgiveness is itself a process of communication.
When contrition is expressed and accepted, it becomes possible to restore and
rebuild the communication which broke down".
"When it comes to the challenges of
communication, families who have children with one or more disabilities
have much to teach us. A motor, sensory or mental limitation can
be a reason for closing in on ourselves, but it can also become, thanks to the
love of parents, siblings, and friends, an incentive to openness, sharing
and ready communication with all. It can also help schools, parishes
and associations to become more welcoming and inclusive of everyone".
In this way, "... In a world where people often curse,
use foul language, speak badly of others, sow discord and poison our human
environment by gossip, the family can teach us to understand communication
as a blessing. In situations apparently dominated by hatred and
violence, where families are separated by stone walls or the no less
impenetrable walls of prejudice and resentment, where there seem to be good
reasons for saying "enough is enough", it is only by blessing rather than
cursing, by visiting rather than repelling, and by accepting rather than
fighting, that we can break the spiral of evil, show that goodness is always
possible, and educate our children to fellowship".
For the Pope, "today modern media ... can
be both a help and a hindrance
to communication in and between families", it can be used to isolate, or to facilitate encounter,
contact, forgiveness.
"The great challenge facing us today
is to learn once again how to talk to one another, not simply how to
generate and consume information. The latter is a tendency which our
important and influential modern communications media can encourage.
Information is important, but it is not enough. All too often things get
simplified, different positions and viewpoints are pitted against one another,
and people are invited to take sides, rather than to see things as a whole".
For the pope, the contemporary problem is that for the media, the family,
instead of being looked upon as "a communicating community ", has
become "a subject of debate or a terrain for
ideological skirmishes ":
" At
times the media can tend to present the family as a kind of abstract
model which has to be accepted or rejected, defended or attacked, rather than
as a living reality. Or else a grounds for ideological
clashes rather than as a setting where we can all learn what it means to
communicate in a love received and returned".
"The most beautiful family - concludes Francis - Families at their best actively communicate by their witness
the beauty and the richness of the relationship between man and woman, and
between parents and children. We are not fighting to defend the
past. Rather, with patience and trust, we are working to build a better
future for the world in which we live".
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