Leo XIV tells digital missionaries to ‘go and mend the net'
The pontiff met with Catholic influencers taking part in the Jubilee in St Peter's Basilica. He invited them to "proclaim peace to the world" by embracing the Church's mission. He appealed for the "new culture" of technology and artificial intelligence to remain "human”. Today, we must mend the nets by giving “space to others more than to ourselves”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Every time the pope makes a public appearance, smartphone cameras are always focused on him. The same thing happened this morning in St Peter's Basilica, where he was captured by the "eyes" of hundreds of digital missionaries and Catholic influencers from around the world, ready to catch any “special content” in the event that kicked off the Youth Jubilee Week in Rome.
For Pope Leo XIV, “It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter of hearts. This will entail seeking out those who suffer, those who need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives. Above all, this process begins with accepting our own poverty, letting go of all pretense and recognizing our own inherent need for the Gospel. And this process is a communal endeavor.”
At the end of the Mass led by Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Leo XIV greeted the digital missionaries and Catholic influencers, as he walked towards the station set up in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
He invited those present to "proclaim peace to the world," embracing the Church's own mission: a peace "sought, proclaimed, and shared everywhere," in a time "marked by hostility and war”.
Missionaries, both men and women, who inhabit the intangible yet all-so-real and influential world of online communication, are also called to “nourish Christian hope in social networks and online spaces.”
In his brief address, which he read in the three languages he masters well – Italian, English, and Spanish, Leo underscored the global reach of the assembled group, proposing three challenges to the influencers gathered at the Vatican.
The first one is the desire for peace of the entire Church. “Perhaps, today more than ever, we need missionary disciples who convey the gift of the Risen Lord,” he said, “to the ends of the earth, to the farthest reaches, where there is no hope.”
The second challenge concerns recognising, even online, “the 'suffering flesh of Christ' in every brother and sister”. The "new culture" marked by an unprecedented technological development in which "widespread adoption of artificial intelligence will mark a new era in the lives of individuals" should remain "human."
For Leo, “nothing that comes from humans and their creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others. “Our mission – your mission – is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the ‘network’ for all of us.” At the same time, we have a “duty” to give voice “to love” through “thinking” and “language”, so that we can reflect “on the authenticity of our witness”.
Last but least, the third challenge is to “Go and mend the nets,” a reference to Jesus’s first disciples while they were fishing. For Leo, it is important to heed Jesus's call to weave “other” nets, “of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness”.
What counts is to “experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter”. These networks ought to “give space to others more than to ourselves, where no ‘bubble’ can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth. “
Thus, through every connection, every story of "shared good” forms a "single immense network": that of God.
Finally, the pope reminded participants in the Jubilee of Catholic digital missionaries and influencers that they are "agents of communion," that they can break down the logic that often permeates digital environments, that “of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism.”
Instead, “Centre yourselves on Christ,” the pope said, “so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of Truth.”
Before the final blessing, Leo thanked those present for the "good" accomplished in each person's life, and for the "dreams" that fill every heart. He also thanked them for their love for the Lord Jesus and the Church, for their help for those who suffer, and for their journey “along the virtual highways.”
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