HUMAN BEINGS ARE STORYTELLERS - L'HOMME EST UN ETRE NARRATEUR - EL HOMBRE ES UN SER NARRADOR.

Pope: no to false, destructive stories, 

tell the good that unites

The message of Pope Francis for the 54th World Communications Day has as its theme, “That you may tell your children and grandchildren (Ex 10:2), Life becomes history”. Highlighting the value of storytelling, the Pope underscores how urgent it is also for the Catholic world to overcome the temptation of destructive stories. The annual day, which is marked on the Sunday before Pentecost, falls on May 24, this year.

By Alessandro Gisotti 

Stories “can help us understand and communicate who we are” because we “human beings are storytellers” who need to be “‘clothed’ with stories to protect our lives”. Pope Francis emphasizes this in his message for World Communications Day 2020, published on Friday, the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Patron Saint of journalists. The message, however, embraces a much broader horizon than the profession of journalism, which the Pope has got us accustomed to since his first message for World Communications Day (2014) when he established an ideal link between the evangelical figure of the Good Samaritan and the mission carried out today by “good communicators”. At a time marked by the deceptive and divisive use of the word, an “illness” from which the Catholic world is unfortunately not immune, the Pope reminds us that communication is authentic if it builds and does not destroy. It should be “humble” in the “search for truth”, as he stressed to the journalists of the Foreign Press Association last May. And in the face of the spread of “false and evil” stories – including the sophisticated aberration of deepfake - the Pope encourages that narration speak “of ourselves and of the beauty all around us” and help us “rediscover the roots and the strength to go ahead together”. We need, he exhorts, “to make our own the truth contained in good stories”. 

Sacred Scripture, a “Story of stories” 

The Pope’s message mentions storytelling, a technique increasingly in vogue in various fields from advertising to politics, but the story that Pope Francis thinks about does not follow the worldly logic. It has a deeper value that revives “our memory of what we are in God’s eyes”. Moreover, a revealing indication of what the Pope considers to be a model of narration already comes from the theme chosen for the Message: “That you may tell your children and grandchildren (Ex 10:2), Life becomes history”. Noting that Sacred Scripture is “a story of stories”, the Pontiff says that the Bible shows us “a God who is both creator and narrator”. “As narrator,” the Pope continues, “God calls things into life, culminating in the creation of man and woman as his free dialogue partners.” Just ahead of the celebration of the “First Sunday of the Word of God” (January 26), instituted by the Apostolic Letter “Aperuit Illis”, Pope Francis also invites us with this message, to be close to Sacred Scripture, to make it our own, reminding us that “the Bible is thus the great love story between God and humanity”. On the other hand, as the Book of Exodus teaches us, and from which is taken the theme of the message - we learn that the “knowledge of the Lord is handed down from generation to generation mainly by telling the story of how He continues to make Himself present”. 

Temptation of false and destructive stories 

An important part of the Pope’s message is dedicated to “destructive stories”, which are reminiscent of many of his homilies at Mass at Santa Marta. Once again - as has already been dealt with in his message for the World Day of Communications 2018, which is dedicated to the phenomenon of fake news – Pope Francis this time warns against the temptation of the serpent, as narrated in the Book of Genesis, which “introduces into the fabric of history a knot difficult to undo”. 

The Pope denounces those stories that “lull us, convincing us that to be happy we continually need to gain, possess and consume”. And, taking up a theme very dear to him, he stigmatizes the greed of “chatter and gossip” which “we may not even realize”, as well as “how much violence and falsehood we are consuming”. The ultimate consequence is the spread of “destructive and provocative stories that wear down and break the fragile threads binding us together as a society.” The message says that what is at risk is human dignity, which is stripped away by the combination of “unverified information” with the repetition of “banal and deceptively persuasive arguments” that strike with “hateful messages”. The Pope urges all to react to these with “courage” and reject such threats. “Amid today’s many troubles,” the Holy Father says, “we need stories that reveal who we truly are, also in the untold heroism of everyday life”. 

No human story is insignificant to God

Pope Francis, therefore, turns his attention to the story of Jesus, which shows how God has taken man to heart and that for Him “no human stories are insignificant or paltry”. “By the power of the Holy Spirit,” the Pope explains, “every story, even the most forgotten one,… can be reborn as a masterpiece, and become an appendix to the Gospel.” He cites some stories that have “admirably scripted the encounter between God’s freedom and that of man” from Augustine’s “Confessions” to “The Brothers Karamazov”. He invites us to read the stories of the saints and to share those “stories that have the fragrance of the Gospel” that each of us knows. “Telling God our story is never useless,” he reiterates, because “no one is an extra on the world stage, and everyone’s story is open to possible change”. For this reason, the Pope notes, “when we tell of evil” we can also “recognize the working of goodness and give it space”. 

Pope Francis concludes his message with a prayer to Mary so that she listens to our stories and cherishes them. Recalling an image dear to him, which has featured in many of his homilies at Santa Marta, the Holy Father implores the Virgin Mary to untie “the tangled knots in our life” and “help us build stories of peace, stories that point to the future”.

Read: THE MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS 

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World Day of Social Communications: FEAR NOT - NO TEMAS - NON TEMERE - PAS PEUR - NICHT ANGST - GEEN ANGST

«Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5).

Communicating hope and trust in our time

            Numbness of conscience or letting desperation get the better of us are two possible “diseases” that our current communication system can cause.It is possible that our conscience is cauterised, as Pope Francis comments in Laudato si’, as a result of the fact that often professionals, opinion leaders and means of communication work in urban areas distant from places of poverty and need, and their physical distance often leads them to ignore the complexity of the dramas faced by men and women.Desperation is possible, instead, when communication is emphasised and transformed into spectacle, at times becoming a genuine strategy for constructing present dangers and looming fears.

But in the midst of this tumult a whisper is heard: “Fear not, for I am with you”. In His Son, God expresses his solidarity with every human situation and revealed that we are not alone, because we have a Father Who does not forget His children. Those who live united with Christ discover that even darkness and death become, for those who so wish, a place for communion with Light and Life. In every event, they try to discover what is happening between God and humanity, to recognise how He too, through the dramatic scenario of this world, is writing the history of salvation. We Christians have “good news” to tell, because we contemplate trustfully the prospect of the Kingdom.

The Theme of the next World Day of Social Communications is an invitation to tell the history of the world and the histories of men and women in accordance with the logic of the “good news” that reminds us that God never ceases to be a Father in any situation or with regard to any man. Let us learn to communicate trust and hope for history.

«No temas, porque yo estoy contigo» (Is 43,5).

Comunicar esperanza y confianza en nuestro tiempo

Anestesiar la conciencia o dejarse llevar por la desesperación son dos posibles enfermedades a las que puede llevar el sistema de comunicación actual.

Es posible que la conciencia se cauterice, como recuerda el Papa Francisco en la Laudato si’ debido al hecho de que a menudo los profesionales, los líderes de opinión y los medios de comunicación, desarrollando su actividad en zonas urbanas distantes de los lugares de la pobreza y de las necesidades, vivan una distancia física que, a menudo, desemboca en la ignorancia de la complejidad de los dramas de los hombres y de las mujeres.

La desesperación es posible, en cambio, cuando la comunicación se enfatiza y se vuelve espectáculo, hasta convertirse a veces en una estrategia de construcción verdadera y propia de acechanzas y peligros inminentes.

Pero en medio de este estruendo se oye un susurro: "No temas, porque yo estoy contigo". En su Hijo, Dios se ha hecho solidario con cada situación humana y ha revelado que no estamos solos, porque tenemos un Padre que no se olvida de sus hijos. El que vive unido a Cristo descubre que incluso la oscuridad y la muerte se convierten, para todo el que lo quiera, en lugar de comunión con la Luz y la Vida. En cualquier acontecimiento intenta descubrir lo que sucede entre Dios y la humanidad, para reconocer como Dios mismo, a través del escenario dramático de este mundo, esté escribiendo la historia de la salvación. Nosotros, los cristianos, tenemos una "buena noticia" que contar porque contemplamos confiados el horizonte del Reino.

El Tema de la próxima Jornada Mundial de las Comunicaciones Sociales es una invitación a contar la historia del mundo y las historias de los hombres y de las mujeres, según la lógica de la "buena noticia" que nos recuerda que Dios nunca renuncia a ser Padre, en cualquier situación y con cada ser humano. Aprendamos a comunicar confianza y esperanza para la historia.

“Non temere, perché sono con te” (Is 43,5).

Comunicare speranza e fiducia nel nostro tempo

Anestetizzare la coscienza o farsi prendere dalla disperazione sono due possibili malattie alle quali può condurre l’attuale sistema comunicativo.

È possibile che la coscienza si cauterizzi, come ricorda Papa Francesco nella Laudato si’, a causa del fatto che spesso professionisti, opinionisti e mezzi di comunicazione operando in aree urbane distanti dai luoghi delle povertà e dei bisogni, vivono una distanza fisica che spesso conduce a ignorare la complessità dei drammi degli uomini e delle donne.

È possibile la disperazione, invece, quando la comunicazione viene enfatizzata e spettacolarizzata, diventando talvolta vera e propria strategia di costruzione di pericoli vicini e paure incombenti.

Ma in mezzo a tale frastuono si ode un sussurro: “Non temere, perché sono con te.” Nel suo Figlio, Dio si è reso solidale con ogni situazione umana e ha rivelato che non siamo soli, perché abbiamo un Padre che non dimentica i propri figli. Chi vive unito a Cristo, scopre che anche le tenebre e la morte diventano, per chiunque lo voglia, luogo di comunione con la Luce e la Vita. In ogni avvenimento cerca di scoprire cosa succede tra Dio e l’umanità, per riconoscere come Egli stesso, attraverso lo scenario drammatico di questo mondo, stia scrivendo la storia di salvezza. Noi cristiani abbiamo una “buona notizia” da raccontare, perché contempliamo fiduciosi l’orizzonte del Regno.

Il Tema della prossima Giornata Mondiale delle Comunicazioni Sociali è un invito a raccontare la storia del mondo e le storie degli uomini e delle donne, secondo la logica della “buona notizia” che ricorda che Dio mai rinuncia ad essere Padre, in nessuna situazione e rispetto ad ogni uomo. Impariamo a comunicare fiducia e speranza per la storia.