The open arms of Bernini’s colonnade around the square were able to extend an embrace to millions. Through traditional media and digital technology, the Pope’s prayer reached the homes and touched the lives of people all over the world. In the midst of a health crisis that took the lives of millions, people around the world, quarantined and in isolation, found themselves profoundly united with each other and with the successor of Peter. A televised and live-streamed transmission allowed Pope Francis to lead a transformative global experience: a prayer and message addressed to a world in lockdown. On 27 March 2020, while still in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Peter’s Square was empty but full of presence. One recent moment clearly demonstrated that digital media is a powerful tool for the Church’s ministry. Ĥ) In addition to these reflections, the Church’s practical engagement with social media has also been effective. Raising fundamental questions for digital culture, Pope Benedict XVI, in 2009, addressed the shifts in patterns of communication, saying that media should not only foster connections between people but also encourage them to commit themselves to relationships that promote “a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.” Subsequently, the Church consolidated the image of social media as “spaces”, not only “tools”, and called for the Good News to be proclaimed also in digital environments For his part, Pope Francis has acknowledged that the digital world is “indistinguishable from the sphere of everyday life,” and it is changing the way humanity accumulates knowledge, disseminates information, and develops relationships. Beginning in the 1990s, these messages addressed the use of the computer and since the early 2000s, they have consistently reflected on aspects of digital culture and social communication. Since 1967, for example, the yearly World Communications Day messages have offered an ongoing reflection on the topic. There are also numerous pastoral and educational initiatives developed by local Churches, movements, communities, congregations, universities, and individuals.ģ) The universal Church has also addressed the digital reality. Young people – as well as older generations – are asking to be met where they are, including on social media, because the digital world is “a significant part of young people’s identity and way of life.” Ģ) Many Christians are asking for inspiration and guidance since social media, which is one expression of digital culture, has had a profound impact on both our faith communities and our individual spiritual journeys.Įxamples of faithful and creative engagement on social media abound around the world, from both local communities as well as individuals who give witness to their faith on these platforms, oftentimes more pervasively than the institutional Church. An awareness has emerged that these platforms can evolve to become co-created spaces, not just something that we passively use. Over the last two decades, our relationship with digital platforms has undergone an irreversible transformation. At the same time, however, as communication is increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, there arises the need to rediscover the human encounter at its very core. Social media in particular is an environment where people interact, share experiences, and cultivate relationships unlike ever before. In fact, the question is no longer whether to engage with the digital world, but how. A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Mediaġ) Great strides have been made in the digital age, but one of the pressing issues yet to be addressed is how we, as individuals and as an ecclesial community, are to live in the digital world as “loving neighbours” who are genuinely present and attentive to each other on our common journey along the “digital highways”.Īdvancements in technology have made new kinds of human interactions possible.
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