Help introduce Christianity in secular culture, Pope urges Jesuit editors

June 14, 2013

Meeting on June 14 with editors of the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica, Pope Francis told them that “your main task isn’t to build walls but bridges.”

Civilta Cattolica occupies a unique place in Italian Catholic journalism; it is regarded as a semi-official publication of the Vatican because its articles are approved in advance by the Secretariat of State. Pope Francis had responded promptly, and favorably, to the editors’ request for a meeting.

In his remarks to the journalists, the Pope encouraged them to “stand strong against the hypocrisies that result from a closed and sick heart.” He recommended that they aim to influence the culture by fostering conversations with those who do not share the faith. “Through dialogue,” he said, “it is always possible to get closer to the truth, which is a gift of God, and to enrich one another.”

Next the Pope asked the editors to use their discernment—which he described as “a Jesuit treasure”—to recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit in world events. It is crucial to open minds and hearts, he said. “Even the Church, when it becomes self-referential, gets sick and old.”

Exhorting them to remain “young and daring” in their editorial approach, the Pope told the journalists that the continued split between the spirit of the Gospel and the norms of popular culture is “a tragedy.” He asked them to act as “men of the frontier,” helping to repair that breach. This, too, is a typical Jesuit mission, he said.

 

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Further information:

• Francis: Lower Defences and Open Doors (VIS)
• Pope Francis meets with La Civilta Cattolica (Vatican Radio)