Pope Francis has made a special visit to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications, to commemorate the 90th Anniversary this year of Vatican Radio and 160th of L’Osservatore Romano.
According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, the Pontiff left his residence Casa Santa Maria by car this morning, May 24, 2021, and went to the Palazzo Pio to visit the Dicastery for Communication.
Upon his arrival, around 9:05 am, Pope Francis was welcomed by the Dicastery’s Prefect, Dr Paolo Ruffini, and by its Secretary, Monsignor Lucio Adrian Ruiz.
The Holy Father greeted the Directors of the Dicastery and eight editors from different continents.
The Argentine Pontiff then took the elevator to the second floor to visit the editorial management of Vatican News, the management of L’Osservatore Romano and to enter the Chapel where he read the prayer for social communications.
After the prayer, the Pope went by elevator to the fourth floor to Office 9 of Vatican Radio, where he greeted the listeners Live.
Lastly, he went to the first floor and visited the “Open Space” area and, immediately after, the Marconi Room, often used for conferences and meetings. After Dr Ruffini gave some introductory remarks, the Holy Father pronounced his address.
At the end of the visit, Pope Francis left Palazzo Pio and returned to the Vatican.
EXAUDI has provided its English translations of the Pope’s conversation on Vatican Radio, his brief intervention given to the dicastery, and the prayer for social communications below.
Later today, the Pontiff will open and address the General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference in Rome. Exaudi will provide its readers with an English-translation of the Pope’s address as soon as possible.
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Prayer for the 55th World Day of Social Communications
“Come and See” (John 1:46).
Communicate by meeting people
where and as they are.
Lord, teach us to come out of ourselves,
and to start out in search of the truth.
Teach us to go and see,
Teach us to listen.
Not to harbour prejudices,
Not to come to hasty conclusions.
Teach us to go where no one
wants to go,
To take the time to understand,
To give our attention to the essential,
Not to be distracted by the superfluous,
To distinguish deceitful
appearances from the truth.
Give us the grace to recognize
Your dwellings in the world
and the honesty to tell
what we saw.
Amen
[Original text: Italian] [Exaudi’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]
The Holy Father’s Intervention Live on Vatican Radio
Pope Francis:
Thank you for your work, for what you do. I have only one concern — there are so many motives of concern for the Radio, for L’Osservatore Romano — however, one that touches my heart very much is: how many people listen to the Radio, and how many read L’Osservstore Romano? Because our job is to reach people, be it with translations, be it with short waves, as you said . . . The question you must ask yourselves is: “How many? How many does it reach?” because there is the danger — for all organizations — of a good organization, good work, but which doesn’t reach where it should . . . Somewhat like the story of the birth of the mouse: the mountain that gives birth to the baby mouse . . . Ask yourselves this question every day: how many people do we reach? How many receive Jesus’ message through L’Osservatore Romano? This is very important, very important!
Massimiliano Menichetti:
We try somewhat, as you exhort us to do, to integrate and to become more communicative, not to give voice to those that shout the loudest. This is an aspect that you always stress. We will answer this question, we are doing so, we are doing so now: it is to a degree the fruit of this reform that you have desired and it’s somewhat visible in this visit, that is, to try to integrate this system and reach as many as possible in a capillary way. As Radio — it is data that I can share also on the basis of this exhortation you address to us — it is that more than a thousand radios in the world take us up, that is, they take our contents and in turn sent it through their systems. It’s a service we try to do.
Thank you, Holy Father.
Luca Collodi:
If I can add, Holy Father, to back up what is being said: the Radio, today, is a living instrument, an instrument that, despite the new technologies, remains an instrument that reaches people and is in perfect health. And this can be a help; a contribution to achieve what you are saying.
Pope Francis:
Yes, it’s true’ it’s true.
Massimiliano Menichetti:
Thank you, thank you truly.
[Original text: Italian] [Exaudi’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]
The Holy Father’s Words to the Editors
Pope Francis:
Thank you so much for your work. I’m happy; I have seen you all together, here. I’ve seen this Palazzo well arranged, and this pleases me. The unity of work . . . The problem is that this very great and complicated system must function. There comes to mind a custom in Argentina, when someone was appointed to an important task, the first thing he did was to go to Nordiska, a firm to plan environments, without looking at his desk, his study, he ordered that everything be new, everything perfect, beautiful. It was the first decision that that Minister, that functionary took. Then it didn’t work. What is important is that all this beauty, all this organization work. To function and go, to walk . . . The great enemy of functioning well is functionalism. For example, I’m the head of a section; I’m the secretary of that section, the head. But I have seven under-secretaries. Everything is always right, right. If someone has a difficulty, he goes to the under-secretary who must resolve it, who says: “Wait a minute, then I’ll answer you.” He picks up the phone and calls the secretary . . . but this doesn’t work. They are incapable of deciding; they are incapable of doing their thing. Functionalism is lethal. It puts an institution to sleep and kills it. Be careful not to fall into this: it doesn’t matter how many posts there are, if the studio is beautiful or not. What matters is that it function, that it’s functional, and not the victim of functionalism. Be very careful; be very careful about this. And when something is functional, it helps creativity. Your work must always be creative, and go beyond, beyond, beyond — be creative. This is called to function. However, if a job is too well ordered, it ends up by being caged and doesn’t help. This is the only thing that, seeing such a good organization, so well made, seeing you all together, it comes to me to say: be careful! No functionalism. Yes, be functional at work; do what you must do. And for a structure to be functional, it’s necessary that everyone have the sufficient freedom to function. That one have the capacity to risk and not go to ask for permission, permission, permission — this paralyzes — be functional, not functionlist. Understood? Go forward and have courage. Thank you!
[Original text: Italian] [Exaudi’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]
