Last year, some of my favorite reading of the Pope’s was his message for World Communications Day. This year I found it thanks to Lisa’s post.

In a word: WOW. After reading it, I get the impression that Benedict must actually pay attention to all this new-fangled cool stuff we’re all using…not just the internet, but the different venues available on and because of the web.

(In the excerpts I post below, all emphasis is mine.)

New horizons are now open that were until recently unimaginable; they stir our wonder at the possibilities offered by these new media and, at the same time, urgently demand a serious reflection on the significance of communication in the digital age. This is particularly evident when we are confronted with the extraordinary potential of the internet and the complexity of its uses. As with every other fruit of human ingenuity, the new communications technologies must be placed at the service of the integral good of the individual and of the whole of humanity. If used wisely, they can contribute to the satisfaction of the desire for meaning, truth and unity which remain the most profound aspirations of each human being.

I love the image of new horizons. Instead of viewing all of this technology as something to fight, he’s starting out and suggesting that we harness it, use it, embrace it and allow it to open us to the wonder of the world.

The clear distinction between the producer and consumer of information is relativized and communication appears not only as an exchange of data, but also as a form of sharing. This dynamic has contributed to a new appreciation of communication itself, which is seen first of all as dialogue, exchange, solidarity and the creation of positive relations. On the other hand, this is contrasted with the limits typical of digital communication: the one-sidedness of the interaction, the tendency to communicate only some parts of one’s interior world, the risk of constructing a false image of oneself, which can become a form of self-indulgence.

This is what I love about blogging, for example. It’s not just me putting information out there; there’s also sharing that happens, from the comments to the conversations I’ll have later. I find this to be true on Facebook and Twitter, too, and on the days when I’m struggling, I can find great support, encouragement, and even prayers in those places.

However, that last bit about the risk of making yourself into someone you’re not is too true. I fight that: keepin’ it real without being too crusty. It’s a fine line and a challenge. No one should think I’m saint material (except that we all are, right?) and yet, maybe I can be positive without seeming to be too Pollyanna-ish. More on that:

Entering cyberspace can be a sign of an authentic search for personal encounters with others, provided that attention is paid to avoiding dangers such as enclosing oneself in a sort of parallel existence, or excessive exposure to the virtual world. In the search for sharing, for “friends”, there is the challenge to be authentic and faithful, and not give in to the illusion of constructing an artificial public profile for oneself.

{snip}

Who is my “neighbour” in this new world? Does the danger exist that we may be less present to those whom we encounter in our everyday life? Is there is a risk of being more distracted because our attention is fragmented and absorbed in a world “other” than the one in which we live? Do we have time to reflect critically on our choices and to foster human relationships which are truly deep and lasting? It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives.

I started blogging because I wanted to share; I hadn’t been successful finding an in-person venue for my desire to write and express myself. However, blogging doesn’t replace real relationships, though it has helped me form new, wonderful friendships. Real friendships. People I call on the phone, see in person, send Christmas cards and baby announcements to. Other forms of social media have also helped me to connect with like-minded people and stay in touch with others.

But–and this is important!–they don’t take the place of the people in front of me and in my home. They are in addition to not in place of. This seems to be something we all need to keep front and center.

To proclaim the Gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one’s own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically. Furthermore, it is also true in the digital world that a message cannot be proclaimed without a consistent witness on the part of the one who proclaims it.

Once again, B16 reminds us that we can’t make up who we are: we have to be REAL. When I post on Facebook that I spent an hour in Adoration, it’s not to brag: it’s to share the beauty of that form of prayer in my life. When I share about an awful day I’m having, maybe it’s just as much a witness (things aren’t any easier for us Christian-types than they are for the non-Christian-types) as when I post about how my morning rosary started my day on the right foot.

…we must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its “popularity” or from the amount of attention it receives. We must make it known in its integrity, instead of seeking to make it acceptable or diluting it. It must become daily nourishment and not a fleeting attraction. The truth of the Gospel is not something to be consumed or used superficially; rather it is a gift that calls for a free response.

{snip}

Believers who bear witness to their most profound convictions greatly help prevent the web from becoming an instrument which depersonalizes people, attempts to manipulate them emotionally or allows those who are powerful to monopolize the opinions of others.

The web can and does depersonalize life, but in the Catholic circles I’ve come to love as much as I love my small town parish, it doesn’t: it builds me up as a Catholic, it helps me to be part of a larger Catholic world, it grows my faith deeper and wider.

It’s well worth your time to read this year’s message for World Communications Day. I also highly recommend last year’s and the one from the year before as well.

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