AMERICA/ARGENTINA - In isolation, the media have opened up new mission paths: social communications Day

Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - "Pope Francis has proposed to go out, not to remain still, to go on a mission, to go out to meet, living the spirit of the Church, and in a significant way, in this moment in which we are 'locked up' for quarantine, we realize that all of this can be done in exactly the same way, by changing forms and methodologies". This is what Mgr. Gabriel Bernardo Barba, Bishop of the diocese of Gregorio de Laferrere and president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference says in a video message released for the 54th World Communications Day.
In many countries, such as in Argentina, the Day is celebrated on the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, therefore Sunday 24 May. The Bishop points out in his video: "We were all surprised, priests, bishops, leaders of the various pastoral areas of the Church, by the fact that today 'we are reaching people who once cost us the most to reach', that we are obtaining a goal that we had not achieved before. Thanks to the media, a simple but powerful tool, we can reach people for the proclamation of the Gospel".
The Bishop in his reflection highlights that "today, as communicators, we are in a privileged position in the Church, and I believe that we are the first missionaries who will have to adapt their structures". "Today we are in a phase of isolation, behind closed doors, which cannot last a lifetime", he continues, when we go out we will find a new reality and therefore we must ensure that the Church does not lose "everything new that we have seen": "we must realize that a Church that had the doors of its churches closed, had occasions that it had never had before; that a Church that never closed remained more alive than ever, that the concept of 'domestic Church' was strengthened, and not being able to access the sacrament on a daily basis, made us realize that the Church is the sacrament of Christ where Jesus makes himself present".
Finally Mgr. Gabriel Barba urges to continue "to help, accompany, support those who need other efforts to bring the message", in particular "we must give space to young people and reflect on how to bring the message, knowing that Jesus is the center, is the backbone, and if Jesus is the center of the message, our communications will always be carried out well". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 23/5/2020)

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