Vatican City (Fides Service) - As every year on 24 January the feast of St Francis de Sales, patron of communicators, Pope John Paul issued his annual message for the World Day of Communications, an event which this year reaches its 37th edition. The theme of the Day chosen by the Pope is: The Communications Media At The Service Of Authentic Peace In The Light Of 'Pacem In Terris'. The Pope opens the message recalling that the Pacem In Terris' encyclical of Pope John XXIII, was written in the dark days of the Cold War. Pope John's words <came as a beacon of hope to men and women of good will. Declaring that authentic peace requires "diligent observance of the divinely established order" the Holy Father pointed to truth, justice, charity and freedom as the pillars of a peaceful society>. Pope John Paul continues: "the division of peoples into opposing blocs is mostly a painful memory , but peace, justice and social stability are still lacking in many parts of the world. Terrorism, conflict in the Middle East and other regions, threats and counter-threats, injustice, exploitation, and assaults upon the dignity and sanctity of human life both before and after birth are dismaying realities of our times. Meanwhile, the power of the media to shape human relationships and influence political and social life, both for good and for ill, has enormously increased. Hence the timeliness of the theme chosen for the Thirty-seventh World Day of Communications: "The Communications Media at the Service of Authentic Peace in the Light of Pacem in terris". The world and the media still have much to learn from the message of Blessed Pope John XXIII." See complete text in English and other languages at www.fides.org (Fides Service 25/1/2003)