From Como Italy
Within society create mentality, create opinion. You therefore have a task of high responsibility for the consequences of your statements for those who read you”. Thus began the Bishop of Como, Cardinal Oscar Cantoni, addressing journalists on the occasion of the liturgical feast of San Francesco de Sales.
The meeting took place yesterday morning, at the end of the Mass celebrated in the church of the Visitation monastery, a place that has become familiar to Como communication operators who, with the cloistered nuns, share the memory of the patron. In his homily, the cardinal underlined, commenting on the day’s readings, how St. Francis de Sales had “the shrewdness to read his time truthfully”, aware “of the transition of the era that the world was facing”. )
From here he was able to create “new languages and styles… What St. Francis recommends also applies to us: learning to read history and live in it with confidence”. In the subsequent dialogue with journalists, Cantoni declined his reflections by looking at the journalistic profession. After thanking the communication operators for their commitment, the Bishop highlighted that «the tabloid news is the most attractive. They are tempting. Today they are not lacking, unfortunately also in the Church and we feel profoundly ashamed of them », he affirmed in a decisive tone. Inviting us to avoid easy generalizations, the cardinal recommended to journalists: «Do not forget to be educators of those who read you. You can build, but you can also destroy very easily and immediately. You have a heavy responsibility. Do not belittle this high responsibility.”
Reiterating that “it is not permissible to destroy the dignity of persons… especially with often summary judgments and, perhaps, for unproven facts”, the cardinal once again asked to help “those who read or listen to have a positive outlook on society” . It is necessary “to educate to see the good that exists and is abundant”, but which is suffocated “as if evil always and only prevailed”. Hence the invitation to “instill courage and eliminate conflict”. In closing, an observation on the many criticisms of Pope Francis. “Attacks that betray a vision far from the faith – Cantoni commented – because the Church is in the hands of the Holy Spirit, who knows how to guide us despite our efforts and falls, because we are profoundly human”.