Pope Francis has proclaimed the internet a “gift from God,” lauding its ability to connect disparate groups and foster communication across religious, economic, and political divides. The comments were part of his message for World Communications Day.
“A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to
give, but also to receive,” read the pontiff’s
statement.
He outlined ways in which the world we are living in is
“growing smaller” and edging towards the “unity of
the human family.” He added that the digital world is not
“a network of wires,” but rather “a network of
people.”
“Media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when
the networks of human communication have made unprecedented
advances. The internet, in particular, offers immense
possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something
truly good, a gift from God,” he stated.
Pope Francis has bolstered his progressive, modern image since
assuming his role – a photo of him posing with young fans in a
“selfie” went viral last year. He has also received praise for
leading a more humble lifestyle than his predecessors. However,
his statements on atheism and homosexuality have roused more
conservative Catholics.
He also incited controversy after calling abortion
“horrific” and part of a “throwaway culture” in
his State of the World address in mid-January.
Pope Francis equally noted some downsides to the information age
on Thursday, despite declaring that the information age was a
godsend. “The speed with which information is communicated
exceeds our capacity for reflection and judgment, and this does
not make for more balanced and proper forms of
self-expression,” he noted.
His comments seem to fall in sharp contrast to his predecessor,
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - later Pope Benedict CXVI - who
instructed the young in 2011 that they should beware of the
virtual world. He claimed that teenagers were “in danger of
alienation and detachment from reality by excessive use of
digital media.”
While Benedict himself has also made calls for further
interreligious dialogue in the past, the issue of whether the
Catholic Church alone holds the “fullness of the means of
salvation” continues to hang over the Vatican.
“To [have a] dialogue means to believe that the 'other' has
something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of
view and perspective,” Francis wrote. “Engaging in
dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions,
but the pretence that they alone are valid and absolute.”