Pope: Catholic media should help readers understand, advocate, act

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To call itself "Catholic," a magazine must try to look at the world the way Christ does and give witness to his saving love and power, Pope Leo XIV said.

The pope met the writers and staff of the Italian Jesuit magazine, "La Civiltà Cattolica," at the Vatican Sept. 25 as part of journal's 175th anniversary celebrations. Father Arturo Sosa, superior general of the Jesuits, also attended the audience.

The magazine, published monthly, is reviewed in the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication, and covers Italian and international politics, theology and spirituality, science and technology and culture.

Pope Leo thanked the staff for "making the church present in the world of culture, in harmony with the teachings of the pope and the orientations of the Holy See."

The magazine, he said, has been lauded for its openness, "and indeed, one of its defining features is its ability to engage with current events without fear of confronting their challenges and contradictions."

Such an approach, the pope said, "can help your readers to better understand the complex society in which we live, evaluating both its potential and its weaknesses, in the search for those 'signs of the times' to which the Second Vatican Council called our attention."

Looking at the world honestly and with the eyes of faith, he said, can help Catholics "make meaningful contributions, including on the political level, to fundamental issues such as social equity, the family, education, new technological challenges and peace."

In fact, Pope Leo said, he wanted to focus on three areas of the journal's work: "educating people to a thoughtful and active commitment in the world, being a voice for the least and being heralds of hope."

The information and analysis the magazine provides, he said, can give readers "interpretative tools and useful criteria for action so that each person may contribute to the building of a more just and fraternal world, in truth and in freedom."

Pope Leo quoted what St. John Paul II had told the magazine's staff in 1999: "The role of the church, which you are called to amplify and spread, is to proclaim the Gospel of charity and peace, promoting justice, a spirit of fraternity and awareness of the common destiny of humankind -- indispensable foundations for building true peace among peoples."

The second obligation of a Catholic magazine, he said, is to speak up for the poor and those regularly excluded from society's decision making.

"Being a voice for the least is a fundamental aspect of the life and mission of every Christian," he said. "It requires, above all, a great and humble capacity to listen, to draw near to those who suffer, in order to recognize in their silent cry the cry of the Crucified One who says, 'I thirst.'"

"Only in this way is it possible to become a faithful and prophetic echo of the voice of those in need, breaking every cycle of isolation, loneliness and indifference," the pope said.

At the same time, he said, Catholic media are called to be "messengers of hope."

"This means opposing the indifference of those who remain insensitive to others and to their legitimate need for a future, as well as overcoming the disillusionment of those who no longer believe in the possibility of setting out on new paths," Pope Leo told the writers.

"But above all, it means remembering and proclaiming that for us, the ultimate hope is Christ," he said. "In him and with him, there are no longer dead ends on our journey, nor are there any realities -- no matter how harsh or complicated --that can stop us or prevent us from loving God and our brothers and sisters."