Card. Parolin celebrates Mass at Vatican Radio
(Vatican Radio) The Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrated Mass at Vatican Radio on Tuesday (29 September) and told its staff that they were “instruments of the Church” reaching out to the world and urged them to be examples of correct information. The cardinal was presiding over a Mass celebrated at the Radio’s headquarters to mark the feast day of St Gabriel, its patron saint.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:
In his homily Cardinal Parolin reflected on Vatican Radio’s mandate to communicate the words, gestures, actions and proposals of Pope Francis. He described it as a message of peace, life, solidarity and forgiveness that is very badly needed in today’s world.
Noting that the Radio is also tasked with providing objective information about the Church and secular news to listeners throughout the world, the cardinal explained that this was a very valuable mission. He said this is because it’s invaluable to have correct information that” is not enslaved” to outside “interests and powers who, in order to serve their own goals, are willing to slant or twist the news.”
Vatican Radio, Cardinal Parolin continued, is a powerful instrument used to spread the Good News and quality information and all those involved in this task should be setting themselves the goal of being “impartial and objective.”
He noted that ever since it was set up in 1931, Vatican Radio has adopted the most modern technology to achieve its objectives and nowadays broadcasts in more than 40 different languages, has 79 daily programs and a website that on average posts around 170 video clips each day.
Nowadays more than ever, he said, there is a need for information that “is not enslaved to interests” who seek to manipulate the truth or just follow the latest fleeting trend or the “heavy and superficial tyranny of emotions.”
In conclusion, Cardinal Parolin referred to the planned reform and re-organization of the Holy See’s media outlets to place them under a unified management, and conceded that like all large-scale projects this may not be easy to achieve. May the Radio, he said, always be capable of renewing itself whilst at the same time remaining faithful to its identity and mission at the service of the Pope and the Church.