The 49^th World Communications Day was celebrated on Sunday, the 17^th of May, 2015 –the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Sunday before Pentecost.
The World Day for Social Communications was the only worldwide celebration called for by the second Vatican Council (Inter Mirifica, 1963). Pope Francis chose as this year’s theme; “Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love.”
In his message to the world, Pope Francis referred to Evangelii Gaudium 66, in stating “…the family is ‘where we learn to live with others despite our differences.” He spoke of the family as a community in which we all learn to communicate and to celebrate life.
Pope Francis spoke about making use of modern technology to our advantage, as a means to “…share stories, to stay in contact with distant friends, to thank others or to seek their forgiveness and to open the door to new encounters.”
RENATE Network, as a European ‘family’ of diverse countries, cultures and customs, shares the Gospel values in its effort to ‘free the oppressed’ from human trafficking and exploitation.
For the full text of the Pope’s address:
http://m.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/communications/index.html
Adapted and prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.