"I dream of a communication that is heart to heart, letting ourselves be touched by what is human, letting ourselves be wounded by the dramas that so many of our brothers and sisters live," the pope said Oct 31 at the end of the dicastery's plenary meeting.

In addition to listing a variety of "dreams" for how the Vatican's vast communications apparatus would inform people, shine a spotlight on truth and share stories of faith, Pope Francis added to his prepared remarks.

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Pope Francis presided over the opening Mass attended by nearly 500 priests, bishops and cardinals, emphasising the Church's primary mission to bring Jesus to the world.

"We do not want to make ourselves attractive in the eyes of the world, but to reach out to it with the consolation of the Gospel, to bear witness to God's infinite love in a better way and to everyone," he said.

Referencing the call given to St Francis of Assisi to "Go, rebuild my Church," Pope Francis reminded the assembly that the Church is in constant need of purification and repair as it comprises forgiven sinners striving to return to Jesus and His Gospel.

Synod not a political gathering

Addressing the fundamental question raised by Pope Benedict XVI at the 2012 Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis pondered how to communicate God's reality effectively to today's people. He asserted that this synod is not a political gathering or a polarised parliament but a place of grace and communion.

Pope Francis urged everyone present to focus on Jesus' gaze which welcomes the weary and oppressed. He emphasised that this synod is not about human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles but about walking together with the gaze of Jesus and a focus on God.

The historic Mass marked a significant moment as for the first time it included laymen and women as full voting members of the XVI Ordinary Synod of Bishops.

In his homily, Pope Francis outlined his vision for a synodal Church, emphasising unity, fraternity, dialogue, blessing, encouragement and openness to faith's beauty. He drew inspiration from St Francis who exemplified humility and unity in times of great struggle and division.

The synod will convene in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall until October 29th, advising the Pope on the theme: "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission."

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Catholic News Agency
• AP News
• Reuters
• Vatican Dicastery for Communication
• CathNews New Zealand

The role of women in the Vatican hierarchy was one of the many Church and international topics the 85-year-old pontiff discussed in an interview last Saturday.

A new constitution for the Holy See's central administration that came into effect last month allows any baptised Catholic, including lay men and women, to head most Vatican departments.

"For the first time, two women will be named to the Congregation of Bishops' commission that chooses bishops," Francis said.

"In this way, things are opening up a bit."

Francis did not specify who would be appointed to what is now called the Dicastery for Bishops or when these appointments would take place.

Until a few months ago, the idea of women being allowed to select bishops was unimaginable in the eyes of several senior Vatican officials.

Members of the committee, which is now made up cardinals, bishops and priests, usually meet twice a month in Rome.

They vet candidates to govern for roughly half of the world's dioceses, those in countries with a longstanding Christian presence.

The Dicastery for Evangelisation is responsible for dealing with bishops' appointments in places considered mission territory.

Both dicasteries generally examine the top three candidates the apostolic nuncio puts forth to lead a particular diocese. The members of each dicastery decide on one of them and the name is submitted to the pope for his consideration.

Last year, for the first time, Francis named a woman to the number two position in the governorship of Vatican City, making Sister Raffaella Petrini the highest-ranking woman in the city state.

Men or women could head Vatican departments like the department for Catholic Education and Culture and the Apostolic Library. They are currently headed by male clerics.

Francis has already named a number women, both nuns and lay women, to Vatican departments.

Last year, he named Italian nun Sister Alessandra Smerilli to the number two position in the Vatican's development office, which deals with justice and peace issues.

Lay women already holding top jobs in the Vatican include the first female director of the Vatican Museums and the deputy director of the Vatican Press Office. Both were appointed by Francis.

Source

• Reuters
• La Croix

Ruffini was tapped to run the newly created department for communications, which brought together nine previously independent operations.

Originally established as the Secretariat for Communication in 2015 and led by Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò, it was turned into the Dicastery for Communication by Pope Francis on July 2018, after Viganò was forced to resign following the mishandling of a letter from Pope emeritus Benedict XVI that provoked a global outcry.

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"I reiterate the need to make available suitable and accessible means for handing on the faith," Pope Francis said in 2020 in his message on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

"I also hope that these can be made available to those who need them, cost-free to the extent possible, also through the new technologies that have proven so important for everyone in the midst of this pandemic."

The launch of the channel on Easter Sunday falls under the Holy See's Dicastery for Communication "no one left out" project.

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The site is currently developed in three languages: English, Spanish and Italian. Further languages will be available soon. It contains numerous resources in other languages, including French, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese.

The constantly updated menu on the homepage is divided into sections and is in orange, resembling the paper edition of the Encyclical.

The first, 'Fratelli tutti,' contains a general introduction. The second, 'The Encyclical,' can be downloaded. It also includes the 4 October video conference held in the New Hall of the Synod in the Vatican.

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Pope Francis on Thursday tapped a long-time logistics coordinator to serve as the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, ending the interim appointment of Alessandro Gisotti, effective Monday, July 22.

Gisotti will now be vice-Editorial Director under Andrea Tornielli at the Dicastery for Communication, along with another old hand at the former Vatican Radio, Sergio Centofanti.

The replacement of Gisotti did not come as a surprise.

From the day the 45-year-old former Vatican Radio journalist took the reins after former Director Greg Burke had suddenly dropped on the last day of last year, his appointment had been couched as ad interim.

They said it and he meant it. Anyone who knows Gisotti has no trouble believing him when he says both that it was a tremendous honour to be tapped for the job, and that he would be happy to put it down. Read more

Christians must do more to make sure the media, especially social networks, are places of dialogue and respect for others.

Communicaitons should not provide a means of highlighting differences and increasing divisions, Francis's new prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini explains. Read more