SW News: The efficiency of their vocation depends on their "intimacy with Jesus" and their "passion for the Church," as Cardinal Parolin has urged Catholic communicators to do when sharing the Gospel with today's secularized world.

This week, Catholic communicators and journalists gathered in Lourdes, France, for the 26th edition of the St. Francis de Sales Days, an annual conference that brings together Catholic media professionals to discuss and reflect on their mission and the challenges facing Catholic communication today. The encouragement came during a Mass on Friday for those attendees.

In collaboration with SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, the Catholic Union of the Italian Press (UCSI), and the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, which joined the initiative for the first time in 2018, the event is organized annually by the Federation of Catholic Media of France on the occasion of the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists.

For the past three days, more than 200 Catholic communicators and journalists have discussed the question of "How to make ourselves heard?"

In his sermon, Cardinal Parolin mentioned that Pope Francis has often highlighted the need for every baptized person to "constantly refresh the mission of the Church" in our world. This obligation is especially important for Catholic communicators and journalists, he said.

The Vatican Secretary of State said a crucial foundation for Catholic communicators to effectively share the Gospel with their contemporaries is their personal encounter with Jesus, echoing his comments in the Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium."

Cardinal Parolin underlined the need for Catholic communicators to deepen the content of their faith and to proclaim the Gospel in all its authenticity and integrity, as opposed to "a vague Gospel" that is tailored to the spirit of the times and our individual preferences.

It needs knowledge of the Scriptures, but also of the teachings of the Magisterium and the Tradition of the Church, he stated.

In modern society, Cardinal Parolin admitted, speaking up can be difficult and brave because "we sometimes find ourselves criticized, marginalized, even persecuted." He added that the Magisterium of the Popes has fiercely urged the faithful to avoid ideological colonization and not be hesitant to challenge the status quo.

Cardinal Parolin concluded his homily by stressing once more the importance of authenticity for Catholic communicators. He also highlighted to the audience that Catholic communication must be in "communion with the Church" and that the rewards of sharing the Gospel always come from the Holy Spirit. The Secretary of State also presented the ‘Jacques Hamel Award’ to Cristophe Chaland, editor for the French Catholic weekly "Le Pélérin" for his report on Italian missionary Pierluigi Maccalli and the two years he spent as a hostage of Jihadi groups in Mali.