The Convention between the Secretariat for Communication and the Society of Jesus was signed on 21 September. The Jesuits are thus willing to make themselves available for a new form of collaboration within the process of reforming the Vatican media.

The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Monsignor Dario Edoardo Vigano and the Delegate of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves signed the Convention.

The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication expressed his personal gratitude and that of the whole Dicastery to the Society, with which in the last year and half a work of discernment and rethinking was started on the presence of Jesuits no longer within Vatican Radio but in a much larger reality. In addition, Monsignor Vigano mentioned the Pope’s gratitude and satisfaction for this new form of collaboration within the process of reform.

“Times change,” said the Delegate of the Society of Jesus, Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves. “It is part of the vocation of the Society of Jesus to serve the Church, as the Church requests. Our contribution in the realm of communication makes us happy because we can contribute to the reforms desired by the Holy Father.

Interview with the Prefect of the Vatican Department, Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò by GesuitiNews

First of all, it is a very important stage that is the point of arrival of a path of discernment that has lasted two years, because of course the reform of the communication system wanted by the Holy Father demanded a change, a rethinking. I must say that I am also very pleased that this Convention took place just a few days after Father Stefanizzi’s 100th birthday. Why? Because Father Stefanizzi was director of Vatican Radio at a time when the universal Church was transforming its skin, that is, during Vatican Council II: a time when the Church was rethinking concrete ways in a renewed context. Therefore, this Convention marks the will to be present as Holy See and as Society of Jesus in an apostolic mission that is called to change the ways of production. Then, it is important because it says a continuity, that is the fact that the Jesuits - who since 1931 have followed and put themselves at the service of what was Vatican Radio - today as a community remain and live the apostolic mission of communicating the Gospel within a new reality that is the Secretariat for Communication; as the Pope says, not a unification but a reality from scratch.

The Convention is also a more general stage in the reform of the Curia. What will be the new role of the Jesuits in the Secretariat for Communication?

The reform of the media is a small part of the more comprehensive reform of the Curia, a reform made, not as some say against the Curia, but together with the Curia. The role of the Jesuits is what they have today: a community of professionals - most of them editors - who live a profession, a professionalism in God's way, that is, they live their own personal path of sanctification within a way of living their profession in a community that is the community of editors, the community of professionals and the community of technicians of the Secretariat for Communication. It is therefore a very important role indeed. Let us not forget that some Jesuits are already taking on roles of particular centrality in designing the new media communication system. Therefore, that competence, that humanity transfigured by the experience of faith, which is a very important contribution in a working community, will continue to be valued.

How is the communication system of the Vatican media changing?

In recent months we are all experimenting. Meanwhile, we have experimented with multimedia production for the trip to Colombia; we will make another one for the next trip to Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is not produced for the radio, television or portal: there is a multimedia production where the outputs, these media that I mentioned before, then draw on or value for their own output channels. This is a great global change, one that also rethinks the productive system. The role of the journalist also changes, which is precisely a role with more multitasking skills. Then I think that some changes have been made. For example, at this moment we are talking about Vatican Radio Italy and in these days we have a digital terrestrial channel, the 777, with which we can follow throughout Italy this radio station, which is a radio of information, of deepening, of meeting with many realities of our country and also with international openings.