Mexican bishops name five urgent challenges for Church communications
In a statement to journalists issued on October 22, the Mexican Bishops' Conference listed five urgent challenges for communications ministry and proposed joint projects involving dioceses, news outlets and universities
The Mexican Bishops' Conference has issued a statement setting out five urgent challenges for communications ministry and proposing joint initiatives among dioceses, news media and universities to strengthen responsible communication.
The conference addressed the statement to journalists and communicators across Mexico on October 22, at the opening of the Jubilee of the Pastoral Ministry of Communication. The jubilee marks the 50th anniversary of the Conferencia Episcopal para la Comunicación (Cepcom), the bishops' commission for communications. The Church and news professionals share an obligation to society, the text said: to seek the truth, defend human dignity and help build a more just and peaceful common life.
The bishops said practicing journalism in Mexico is far from easy. Violence against reporters, insecurity, censorship, disinformation and polarization are obstacles that harm not only those who work in the media but society as a whole, they said.
Five urgent challenges for communication
The bishops drew their list from an analysis prepared by Cepcom together with those who took part in the 33rd National Meeting on Communications Ministry. The first challenge is to recover the identity and mission of communication, understood not as the mere transmission of data but as the building of relationships and of trust.
The second is better formation for communicators, both human and spiritual and in professional skills, with particular attention to new digital languages and to the advance of artificial intelligence. The third is to overcome individualism. The bishops said communicators need to listen to one another more, share experiences and coordinate their work, and that communication should not be subordinated to personal prominence.
The fourth challenge is better organization and planning, with projects, structures and processes to ensure communications work continues. The fifth acknowledges that many offices and teams operate with small budgets, too few staff and limited resources. Strengthening the staffing, technical capacity and funding available cannot be put off, the statement said.
Joint initiatives among institutions
To address these challenges, the conference outlined initiatives that diocesan offices, news organizations and universities could undertake together. They include forums on the safety of journalists, violence, censorship and other obstacles to professional work, along with days of dialogue and listening among communicators.
The bishops also said valuable steps would include public recognition of the social service communicators provide and the spread of stories that bring hope and encourage solidarity. The statement closes by calling for a shared commitment to responsible communication, including ethical reflection on truth, respect for differences, human dignity and the responsible use of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence.
The commission asked both communicators and the Church to build their relationship on mutual respect, transparency, trust and recognition of each side's responsibilities.
