In the Catholic Times' Eyes of the Readers' column, a parish priest gives the readers some points on why not only priests but all of us need education in the field of communication.
He recently received an official letter from the Diocesan Youth Bureau. It was asking for cooperation in having the elementary Sunday school teachers attend "self-discovery and communication education programs" to help them communicate smoothly, and sympathize with community members. Looking at the content, he saw that communication was recognized as an important factor in operating a Sunday school. Then, he wondered how much the priests in charge of Sunday schools knew about communication. Shouldn't priests also receive helps in communication so that they can communicate properly with teachers and students?
These problems are not limited to Sunday schools but to all our relationships. Since church activities themselves consist of communication, it can be said that "church is all about communication". Liturgy, sermons, Sacraments, evangelization, education, group gatherings, events, etc. all fall under the category of 'communication'.
Furthermore, social media: YouTube, Kakao Talk, Facebook, and Instagram are common in churches, and in particular, pastoral matters and evangelization through YouTube are very active. In addition, with the opening of the artificial intelligence era, it is difficult for one to live without communication. Such huge media changes have a strong influence not only on our lives but also on the church, but media education and communication education for priests are presently insufficient.
He thinks the Pope's statements, on 'Communication Sunday' every year should be of great help to us. It is a good place to go for education on communication.
The discourses have been consistent for the last three years. In 2021, under the theme of "Come and See" (John 1,46), direct face-to-face communication was emphasized and introduced as the most effective and objective communication and missionary method. In 2022, he mentioned the importance of listening under the theme of "Listening with the Ears of the Heart." This year, as an extension of last year's theme, "Speaking with your heart" was presented as the theme. In this world, "which is often biased toward indifference and anger based on false information that manipulates and exploits the truth," it says that truth can be declared when communicating with true hearts, and minds, "even if it is sometimes uncomfortable." He believes he knows what "speak with your heart" means. The Pope urges us, who live in a "devastated society" to "seek and speak the truth with courage and freedom, and reject the temptation of sensational and aggressive expression."
True communication, begins with understanding the other's situation. No matter how fast and convenient digital media such as SNS, smartphones, and AI make communication, unilateral communication without considering the other person's mind only treats the other person as "it" rather than a person, and eventually brings hurt and pain.
So, the precondition for true communication is to understand the mind of others, and for that, you need to listen, you must have an 'open mind'. As you and I become ‘open hearts’ and heart speaks to heart, true dialogue and sharing will take place and true peace will bloom. These are the reasons he believes communication education is necessary for the priesthood training process and for all of us.
