Vatican on journalism

FRIBOURG, Switzerland
September 18, 2001

(LSN.ca) - Archbishop John P. Foley, the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications addressed the World Congress of Catholic Journalists yesterday telling journalists to "have an unwavering dedication to truth" and "not to political correctness."

Zenit News (Zenit.org) reported on the conference noting that the archbishop, himself a former student of journalism, counseled the close to 1,000 young journalists present, from over 100 countries to be purveyors of truth and hope in charity.

 "I would ask, first, that you have an unwavering dedication to truth -- not to ideology, not to personal prejudice, not to political correctness or social conformity, but to truth," Archbishop Foley said. He called on journalists to "Seek out the signs and the people of hope in society, and make them better known, so that others can know of, and emulate, good example and be inspired by good ideas."

And he warned against "those who arouse angry or hate-filled emotions" since "We are in need, now more than ever, of instruments of peace."