Richard A. Sokerka
When the pope’s prayer intentions are focused on what you do for a living, it’s a very humbling experience, pointing to the fact that you should be motivated to always speak the truth in love.
That’s the message we want to share with all of our fellow journalists — religious or secular— because Pope Francis has dedicated the month of October to praying for journalists — specifically that their work would always be motivated by ethics and the truth.
The Pope said he often wonders, “How can media be put to the service of a culture of encounter?”
“We need information leading to a commitment for the common good of humanity and the planet,” he said. Specifically, he prayed “that journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for the truth and a strong sense of ethics.”
In our day and age, in which news travels as fast as the sound of speed, journalists are literally falling over each other to get the scoop on a breaking story. But those of us in this vocation must never forget that doing our job properly with our God-given talents, means we are never to check our ethical standards and our respect for the truth at the door when we walk into our offices each day. For as Pope Francis said, “There is no journalism without ethics” because this profession “has the truth as its foundation.”
And yes, as the Pope requests, please pray for all of us who labor in this important field.