Pope Francis has called on an Asian church-run radio station, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 11, to help build “a more just and united society"
In his message to Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), the pontiff expressed hope that the station would pursue its mandate to preach the Gospel and be a "channel of love by being the voice of the poor."
The pope said he would pray that the media organization, established in 1969, would continue, "to raise the hearts of listeners to the God of love and truth."
He urged church media communicators to knit "the bonds of evangelical love" for Catholics to be conscious of "the grief and anxieties" of people, especially the poor.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, papal nuncio to Manila, read the pope’s message during the first day of a week-long celebration at the
University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
In his own remarks, Archbishop Caccia stressed the importance of "unity and communion" in "spreading the truth."
"Any time we build in communion, there will be a good result according to the Gospel," said the prelate, adding that the "Church is missionary, or it doesn’t exist."
He said the radio station’s establishment 50 years ago "was under the sign of the mission to spread with creativity, with new means, but always to spread the Gospel."
"If Jesus is the word of God, we have to listen to Him. You cannot watch the radio, but you can listen to the radio," he said.
"It reminds us that we are always listeners of the word. If we don’t listen to the word with Jesus, we are not based in the truth, and we are not free," added the archbishop.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, papal nuncio to Manila, delivers the message of Pope Francis during the 50th anniversary celebration of Radio Veritas Asia in Manila on April 10. (Photo by Angie de Silva) Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila said the aim of Radio Veritas is "to serve the truth and share it to wipe out ignorance."
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon said the station should be "the voice of the voiceless, the forgotten, the poor, the people on the peripheries."