Denver, Colo., Sep 22, 2017 / 15:07 pm
Five days after he was elected Pope, John Paul II met with journalists from around the world. The Pope was a scholar, a man of letters, and an actor. He understood the power of words and images, and he understood the power of media.
In his own country, Poland, John Paul had seen the state-run Communist media obscure the truth to create confusion and cement power. He had also seen the underground media – the resistance – risk lives and freedom to tell the truth. John Paul II knew that words and images could sow the lies of Satan, or bring the freedom that comes from living in truth.
When he met with them, he told journalists that they should use the freedom of the press "to grasp the truth," and to help readers, listeners, and viewers "to live in justice and brotherhood, to discover the ultimate meaning of life, to open them up to the mystery of God."
The Pope told reporters that they should try "to grasp the authentic, deep and spiritual motivations of the Church's thought and action," and "to elevate…the spirit and the heart of men of good will, at the same time as the faith of Christians."