5 Communicative Lessons from Pope Francis

In times of deep crisis of credibility of the Church-and it is not necessary to evoke now what the shortcomings-Pope Francis has proved not only a religious leader, but a communicator with lessons that transcend religious borders. On the eve of coming to Fatima in 2017, a Gallup poll to over 60,000 people worldwide showed that, regardless of religion, Francis had a favorable image for more than half of the global population. Portugal, curiously, was then the country where this approval was higher: 95%.

What made Francisco such an effective communicator?

1. A radical opening to the other

The Pope had the rare gift of listening without fear. I wanted to hear who thinks differently, welcomed everyone, regardless of their state of life. For him, each person was worth more than his ideas and his mistakes. He challenged the church to leave its comfort zones, visited physical and existential peripheries, and made room for real dialogue. This opening gave him a communicative authority that does not come from the imposition, but from empathy.

2. Courage to take risks

It was perhaps the most unpredictable Pope of modern times: he improvised, called directly to the faithful, responded without scripting or precautions to journalists on papal flights, granted interviews to unlikely means. This exhibition, with all the risks of misunderstandings, reveals authenticity. He also forced communicators to interpret their words in the light of their style: spontaneous, pastoral, relational. Understanding the Pope without instrumentalizing him, demanded to know what he said in the original, in full, and in the tone with which he said.

3. Clarity on the essential

Francisco knows what he wants to communicate: the core of Christianity. In Evangelii Gaudium says that the essential proposal is simple and beautiful: « Jesus Christ loves you, gave your life to save you, and now live with you every day ». Faced with the media noise of controversial themes, Francis insists: the central truth is not doctrinal, it is relational. And it shows it, above all, with gestures. Last February wrote in the preface to a book by Austen Ivereigh: « As a Pope, I wanted to encourage our belonging to God, and then to creation and our brothers, especially those who call us out loud. ».

4. Truth transmits itself as goodness

It was an idea specially present in the ‘year of mercy’ that called in 2016: the truth is not an idea to impose, but a love to offer. He devoted every Friday to a gesture of mercy: he visited toxicode dependents, refugees, sick, priests away from the ministry, women rescued from prostitution. The message was silent but eloquent: God is close, and it is good. Before you believe, you must feel loved.

5.

In a post-truth time, Francis insists that there can be no peace without truth. But refuses the truth as a weapon. In Lumen Fidei, he states that only love allows us to access the truth: those who love see further, understand better, because he loves. This articulation between truth and mercy is perhaps the greatest challenge of Christian communication today – and also its greatest asset.

* * *

When it came to Fatima in 2017, you might have meant that faith begins with a beauty experience: that of a god who burns in the chest without burning. As the other Francis said, the pastor of Fatima: «I like God so much!». This simple language-which communicates with everyone-perhaps summarizes what Pope Francis has been teaching the world: faith communicates with the heart, before convincing reason.

Opus Dei Communication Office Sub-Director
Church Communication Consultant