A fine mattinata, nella Sala Clementina del Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, il Santo Padre Giovanni Paolo II ha ricevuto in Udienza i partecipanti all’Assemblea Plenaria del Pontificio Consiglio delle Comunicazioni Sociali ed ha loro rivolto le parole di saluto che riportiamo di seguito:

Your Eminences,

Your Excellencies,

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am pleased once more to greet you, the Members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, on the occasion of your Plenary Meeting and I thank your President, Archbishop John Foley, for his kind words.

As your Meeting this year marks the Fortieth Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication, as well as the Fortieth Anniversary of the foundation of your Dicastery, I encourage you to draw inspiration from the conciliar document to continue in your mission of helping those who work in this vast field to animate it "with a humane and Christian spirit" (Inter Mirifica, No. 3). In this way the media will be in a better position to tap their "enormous positive potential for promoting sound human and family values and thus contributing to the renewal of society" (Message for the 2004 World Communications Day, No. 6).

I invoke the guiding light of the Holy Spirit upon you and your work, and I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.

[00356-02.01] [Original text: English]