New book of Pope Francis on communication prefaced by Archbishop Justin Welby

25 May 2020 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3630

A new book of Pope Francis' writings on human relationships, Diversi e uniti, contains a preface by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (May 2020)

A new volume of the “Exchange of Gifts” series of the Vatican Publishing House (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, LEV) has been issued. Entitled “Diversi e uniti. Comunico quindi sono” (“Diverse and United: I communicate, therefore I am”), the book draws together a selection of Pope Francis’s writings in which he reflects on human relationships – the relationships that exist between people created in the image of God.

The text is introduced by Most Reverend Dr Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide. In his preface, Archbishop Welby writes, “My brother in Christ, Pope Francis, lays before us in his words the promise of divine love and mercy: the love that God has for His people and the invitation that God gives to each of us to be in a relationship with Him”.

“Diversi e uniti” includes a previously unpublished chapter entitled “With the gaze of Christ” in which the Holy Father reflects on how for truly human communication it is necessary “to enter into contact with the world and with others, and to build relationships”, explaining that “without this look of love, human communication… can easily become only a dialectical duel”. Communication can then become not simply a means of exchanging information, but of building communion. He goes on to reflect that effective dialogue means being secure in one’s own identity, but also recognizing the identity of the other and being open to their freedom.

The “Exchange of Gifts” series has an ecumenical focus, with most volumes including a preface written by representatives of other Churches or Ecclesial Communities. The first two volumes of the series had been prefaced respectively by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and by Patriarch Kirill of the Moscow Patriarchate

The LEV’s catalogue also includes Acta Œcumenica the new annual publication of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity which substitutes and continues on from “Information Service”.