World Communications Day 2025 theme calls for gentleness

By Vatican News

The Holy See Press Office released the theme Pope Francis has chosen for the Church's 59th World Communications Day in 2025, Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts (cf. 1Pt 3:15-16).

The introductory text accompanying the theme notes that the topic aims to bring attention to the fact that in today's world, "too often communication is violent, aimed at striking and not at establishing the conditions for dialogue." This calls for efforts "to disarm communication, to cleanse it of aggression."

The theme description notes that the prevailing standard seems to be that of competition, opposition, and domination as can be seen in television talk shows to verbal wars on social media. It adds that for Christians, "hope is a person, and He is Christ." And this hope is tied to community, since "when we speak of Christian hope we cannot disregard a community that lives the message of Jesus in such a credible way as to give a glimpse of the hope that it brings, and is capable of communicating the hope of Christ with deeds and words even today."

World Communications Day is usually celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost. Pope Paul VI established the Day in 1967 in the wake of the Second Vatican Council as an annual celebration that encourages reflecting on the opportunities and challenges that the media offer and how the Church can better communicate the Gospel message.