Spirituality should feature more prominently in the media as it remains important to people, according to Gozo Bishop Mario Grech.
“Rather than passing on moralistic and ethical content, I expect that, through the art of the media, people are given the opportunity to reflect on their spiritual heritage… helped to find a practical way to build a meaningful relationship with God,” Mgr Grech said in a message read out during Mass celebrated on Saturday at the church of the Franciscan nuns of the Sacred Heart, in Victoria, on the occasion of the feast of St Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists.
As he thanked members of the media for their contribution to society, Mgr Grech said the press provided access to useful information that could help people find answers to questions they might have, including existential ones.
The media, he said, helped people grow in various important fields such as education, culture, science, economy and politics.
While the media was generally catering well for society’s needs, because they knew their audiences, there was an area that could be better addressed: the spiritual dimension.
Every person, including non-believers, sought a meaning in life, so discourse on God still had place in today’s secularised society. This meant that spirituality was still a relevant subject deserving of space in the media, Mgr Grech said.
The word spirituality, he said, was not limited to Christianity. It had to be taken for its “human content” because man was not just made of matter but also had a spirit and spiritual needs, such as cherishing love and all that was good.
Making space for spirituality did not mean dishing out information about the Church’s current affairs. “I am referring to spiritual reflection that can lead to nostalgia for God,” Mgr Grech said.
“When man satisfies this internal need, not only will he be more spiritually authentic but he will also be more of an authentic human being. It will be easier to live in harmony with others and with his environment…
“The man who manages to fill the spiritual void is able to better contribute towards the common good,” he said.