'To give a voice to love' - Media and Information Literacy Week

'To give a voice to love' - Media and Information Literacy week

At the beginning of October a young American sister wearing a habit posted a short video on twitter (X) giving some excellent helpful suggestions of how to pray the rosary. Amid the many replies of thanks was this one who identified him/herself as a 'trad' user tweeting,

'Good to promote the rosary,
but your sleeves should be below the elbow sister. I expect better from you.'

At the jubilee in July 2025 Pope Leo told Catholic Digital missionaries and influencers that,

'their mission is, to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together' for 'nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others.'

I wonder if some of the Catholic twitter 'trolls' have heard Pope Leo's message?

In March 2025 new polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK, exposed 'the staggering levels of online misogyny that plague social media, driving young people, particularly women, away from spaces meant for connection and creativity.'

24th October was World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them

The United Nations Assembly deemed that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.

Pope Leo would agree - he told Catholic Digital influencers,

'This is a challenge that we must face: reflecting on the authenticity of our witness, on our ability to listen and speak, and on our capacity to understand and to be understood.We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to Love. It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter of hearts'

24 October is also the start of 'Media and Information Literacy (MIL) week' (24 - 29 October), recognising the need for the dissemination of factual, timely, targeted, clear, accessible, multilingual and science-based information. The resolution recognizes that the substantial digital divide and data inequalities that exist among different countries and within them, can be addressed in part by improving people's competencies to seek, receive and impart information in the digital realm.'

In 2024 Global Witness commissioned the first global survey of land and environmental defenders and climate activists about their online experiences. The survey found that online abuse is very common among defenders who responded to the survey, and frequently translates into offline harm, including harassment, violence and arrests. This not only hurts defenders' wellbeing but also has a chilling effect on the climate movement, with many defenders reporting a loss of productivity and, in one case, even ending all their activism due to the abuse. 91% of the defenders who responded to the survey said that they believe digital platforms should do more to keep them and their communities safe.

But Twitter can also be a force for good by amplifying social movements, enabling developer networking, and providing a platform for non-profits and humanitarian organizations to share information and gain support. It undoubtedly gives opportunities to build online communities and advocate for change. I have found corners of religious twitter which builds people up, shares good news, amplifies our voices for justice and peace and gives us a place to work with others. Christians often use Twitter to ask for prayer, advice, or emotional support - and receive real compassion in return. It can also be a place of real joy and downright quirkiness and fun!

Many founders of religious orders wanted their members to be wherever there was a need and to use all means available to spread the message of God's love.

The foundress of my religious order, (Daughters of the Cross of Liege) Blessed Marie Therese Haze wanted her sisters to be wherever there was a need and she sent her sisters to all corners of Liege and then the world. Today across the world her sisters still 'exclude no work of mercy'. The foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, said, 'The streets will be our cloister'.

We, religious sisters and brothers (#NunsofTwitter and #BruvsofTwitter) are convinced that Twitter or social media in general is the modern equivalent of the streets of Catherine's Dublin and Marie Therese's Liege and this is where we should be. As Sister Cathy Edge (@knittingnun) said, 'Many see social media as an unfriendly or unsafe place to be and while this can be true, that is why I am here.'

Pope Leo says that Jesus called his disciples while they were 'mending their fishing nets' and added that Jesus asks the same of us today. Indeed, he asks us to weave other nets:

• networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic:

• networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter.

• networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no "bubble" can silence the voices of the weakest:

• networks that liberate and save:

• networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other's eyes:

• networks of truth. In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network:

• the network of networks, the network of God.

The 24th October was United Nations Day marking the 80th anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. United Nations Day offers the opportunity to reaffirm the purposes and principles of the UN Charter that have guided the United Nations for the past 80 years. With the theme, 'Building our future together' António Guterres said,

'On this UN Day, let's stand together and fulfil the extraordinary promise of your United Nations. Let's show the world what is possible when "we the peoples" choose to act as one.'

I too as a #NunOfTwitter take to heart Pope Leo's call for us to be:

'Agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism' and pray that we Christians on social media will,

'Show the world what is possible when "we the peoples" choose to act as one.

LINKS

United Nations Day (A/RES/168 (II))

World Development Information Day (A/RES/3038 (XXVII))

Global Media and Information Literacy Week, 24-31 October (A/RES/75/267)

Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/toxic-tech-new-polling-exposes-widespread-online-misogyny-driving-gen-z-away-social

Sister Cathy Edge 'Walking the streets of twitter': www.corew.org/news-events-blog/2022/3/16/irkuqslrugflp5eib9gbn6itigb8t2