The appeal was part of a 20-page document from the Vatican’s communications department titled “Towards Full Presence. A Pastoral Reflection on Social Media Engagement.”
The Vatican on Monday urged bishops and high-profile lay Catholic leaders to moderate their comments on social media, saying some are causing division and fueling polemics that have harmed the entire Church.
The appeal was part of a 20-page document from the Vatican’s communications department titled “Towards Full Presence. A Pastoral Reflection on Social Media Engagement.”
The document, addressed to all Catholics, warned of the dangers of fake news on social media and other forms of abuse that had turned people into commodities whose data is sold, often without their knowledge or consent.
He condemned the polarization and extremism that had led to “digital tribalism” on social media, saying individuals were often locked into silos of opinion that prevented dialogue and often led to violence, abuse and misinformation.
“Christian style should be reflective, not reactive, on social media. Therefore, we should all be careful not to fall into the digital traps hidden in content that is deliberately designed to sow conflict between users by provoking anger or emotional reactions,” the document states.
“The problem of belligerent and superficial and therefore divisive communication is especially troubling when it comes from the leadership of the Church: bishops, pastors and prominent lay leaders,” he said.
A number of conservative Catholic bishops and high-profile commentators, particularly in the United States, have criticized Pope Francis on Twitter, with some having supported scathing, far-right video attacks against the pontiff.
“Unfortunately, broken relationships, conflicts and divisions are no stranger to the Church. For example, when groups presenting themselves as ‘Catholic’ use their social media presence to encourage division, they are not behaving as a Christian community should,” the document said.
He said special attention should be paid to the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming years, urging Catholics to beware of machines “making our decisions for us.”
In 2020, the Vatican joined forces with tech giants Microsoft and IBM to promote the ethical development of artificial intelligence and call for the regulation of intrusive technologies such as facial recognition.
