Silence and the Word: Path of Evangelizationz : this is the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for World Communications Day 2012, which most countries celebrate on the Sunday before Pentecost (in 2012, 20 May). Commenting on the Pope’s choice of theme, a representative of the Pontifical Council for Social Com-munications said, “It is clearly the desire of the Holy Father to associate the theme of the next World Communications Day with the celebration of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops which will have as its own theme: The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.
The extraordinarily varied nature of the contribution of modern communications to society highlights the need for a value which, on first consideration, might seem to stand in contradistinction to it. In the thought of Pope Benedict XVI, silence is not presented simply as an antidote to the constant and unstoppable flow of information that characterizes society today but rather as a factor that is necessary for its integration. Silence, precisely because it favors habits of discernment and reflection, can be seen primarily as a means of welcoming the word.”