Pope Leo XIV has urged the media to serve as peacemakers and to embrace communication that brings us out of the confusion of lovelessness, ideological, or partisan languages. Yet the proliferation of new and heavily ideological media outlets prevents dialogue among people with differing views, continues to deepen existing polarization, and erodes possibilities for a politics of solidarity. A growing share of Americans now hold increasingly hostile views toward those with different beliefs, and today’s highly fractured media landscape only seems to reinforce those divides.
This Salt and Light Gathering examined how our current media environment fuels our political, religious, and social fragmentation in the United States, with a particular focus on young adults. It considered how, within this climate, young people might respond to Pope Leo’s call to build a culture of solidarity through a “disarmed and disarming communication [that] allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity.”
Anna Gordon, assistant director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the dialogue.
This gathering will had three parts:
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Welcoming Happy Hour
Meet and network with other young leaders over food and drink
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Dialogue
A conversation on “Broken Links: How do Media Silos Undermine Social Solidarity?”
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Reception
Continue the conversation with other young leaders over food and drink
Resources
View articles, podcasts, and other resources for this dialogue.
This Salt and Light Gathering is for Catholics under 40 years old in Washington to help them explore links between faith, Catholic social thought, and their lives and work.
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