Pope Francis is perhaps one of the world's most listened to leaders, and his communication strategy is one of the most studied. Journalist and priest, Jorge Oesterheld, has closely followed this strategy, since he served as spokesman for the Argentine bishops when Bergoglio was a cardinal.
FR. JORGE OESTERHELD
Director, 'Vida Nueva' Southern Cone Edition
'We must talk about what happens to people, not what happens to the priests. One of the things Bergoglio does is talk about the problems other people have, instead of his own problems. Sometimes priests or bishops speak of their own problems, but people are not interested in the bishops' problems, they are interested in the problems facing themselves.'
Jorge Oesterheld has presented his latest book in Rome. It is entitled 'Not Just a Click,' an exciting proposal for those working in the field of communication within the Church or for the Church.
He says it is not enough to publish a website and post articles. He advocates for working with the new ways of understanding reality so people can greater understand them.
FR. JORGE OESTERHELD
Director, 'Vida Nueva' Southern Cone Edition
'To speak well, what you need to do is first listen well. I really like the image of Jesus healing the ear to let the mute speak. When one does not find the words, it is because he still has not heard it good enough. When a communicator is not understood, he does not have to get angry with the public, it's only he still has not sufficiently heard his audience.'
He recalled that one cultural frame of our time is 'sentiments.' Therefore, to reach the core of communication, one should convey 'love, tenderness and kindness. This is the lesson that Pope Francis would give if he was a communications professor.
JORGE OESTERHELD
Director, 'Vida Nueva' Southern Cone Edition
'I think he always talks about proximity, closeness, being neighbors, always looking people in the eyes and caring what happens to the person in front of him. He also always encourages communicators not to lose that personal dimension of communication.'
'Not Just a Click' is a short book, but it contains intellectual challenges along with profound and useful tips on how everyone is able to communicate the biggest challenge in the history of mankind: Christianity.
