Why Catholic Communications Matter More Than Ever in 2026

Janelle Malkiewicz

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Catholic cleric wearing a winter coat speaks during an outdoor television interview as a cameraman films him with a microphone and video camera.

Coordinating an interview with Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg. Photo by the author.

World Communications Day 2026: Pope Leo XIV's Call to Preserve Human Voices and Faces

What is the role of social communications in the life of the Church? While the term “social communications” in 2026 sounds like we’re specifically referencing social media, it refers to something much bigger and much more ancient than that.

Social communication involves skills that are required to interact effectively with others. Social communication exists in the way Elizabeth greets Mary during their visit in the Gospel of Luke (1:39-46), in how Mary Magdalene greets Jesus as she recognizes him in the Gospel of John (20:16), and the way John the Baptist proclaims the good news to the people he is baptizing before Jesus begins his ministry. All of these instances are examples of social communication.

World Day of Social Communications

The Sunday before Pentecost always marks the 60th World Day of Social Communications. This is one of the Church’s special observances that particularly sticks out for me as I’ve spent the last five years working in the field of Catholic communications. Through this experience, I must tip my proverbial hat to all of the excellent communications staff throughout the Church in Canada. I’ve been privileged to connect and collaborate with some of them, and there is no shortage of good work being done.

What this day means for Catholic communicators

Pope Leo’s Message for the 60th World Communications Day, entitled “Preserving Human Voices and Faces,” reminds us that AI cannot and must not replace human voices and faces. The Holy Father encourages us to resist the temptation to renounce our ability to think, to trade reality for stimulation (no matter how convenient), and to surrender to a handful of platforms.

While I was working for Archbishop Chatlain here in Winnipeg, he’d said to me, “If we don’t tell our stories, someone else will do it for us.” That thought resonated with me. With the rise of AI-generated content, it’s important to remember that human beings have an essential role to play in telling inspiring, hope-filled stories and sharing the Good News of Christ to those around us.

I believe that Catholic communications work has never been more necessary. Every authentic story, podcast, homily, parish bulletin, livestream, and social media reel is a small act of preservation, a refusal to let faces and voices be replaced. I believe this whether the media in question is published by our bishops, diocesan communications teams, Catholic broadcasters, or dedicated parish media volunteers, podcasters, photographers, journalists, social media managers, and catechists. Each one of these individuals is sharing only a fraction of the good work that Christ is doing in our country.

Three commitments for the year ahead

Pope Leo does not call us to stop digital innovation, but rather exhorts us to guide it and be aware of its ambivalent nature. He calls on us, the faithful, to practice responsibility, cooperation, and education. If you find yourself in a position of communicating the Church’s mission, ask yourself:

Whose face and whose voice am I preserving in my work this week? What is my responsibility to these faces and voices in my work?

Who outside my parish, diocese, or organization could I be learning with? Where are there opportunities for additional collaboration and cooperation?

What am I doing to grow my own media and AI literacy — and to share it with someone else?

Salt + Light Media’s mission of bringing Christ to the world through media is precisely the kind of work Pope Leo describes when he calls for "a constructive and meaningful public service" built on transparency, inclusion, and quality. My personal thanks and admiration to all of you doing this great work inside and outside of the Church’s walls. Let us be grounded in truth, the spirit of the Gospel, and digital stewardship.