Members of the Mucurapo Girls’ RC School choir lead the singing at last Sunday’s devotions. Photo: Raymond Syms

Trinidad and Tobago – a gentle nation. This is what we need people to become, said Archbishop Joseph Harris, the main celebrant and homilist at the first in the 2012 series of monthly devotions at the Marian Shrine, Laventille. This was his first time participating in the devotions since becoming Archbishop of Port of Spain.

Silence is “an integral element of communication”, according to Pope Benedict XVI. In the absence of silence, he says, “words rich in content cannot exist”.

Pope Benedict made these points in his message for the 46^th World Communications Day, which is being marked today (Sunday).

Theme of his message is Silence and Word: Path of Evangelisation.

Every year, in its World Communications Day message, the Church incisively appraises the communication technology and its impact on culture, stressing always the positive over the negative, offering encouragement to digital natives and calling everyone to make the best use of the media. This year is no different.