Andy Bradford

12/9/21

Dr. Martino

Project 2

The Francis Factor

As a society, we usually see our family and friends as our “inner circle”, but I think that

we should start to see others as a part of that same circle. God calls us to love our neighbors as

ourselves. By God’s definition of “neighbor”, all the people in the world are our neighbors. We

would love our neighbors as we love our inner circle of family and friends. If we treat all others

well, as well as we treat ourselves or our loved ones, we will be making the world a better place

and working toward the common good. I have not previously recognized my role in this

community, but I have begun to see it.

The internet has immense opportunity to positively impact our sense of true community.

Pope Francis considers it “a gift from God” (Pope Francis, 205). It gives us the ability to connect

with each other in a historic way that we have never had before. However, the Pope cautions that

this advancement comes with distinct downsides. It should not be a replacement for human

interaction, for building real connections between us. When people spend most or all of their

time communicating with others only digitally, there are risks. There is a risk of addiction,

isolation or a disconnection from reality. Because individuals with negative thoughts or beliefs

now have the ability to connect more easily than in the past, they have the propensity to unite

against a perceived common enemy (Pope Francis, 43). This is how “campaigns of hatred and

destruction” have begun in recent years. Because of the ease of accessibility of internet, people
are in the habit of posting information on every detail of their lives. As a consequence, others can

“shamelessly peer” into others lives, combing over details, providing feedback and opinions.

This can be negative and respect for others can disintegrate (Pope Francis, 42). Personally, I

agree with Pope Francis’ position on how the internet is affecting society. I think that we are

starting to drift further away from reality, and technology and the internet are one of the main

reasons why.

A “deaf world” is the result of a frantic pace in life that prevents us from listening

attentively to what another person is saying (Pope Francis, 48). Without taking the time to let the

other person finish their sentence, we interrupt them and contradict. We fire off our thoughts

without fully processing what the other person is saying to us. Texting is a rapid form of

communication that has become common now but lacks the subtlety of interpersonal

communication. We miss the smile on the person’s face when they are making the joke or the

kindness in their eyes as they seek to empathize. We may “see” the words that someone says to

us, but we do not hear their full meaning. This quick communication and lack of time invested

in really hearing another person can render us deaf. Things such as technology and the internet,

as talked about earlier, are prime suspects for people’s lack of ability in social situations.

Pope Francis tells us that we can embrace this modern form of communication to have

generous encounters with others (Pope Francis, 205). We can use the internet to support our

search for the whole truth. We can employ it to find ways to serve others. All of us can promote

the common good through social media and online communication. I find great truth in Pope

Francis’ assessment of the impact of digital connectivity. I always hesitate posting on social

media because even a trivial post can draw the ire and criticism of others who don’t hesitate to

express their opinions. Not often do I find that our extreme connectedness brings us closer
together, as it should, as it can. After reading the Pope’s positions, I will read social media with

a new filter in place, one that is framed by a sense of community. I see that I have a

responsibility to participate in the community, not hide from it or work solely toward my own

goals.

Overall, I agree with Pope Francis’ position on the impact that the internet and

technology are having on society. Technology as a whole is placing a limit on our capability to

interact as a community. While there are negative implications of the excessive use of

technology and the internet, I also agree with Pope Francis in that we should embrace the

modern form of communication. While there are both positive and negatives to the modern

innovations in technology and communication, adaptations can be made to promote a sense of

community in the Catholic faith.

The Good Samaritan and the passers-by have very different interactions with the

assaulted man on the roadside. The passers-by look away from the individual who has been

robbed, stripped and beaten. They showed him no compassion. They looked away from him

and hurried on their way without sparing a thought. They were busy making their way that day

and a stranger in the road was not going to distract them from their plans. In opposition, the

Good Samaritan stops, helps, then spends his time and money to aid a stranger. The Good

Samaritan expected no recognition or reward for his actions. He knew that his actions would be

pleasing to God and therefore his duty (Pope Francis, 79).

Pope Francis reminds us that we all share a common trait: we all share a “responsibility

for the wounded, those of our own people and all the peoples of the earth” (Pope Francis, 79).

The Good Samaritan recognized this trait within himself. If we could all willingly embrace the

suffering, hurt and pain of today’s vulnerable population, we can find common ground with one
another and feel the renewed sense of social bond and fraternity. Instead of fighting a common

enemy, we can come together to lift each other up. We don’t lower ourselves by reaching down

to lend a hand, we raise the other person up. The Good Samaritan reached out a hand to the

stranger and took care of him as family, or a treasured “neighbor”.

Pope Francis makes the point to us that in the current day, many people have formed into

groups behind a common identity that divides them from others. These groups organize to

defend against any foreign threat that might denigrate or offend their identity. The common

denominator, or identity, of these groups may be racial, ethnic or a social class. Anyone

“different” from the group is excluded. This thinking prohibits anyone outside the group from

being a friend, or “neighbor”, in the spirit of the Good Samaritan. If we think like this, we may

be willing to help those in our group, but no one else. We would be no better than the passers-by

in the parable. The passers-by would be willing to help others of their “class”, but they hurried

past the beaten stranger. They ignored their responsibility for the wounded and as a result, they

missed out on the great satisfaction in life the Good Samaritan felt from helping.

The common message that I came to recognize as the most compelling piece of the

Parable of the Good Samaritan is that we all share a responsibility for the wounded. This made

the sense of community that Pope Francis trying to instill in the Catholic faith come full circle to

me. Portraying that we are not only responsible for our “neighbor” or only the people in our

inner circle, but we need to be responsible and take care of all people in society is what Catholic

tradition and the encyclical are truly about.

The film Francesco gave me a different perspective on how someone can care for a

whole community as opposed to the small inner circle as the majority of us do. Pope Francis

traveled all throughout the world to instill the sense of community that has seemingly been lost
over recent years. The film allowed us to see him physically interact and spread the message

instilled in the encyclical with different groups such as Syrian refugees who are often neglected

in most circles and communities as a whole. Throughout the semester, I have learned a variety of

things about the Catholic faith. It was very interesting to see how the most prominent figure of

Catholicism promote the ideas that we have discussed to the whole Catholic community.