Vatican City: On the eve of the 59th World Communications Day, the Church reflects deeply on the central role of listening in meaningful communication—a message long championed by the late Pope Francis and now powerfully continued by his successor, Pope Leo XIV. Both leaders have consistently emphasized that true dialogue cannot exist without the humble and deliberate act of listening, a spiritual and human posture rooted in openness and empathy.

A poignant reminder of Pope Francis’ legacy emerged just days after his passing with the release of a brief video recorded in January 2024. Addressed to youth, the under-one-minute message captured the Pope’s urgent plea to rediscover the art of listening—not just as a communication tool, but as a way of life. For over twelve years, Pope Francis embodied this ethic, offering a listening ear to those society often marginalizes: the forgotten, the inconvenient, and the voiceless. His papacy stood as a mirror to a noisy world, calling it to pause, listen, and truly hear.

“Listen first, and only then speak,” Pope Francis often said. Communication, in his eyes, began not with words, but with presence—a presence willing to bear the weight of others' stories, even when they were painful or disruptive. His so-called “pastoral care of the ear” became a hallmark of his approach, deeply influenced by St. Francis of Assisi’s admonition to “incline the ear of the heart.”

This spiritual principle wasn’t new. Centuries earlier, St. Augustine warned, “Do not let your heart be in your ears, but let your ears be in your heart.” These teachings, rich in wisdom and compassion, have found new voice in Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. Known for his Augustinian formation and years of missionary service in Peru, Pope Leo has carried forward this culture of listening with unwavering integrity.

Those who have worked closely with Pope Leo consistently affirm one core characteristic: he listens—with depth, patience, and an open heart. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, recently described him as “a man who listens before speaking, who reflects deeply before acting, and who never seeks to impose his preferences.” For Pope Leo, listening is not just a virtue; it is a method of governance, pastoral care, and evangelization.

In a society increasingly driven by the need to dominate conversations—especially online, where the “last word” often counts more than wisdom—both Popes call us back to something more radical: the humility to listen without agenda. Communication, they remind us, must not be a contest, but a communion—especially when we disagree.

Pope Leo XIV’s commitment to this path was formed early, beginning in his childhood home in Chicago and deepened through his time with the Augustinians. He often recalls a pivotal moment just before entering the novitiate: a long, heartfelt conversation with his father. “Even though I had heard the same teaching before,” he said, “my father’s words hit me differently. There was something deeply human in his voice. I realized: this is worth listening to.”

In an age where technology accelerates communication but rarely fosters connection, this call to listen is more urgent than ever. Psychiatrist Eugenio Borgna once observed that during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, a deep longing to be heard surfaced across humanity. This longing—raw, persistent, and spiritual—cannot be fulfilled by algorithms or digital echoes. Only another human heart, genuinely listening, can meet that need.

This is the profound invitation of World Communications Day 2025: to make room in our lives and hearts for others, not merely to speak but to hear—truly hear—the stories and struggles that shape them. The teachings of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV converge on this foundational truth: that listening is not just the first act of communication, but the first step toward healing a broken world.

At a time when misunderstanding fuels division, and silence is often drowned out by shouting, their message rings with a prophetic clarity: to restore our shared humanity, we must first restore the dignity of listening.