Pope Francis then specified: “Only if, through silence and prayer, we make space for Jesus, who is the Word of the Father, will we know how to free ourselves from the contamination of vain words and verbiage. Silence and sobriety – in words, in the use of things, media and networks – are not just ‘adornments’ or virtues, but essential elements of the Christian life.”
Regarding the second image, the voice, the Pontiff highlighted that “this is the instrument with which we express what we think and carry in our hearts. We understand then that it is closely linked to silence, because it expresses what matures within, from listening to what the Spirit suggests.”
“Brothers and sisters, if you do not know how to remain silent, it is difficult to have something good to say; On the other hand, the more attentive the silence, the stronger the word. “John the Baptist… the prophetic power of his voice is linked to the authenticity of his experience and the clarity of his heart.”