The Pope made these remarks in an address on the occasion of the third Coptic Press and Media Day, held on Thursday at the Papal Headquarters in Cairo. He stressed that the family is "the icon of the Church and the source of spiritual formation and societal cohesion." He noted the Church’s emphasis on family unity during the sacrament of Holy Matrimony and the symbolic meaning sometimes attributed to the word “family” as “father and mother, I love you.”
Addressing the impact of technology, the Pope warned that the age of humanity ended “with the invention of the mobile phone.” He argued that devices have increasingly dominated human behaviour, and urged spiritual discipline to safeguard personal agency. Mobile phones, he noted, "steal time and hence life.”
Moreover, the Pope also referred to what he called “the age of triviality,” which he described as an era that promotes pseudo intellectuals and shallowness while suppressing profound thinkers and deep thought. The family, the Pope noted, plays a decisive role in the upbringing of responsible individuals.
In conclusion, the Pope called on press and media institutions to develop awareness programmes that instil family values from early childhood. He also underscored the media's central role in disseminating knowledge and information to society at large.
During the event, Al-Ahram Establishment presented Pope Tawadros II with framed copies of the front pages of Al-Ahram daily newspaper dated 4 November 1952—his birthdate—and 4 November 2012, the day of the altar lot selection.
The event brought together several bishops, priests, and representatives of Coptic press and media institutions.
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