(ANS – Rome – November 4, 2026) – On the evening of November 3, 2026, during the General Council session that began on October 26, Father Fidel Orendain, General Councillor for Social Communication, gave his “goodnight” talk to the community at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica at Salesian Headquarters. Drawing on his visits to the Congregation’s eight regions, he called for a return to the fundamentals of communication: communion among the confreres.

The Fundamentals and Visits to the Regions

Father Orendain recalled that all communication requires a sender, a recipient, a message, a medium, and “noise.” Technology has changed—from letters and newspapers to WhatsApp, Instagram, and artificial intelligence—but the fundamentals remain the same: someone speaks, someone listens, and the message must get through.

During his visits to the eight regions, he encountered different cultures, languages, and ways of communicating. Some provinces have modern communications departments, while in others, a single confrere handles almost everything. Some produce excellent videos; elsewhere, the website works perfectly well, “but nobody can remember the password.”

A Contradiction to Be Overcome

Several delegates have called for more technology, more video messages, and more social media content. These are valid initiatives, but the Councillor noted a contradiction: there is a desire to improve digital communication while, at times, communities struggle to communicate with one another.

In some places, the Delegate for Social Communication speaks very little with the Provincial, and vice versa. He has also encountered communities with strained fraternal relationships, confreres who no longer speak to one another, and unresolved misunderstandings. He observed that sometimes it seems easier to communicate with artificial intelligence than with a confrere because, at least, it does not argue or sulk.

Communication for Communion

This is why the Sector is emphasizing “Communication for Communion” this year. Before calling for more technology, videos, and publications, Father Orendain said, we need to return to talking, listening, sharing information, clearing up misunderstandings, and nurturing relationships. Before communicating our mission to the world, we must communicate among ourselves; before presenting ourselves as the Salesian Family, we must live as a family. Sometimes communion begins simply by saying “Good morning!” to a confrere with whom we have not spoken for some time.

His encouragement is for the Congregation to become more communicative, strengthening communion and identity so that we can serve the mission together—speaking openly, listening patiently, and drawing closer to one another.

The best technology, he concluded, may be the simplest: sitting down with a confrere, looking him in the eye, and having a sincere conversation over a cup of coffee. “You don’t need Wi-Fi!”