On May 15, 2022 Pope Francis canonised a renowned and fearless journalist Fr Titus Brandsma, a Dutch priest of Carmelite Order. He was martyred in an infamous Nazi Concentration Camp at Dachau in Germany. His canonisation coincided with the World Press Freedom Day celebrated on May 3, about two weeks before he was made saint and World Day of Social Communications celebrated on May 29, about two weeks ahead of making him saint. He raised his voice against the Nazi regime which exterminated people by poison gas or shooting. Like intrepid prophets of the Old Testament in the Bible, who fearlessly took on the unjust and heartless kings and rulers of those days, St Brandsma fought tooth and nail against the ruthless regime of Hitler. He was the editor of the local newspaper and the ecclesiastical adviser to Catholic journalists of several Dutch newspapers.
He persuaded Catholic newspapers not to print Nazi propaganda as commanded by Nazi occupiers of Netherlands. St. Brandsma was a torchbearer who dared to speak against the genocide of one particular Jewish community. In those horrible and fearful days he had the temerity to speak the truth. His bold action drew ire of Nazi regime and he was arrested and sent to Dachau camp. There he was killed on July 26, 1942 by a lethal injection of carbolic acid. St. John Paul II, the Polish Pope beatified Fr Brandsma on November 3, 1985. The Pope expressed: “Fr Brandsma was a valiant journalist and a martyr of freedom of expression against the tyranny of the dictatorship.”
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St Brandsma is a role model for the journalists in India. Many of the journalists have become the mouthpieces and loudspeakers of the ruling dispensation. There are paid journalists who publish the news in favour of the authorities contrary to the truth. There are some journalists who are involved in yellow journalism. They publish sensationalised news to attract the readers. Do the journalists in India have the prophetic courage to take fascist and fundamental forces which are working to destroy the secular and pluralistic fabric of our nation? Brandsma is an inspiration for the journalists in India not to conceal the truth but to speak against the nefarious acts of those in power.
According to UNESCO 55 journalists were killed in 2021 worldwide while carrying out their work. Many of them were imprisoned globally. They faced violence, threat, repression, censorship and stoppage. Pope Francis on the occasion World Press Freedom Day paid tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the service they offer covering world events for us. He thanked them ‘who courageously inform us about the scourges of humanity.’
India needs courageous journalists like St Brandsma to be the voice of the voiceless and to be free and bold to defend the fundamental rights of the poor, dalits, tribal, low castes, women as India ranks at 150 in the World Press Freedom ranking. Pope Francis in his message to World Day of Social Communications challenges the communicators to listen with the ear of their heart. The journalists need to listen to the cries and tragic stories of the people.
