Pastoral Letter on the Use of Social Media
“Let Your Speech Always Be Gracious” is a Pastoral Letter by the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). It addresses the complexities of the rapidly evolving social media landscape, offering insightful guidance for interacting with digital platforms in alignment with the faith and moral values of the Catholic Church.
Acknowledging the significant impact of social media on both individuals and society, the Pastoral Letter discusses social media’s benefits as well as its challenges through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. At a practical level, it provides tools for moral reflection and self-examination, suggesting seven guiding commitments for social media users. To encourage deeper reflection and dialogue, the final page features questions designed for individual reflection or group discussion.
The Pastoral Letter, originally published in 2024 on the liturgical feast of Saint Francis de Sales (January 24th), is available for download, printing, and digital distribution in keeping with its Creative Common License (CC BY-NC-ND-4.0). A video series introducing the seven commitments accompanies the letter, available on the CCCB’s YouTube channel.
Discover below the Pastoral Letter in PDF format, a video series, and various promotional tools.
Download the Pastoral Letter (PDF)
Themes
– check for accuracy
– seek greater perspective
– value human dignity
– bring curiosity into the conversation
– distinguish between intention and impact
– privilege “in real life” encounters
– tend to our time spent online
Video Series of the Pastoral Letter
Featuring Bishop Scott McCaig and Bishop Pierre-Olivier Tremblay
– Introduction to the Pastoral Letter on the Use of Social Media
– Check for Accuracy and Seek Greater Perspective
– Value Human Dignity in Online Interactions
– Bring Curiosity into Conversations and Distinguish Between Intention and Impact
– Prioritize Real-Life Encounters and Manage Online Time
Communication and Social Media Toolkit
– Press release (2024)
– Press release (2025)
– Images to share on social media