WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - "Speak that I may see you." This quote from Socrates highlights the fact that language - in gestures, symbols and words - reveals who we are to those around us. Through interpersonal communication others learn more than just what we think but how we think and what our feelings are about an issue.

While inventions like the printing press, the telephone, radio and television have dramatically impacted human interaction, nothing has made a greater impact than the digital revolution we are currently experiencing.

Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear on numerous occasions that the church needs to pay careful attention to the unfolding new world of technology both in terms of its potential and its dangers. These concerns have been shared through his annual messages for World Communications Day and other statements including his recent words to the Pontifical Council on Social Communication last Monday.

In that address he underscored the importance of interpersonal communication, saying, "Language is not a simple interchangeable and provisional coating of concepts, but the living and palpitating context in which the thoughts, concerns and projects of men are born to the conscience and are molded in gestures, symbols and words. Hence, man not only "uses," but in a certain way "inhabits" the language."

St. John writes the "Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." The presence of the Risen Lord continues in the world sacramentally. His redemptive mission continues through His Body, the Church. This points us to the heart of the Christian message. God communicates Himself to us. His Good News was - and is - delivered personally.

Communications theorists state that non-verbal communication, which includes body language and tone of voice, counts for anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of effective communication. To really understand what a person is saying, we need what some have called "face time."

Currently, culture is moving from inter-personal to virtual, where we can be represented by an avatar while emails and texting replace the phone call. As the Pope pointed out on Monday, oral language has given way to instant written language. "the clear traditional distinction between the written and oral language seems to vanish in favor of a written communication that takes the form and immediacy of oral communication."

Now two teenagers can be seated in the back seat of a car and text each other rather than talk. It's immediate and private. However, it lacks the dynamism of true dialog.

The Holy Father addressed this very concern when he stated in that same address, "The risks that are run are certainly far from everyone's eyes: the loss of interiority, superficiality in living relationships, the flight to the emotive nature, the prevalence of the most convincing opinion in regard to the desire for truth.

"And with all this is the incapacity to live with fullness and authentically the meaning of the motivations. That is why it is urgent to reflect on the languages developed by new technologies."

These new technologies are not just changing how we communicate but what we are able to communicate. Email is a perfect example where we see these shortcomings. When we receive and email from someone, we have to subjectively create the tone of voice and other non-verbal cues that might exist behind a message.

In these technologies, we have seen the development of a number of "tools" that address this limitation. Typing in ALL CAPS, for example, indicates that THIS PERSON IS SHOUTING. Not too long ago, I receive an email sent to several recipients that was written in all caps, including the subject line. I was taken back by the email, wondering why the person was so upset and also quite confused as the message itself wasn't at all that aggressive.

When I got to the end of the email everything finally made sense. The person typed, "PLEASE PARDON ME FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS. THE CAPS LOCK IS BROKEN AND LOCKED IN THE 'ON' POSITION!" Whew! I wasn't in trouble after all.

Communication shortcuts have also been developed such as emoticons - fº, f¼ and ;) - that help people understand your emotional state when writing. Abbreviations, sometimes called initialisms have become common place, like LOL (laughing out loud), ROFL (rolling of the floor laughing), BRB (be right back). This provides some body language shorthand.

Today's social media networks have revolutionized relationships. We are now able to re-connect with former classmates from high school and college, find old neighbors and keep up with relatives in other parts of the country.

Effective communications is further enhanced these days as internet bandwidth allows for increased video usage. I can now watch my grandchildren in Kansas open Christmas presents from my home in Virginia. While this certainly ...