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A Catholic Church leader cited the important role being played by social media in helping spread the culture of truth.

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By Christina Hermoso
A Catholic Church leader cited the important role being played by social media in helping spread the culture of truth.

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) media office director Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III said that aside from traditional media platforms like radio, television, and print, "social media in today's times has become a very efficient platform in spreading the message of the Church."

"The Church hopes to spread the culture of truth especially in social media," he added.

A digital report by We Are Social in 2018 showed that around 67 percent of the country's population are social media users spending an average of 10 hours a day online.

"Social media is also a powerful tool in the fight against fake news and baseless accussations," Quitorio said.

Meanwhile, the fourth Catholic Social Media Awards (CSMA) has started accepting nominees for 13 award categories. The CSMA hands out recognition to encourage dioceses, parishes, and church organizations to evangelize through the digital world.

Submissions are open until October 6 in the following categories: Best Parish Facebook page, Best Catholic Organization Facebook, Best Facebook Public Group, Best Diocesan Website, Best Parish Website, Best Catholic Organization Website, Best Catholic Blog, Best Catholic Vlog, Best Twitter Account, Best Instagram Account, Catholic Song of the Year, Male Social Media Influencer, and Female Social Media Influencer.

Organized by YouthPinoy, a group of online missionaries and Areopagus Communications in 2015, the CSMA aims to encourage and instill a sense of responsibility among online communicators.

"CSMA was established to motivate Filipinos to initiate and nurture the culture of truth in social media," Quitorio said.

The awarding ceremonies will be held on Nov. 16 during the Eighth Catholic Social Media Summit in Manila.

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Church leader cites role of social media in spreading culture of truth

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By Christina Hermoso A Catholic Church leader cited the important role being played by social media in helping spread the culture of truth. Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) media office director Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III said that aside from traditional media platforms like radio, television, and print, "social media in today's times has become a very efficient platform in spreading the message of the Church."

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Recommendations and Guidelines for the Liturgical Celebration in ‘New Normal’ Condition

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We need the Lord – the Bread of Life – in the Holy Eucharist! The Holy Eucharist is central and essential to the life of the Church and to the life of each individual believer.

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SOMMARIO: 1. Chiesa cattolica e new media: dalla stampa alla tecnologia online
- 2. L’istituto della promulgazione nel diritto canonico: dalla promulgatio legis di
tradizione romanistica al Codex Juris Canonici del 1917 - 3. La promulgazione delle
leggi nel vigente Codex Juris Canonici - 4. La pubblicazione online delle leggi
canoniche e le iniziative delle Conferenze Episcopali - 5. Le nuove frontiere
digitali della promulgazione tra potenzialità e zone grigie.

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Le immagini al potere (l'uomo nell'era dell'intrattenimento globale)

Ogni persona, in Occidente, diventa immagine appena fuori dall’utero materno. Le moderne apparecchiature ecografiche sono in grado di mostrare i bambini ai loro genitori mentre ancora sono avvolti nella placenta. Lì comincia la nostra storia virtuale. Poi, la relazione con le immagini e le interfacce diventa come un fiume che ci travolge e ci trascina in un oceano di comunicazioni visive. Questo processo, però, non è neutrale. Le immagini sono soggette a molte sofisticazioni di cui non siamo coscienti, anche quelle che noi stessi creiamo con i nostri mezzi smart. Crediamo di realizzare copie fedeli di noi stessi e della realtà che ci circonda e invece ce ne allontaniamo fino a perdere contatto con essa, fino a smarrirci. Un fiume d’immagini vengono trasportate da ciò che noi chiamiamo la rete, generando enormi quantità di dati che possono essere gestite per manipolare e indirizzare i comportamenti. È necessario conoscere questi meccanismi per orientarsi nel mondo dell’intrattenimento totale in cui siamo immersi.

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Ogni persona, in Occidente, diventa immagine appena fuori dall'utero materno. Le moderne apparecchiature ecografiche sono in grado di mostrare i bambini ai loro genitori mentre ancora sono avvolti nella placenta. Lì comincia la nostra storia virtuale. Poi, la relazione con le immagini e le interfacce diventa come un fiume che ci travolge e ci trascina in un oceano di comunicazioni visive. Questo processo, però, non è neutrale. Le immagini sono soggette a molte sofisticazioni di cui non siamo coscienti, anche quelle che noi stessi creiamo con i nostri mezzi smart. Crediamo di realizzare copie fedeli di noi stessi e della realtà che ci circonda e invece ce ne allontaniamo fino a perdere contatto con essa, fino a smarrirci. Un fiume d'immagini vengono trasportate da ciò che noi chiamiamo la rete, generando enormi quantità di dati che possono essere gestite per manipolare e indirizzare i comportamenti. È necessario conoscere questi meccanismi per orientarsi nel mondo dell'intrattenimento totale in cui siamo immersi.

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Ogni persona, in Occidente, diventa immagine appena fuori dall'utero materno. Le moderne apparecchiature ecografiche sono in grado di mostrare i bambini ai loro genitori mentre ancora sono avvolti nella placenta. Lì comincia la nostra storia virtuale. Poi, la relazione con le immagini e le in...

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Catholic Bishops' Conference of India -

ETHICS IN INTERNET

http://www.cbcieducation.com/ethics-in-internet.aspxhttp://www.cbcieducation.com/ethics-in-internet.aspx

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Catholic Bishops' Conference of India -

THE CHURCH AND INTERNET

http://www.cbcieducation.com/church_internet.aspx

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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS

THE CHURCH AND INTERNET

I

INTRODUCTION

1. Quoting Pope Pius XII's 1957 encyclical letter Miranda Prorsus, the Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social CommunicationCommunio et Progressio, published in 1971, underlined that point: "The Church sees these media as 'gifts of God' which, in accordance with his providential design, unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with his plan for their salvation". This remains our view, and it is the view we take of the Internet.

2. As the Church understands it, the history of human communication is something like a long journey, bringing humanity "from the pride-driven project of Babel and the collapse into confusion and mutual incomprehension to which it gave rise (cf. Gen 11:1-9), to Pentecost and the gift of tongues: a restoration of communication, centered on Jesus, through the action of the Holy Spirit". In the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, "communication among men found its highest ideal and supreme example in God who had become man and brother".

Today this applies in a special way to the Internet, which is helping bring about revolutionary changes in commerce, education, politics, journalism, the relationship of nation to nation and culture to culture-changes not just in how people communicate but in how they understand their lives. In a companion document, Ethics in Internet, we discuss these matters in their ethical dimension. Here we consider the Internet's implications for religion and especially for the Catholic Church.

3. But the Church's concern also relates to communication in and by the Church herself. Such communication is more than just an exercise in technique, for it "finds its starting point in the communion of love among the divine Persons and their communication with us", and in the realization that Trinitarian communication "reaches out to humankind: The Son is the Word, eternally 'spoken' by the Father; and in and through Jesus Christ, Son and Word made flesh, God communicates himself and his salvation to women and men".

God continues to communicate with humanity through the Church, the bearer and custodian of his revelation, to whose living teaching office alone he has entrusted the task of authentically interpreting his word. Moreover, the Church herself is a communio, a communion of persons and eucharistic communities arising from and mirroring the communion of the Trinity; communication therefore is of the essence of the Church. This, more than any other reason, is why "the Church's practice of communication should be exemplary, reflecting the highest standards of truthfulness, accountability, sensitivity to human rights, and other relevant principles and norms".

4. Three decades ago Communio et Progressio pointed out that "modern media offer new ways of confronting people with the message of the Gospel". Pope Paul VI said the Church "would feel guilty before the Lord" if it failed to use the media for evangelization. Pope John Paul II has called the media "the first Areopagus of the modern age", and declared that "it is not enough to use the media simply to spread the Christian message and the Church's authentic teaching. It is also necessary to integrate that message into the 'new culture' created by modern communications". Doing that is all the more important today, since not only do the media now strongly influence what people think about life but also to a great extent "human experience itself is an experience of media".

All this applies to the Internet. And even though the world of social communications "may at times seem at odds with the Christian message, it also offers unique opportunities for proclaiming the saving truth of Christ to the whole human family. Consider...the positive capacities of the Internet to carry religious information and teaching beyond all barriers and frontiers. Such a wide audience would have been beyond the wildest imaginings of those who preached the Gospel before us...Catholics should not be afraid to throw open the doors of social communications to Christ, so that his Good News may be heard from the housetops of the world".

II

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

5. "Communication in and by the Church is essentially communication of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is the proclamation of the Gospel as a prophetic, liberating word to the men and women of our times; it is testimony, in the face of radical secularization, to divine truth and to the transcendent destiny of the human person; it is witness given in solidarity with all believers against conflict and division, to justice and communion among peoples, nations, and cultures".

Since announcing the Good News to people formed by a media culture requires taking carefully into account the special characteristics of the media themselves, the Church now needs to understand the Internet. This is necessary in order to communicate effectively with people-especially young people-who are steeped in the experience of this new technology, and also in order to use it well.

The media offer important benefits and advantages from a religious perspective: "They carry news and information about religious events, ideas, and personalities; they serve as vehicles for evangelization and catechesis. Day in and day out, they provide inspiration, encouragement, and opportunities for worship to persons confined to their homes or to institutions". But over and above these, there also are benefits more or less peculiar to the Internet. It offers people direct and immediate access to important religious and spiritual resources-great libraries and museums and places of worship, the teaching documents of the Magisterium, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church and the religious wisdom of the ages. It has a remarkable capacity to overcome distance and isolation, bringing people into contact with like-minded persons of good will who join in virtual communities of faith to encourage and support one another. The Church can perform an important service to Catholics and non-Catholics alike by the selection and transmission of useful data in this medium.

The Internet is relevant to many activities and programs of the Church- evangelization, including both re-evangelization and new evangelization and the traditional missionary work ad gentes, catechesis and other kinds of education, news and information, apologetics, governance and administration, and some forms of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Although the virtual reality of cyberspace cannot substitute for real interpersonal community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and the liturgy, or the immediate and direct proclamation of the gospel, it can complement them, attract people to a fuller experience of the life of faith, and enrich the religious lives of users. It also provides the Church with a means for communicating with particular groups-young people and young adults, the elderly and home-bound, persons living in remote areas, the members of other religious bodies-who otherwise may be difficult to reach.

A growing number of parishes, dioceses, religious congregations, and church-related institutions, programs, and organizations of all kinds now make effective use of the Internet for these and other purposes. Creative projects under Church sponsorship exist in some places on the national and regional levels. The Holy See has been active in this area for several years and is continuing to expand and develop its Internet presence. Church-related groups that have not yet taken steps to enter cyberspace are encouraged to look into the possibility of doing so at an early date. We strongly recommend the exchange of ideas and information about the Internet among those with experience in the field and those who are newcomers.

6. The Church also needs to understand and use the Internet as a tool of internal communications. This requires keeping clearly in view its special character as a direct, immediate, interactive, and participatory medium.

Already, the two-way interactivity of the Internet is blurring the old distinction between those who communicate and those who receive what is communicated, and creating a situation in which, potentially at least, everyone can do both. This is not the one-way, top-down communication of the past. As more and more people become familiar with this characteristic of the Internet in other areas of their lives, they can be expected also to look for it in regard to religion and the Church.

The technology is new, but the idea is not. Vatican Council II said members of the Church should disclose to their pastors "their needs and desires with that liberty and confidence which benefits children of God and brothers of Christ"; in fact, according to knowledge, competence, or position, the faithful are not only able but sometimes obliged "to manifest their opinion on those things which pertain to the good of the Church".Communio et Progressio remarked that as a "living body" the Church "needs public opinion in order to sustain a giving and taking among her members". Although truths of faith "do not leave room for arbitrary interpretations", the pastoral instruction noted "an enormous area where members of the Church can express their views".

Similar ideas are expressed in the Code of Canon Law as well as in more recent documents of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Aetatis Novae calls two-way communication and public opinion "one of the ways of realizing in a concrete manner the Church's character as communio".Ethics in Communications says: "A two-way flow of information and views between pastors and faithful, freedom of expression sensitive to the well being of the community and to the role of the Magisterium in fostering it, and responsible public opinion all are important expressions of 'the fundamental right of dialogue and information within the Church'". The Internet provides an effective technological means of realizing this vision.

Here, then, is an instrument that can be put creatively to use for various aspects of administration and governance. Along with opening up channels for the expression of public opinion, we have in mind such things as consulting experts, preparing meetings, and practicing collaboration in and among particular churches and religious institutes on local, national, and international levels.

7. Education and training are another area of opportunity and need. "Today everybody needs some form of continuing media education, whether by personal study or participation in an organized program or both. More than just teaching about techniques, media education helps people form standards of good taste and truthful moral judgment, an aspect of conscience formation. Through her schools and formation programs the Church should provide media education of this kind".

Education and training regarding the Internet ought to be part of comprehensive programs of media education available to members of the Church. As much as possible, pastoral planning for social communications should make provision for this training in the formation of seminarians, priests, religious, and lay pastoral personnel as well as teachers, parents, and students.

8. The Internet also presents some special problems for the Church, over and above those of a general nature discussed in Ethics in Internet, the document accompanying this one. While emphasizing what is positive about the Internet, it is important to be clear about what is not.

At a very deep level, "the world of the media can sometimes seem indifferent and even hostile to Christian faith and morality. This is partly because media culture is so deeply imbued with a typically postmodern sense that the only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths or that, if there were, they would be inaccessible to human reason and therefore irrelevant".

Among the specific problems presented by the Internet is the presence of hate sites devoted to defaming and attacking religious and ethnic groups. Some of these target the Catholic Church. Like pornography and violence in the media, Internet hate sites are "reflections of the dark side of a human nature marred by sin". And while respect for free expression may require tolerating even voices of hatred up to a point, industry self-regulation-and, where required, intervention by public authority-should establish and enforce reasonable limits to what can be said.

The proliferation of web sites calling themselves Catholic creates a problem of a different sort. As we have said, church-related groups should be creatively present on the Internet; and well-motivated, well-informed individuals and unofficial groups acting on their own initiative are entitled to be there as well. But it is confusing, to say the least, not to distinguish eccentric doctrinal interpretations, idiosyncratic devotional practices, and ideological advocacy bearing a 'Catholic' label from the authentic positions of the Church. We suggest an approach to this issue below.

9. One area for research concerns the suggestion that the wide range of choices regarding consumer products and services available on the Internet may have a spillover effect in regard to religion and encourage a 'consumer' approach to matters of faith. Data suggest that some visitors to religious web sites may be on a sort of shopping spree, picking and choosing elements of customized religious packages to suit their personal tastes. The "tendency on the part of some Catholics to be selective in their adherence" to the Church's teaching is a recognized problem in other contexts; more information is needed about whether and to what extent the problem is exacerbated by the Internet.

Similarly, as noted above, the virtual reality of cyberspace has some worrisome implications for religion as well as for other areas of life. Virtual reality is no substitute for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacramental reality of the other sacraments, and shared worship in a flesh-and-blood human community. There are no sacraments on the Internet; and even the religious experiences possible there by the grace of God are insufficient apart from real-world interaction with other persons of faith. Here is another aspect of the Internet that calls for study and reflection. At the same time, pastoral planning should consider how to lead people from cyberspace to true community and how, through teaching and catechesis, the Internet might subsequently be used to sustain and enrich them in their Christian commitment.

III

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

10. Religious people, as concerned members of the larger Internet audience who also have legitimate particular interests of their own, wish to be part of the process that guides the future development of this new medium. It goes without saying that this will sometimes require them to adjust their own thinking and practice.

It is important, too, that people at all levels of the Church use the Internet creatively to meet their responsibilities and help fulfill the Church's mission. Hanging back timidly from fear of technology or for some other reason is not acceptable, in view of the very many positive possibilities of the Internet. "Methods of facilitating communication and dialogue among her own members can strengthen the bonds of unity between them. Immediate access to information makes it possible for [the Church] to deepen her dialogue with the contemporary world...The Church can more readily inform the world of her beliefs and explain the reasons for her stance on any given issue or event. She can hear more clearly the voice of public opinion, and enter into a continuous discussion with the world around her, thus involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity's many pressing problems".

11. In concluding these reflections, therefore, we offer words of encouragement to several groups in particular-Church leaders, pastoral personnel, educators, parents, and especially young people.

To Church leaders: People in leadership positions in all sectors of the Church need to understand the media, apply this understanding in formulating pastoral plans for social communications together with concrete policies and programs in this area, and make appropriate use of media. Where necessary, they should receive media education themselves; in fact, "the Church would be well served if more of those who hold offices and perform functions in her name received communication training".

This applies to the Internet as well as to the older media. Church leaders are obliged to use "the full potential of the 'computer age' to serve the human and transcendent vocation of every person, and thus to give glory to the Father from whom all good things come". They ought to employ this remarkable technology in many different aspects of the Church's mission, while also exploring opportunities for ecumenical and interreligious cooperation in its use.

A special aspect of the Internet, as we have seen, concerns the sometimes confusing proliferation of unofficial web sites labeled 'Catholic'. A system of voluntary certification at the local and national levels under the supervision of representatives of the Magisterium might be helpful in regard to material of a specifically doctrinal or catechetical nature. The idea is not to impose censorship but to offer Internet users a reliable guide to what expresses the authentic position of the Church.

To pastoral personnel. Priests, deacons, religious, and lay pastoral workers should have media education to increase their understanding of the impact of social communications on individuals and society and help them acquire a manner of communicating that speaks to the sensibilities and interests of people in a media culture. Today this clearly includes training regarding the Internet, including how to use it in their work. They can also profit from websites offering theological updating and pastoral suggestions.

As for Church personnel directly involved in media, it hardly needs saying that they must have professional training. But they also need doctrinal and spiritual formation, since "in order to witness to Christ it is necessary to encounter him oneself and foster a personal relationship with him through prayer, the Eucharist and sacramental reconciliation, reading and reflection on God's word, the study of Christian doctrine, and service to others".

To educators and catechists. The Pastoral Instruction Communio et Progressio spoke of the "urgent duty" of Catholic schools to train communicators and recipients of social communications in relevant Christian principles. The same message has been repeated many times. In the age of the Internet, with its enormous outreach and impact, the need is more urgent than ever.

Catholic universities, colleges, schools, and educational programs at all levels should provide courses for various groups-"seminarians, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and lay leaders...teachers, parents, and students" -as well as more advanced training in communications technology, management, ethics, and policy issues for individuals preparing for professional media work or decision-making roles, including those who work in social communications for the Church. Furthermore, we commend the issues and questions mentioned above to the attention of scholars and researchers in relevant disciplines in Catholic institutions of higher learning.

To parents. For the sake of their children, as well as for their own sakes, parents must "learn and practice the skills of discerning viewers and listeners and readers, acting as models of prudent use of media in the home". As far as the Internet is concerned, children and young people often are more familiar with it than their parents are, but parents still are seriously obliged to guide and supervise their children in its use. If this means learning more about the Internet than they have up to now, that will be all to good.

Parental supervision should include making sure that filtering technology is used in computers available to children when that is financially and technically feasible, in order to protect them as much as possible from pornography, sexual predators, and other threats. Unsupervised exposure to the Internet should not be allowed. Parents and children should dialogue together about what is seen and experienced in cyberspace; sharing with other families who have the same values and concerns will also be helpful. The fundamental parental duty here is to help children become discriminating, responsible Internet users and not addicts of the Internet, neglecting contact with their peers and with nature itself.

To children and young people. The Internet is a door opening on a glamorous and exciting world with a powerful formative influence; but not everything on the other side of the door is safe and wholesome and true. "Children and young people should be open to formation regarding media, resisting the easy path of uncritical passivity, peer pressure, and commercial exploitation". The young owe it to themselves-and to their parents and families and friends, their pastors and teachers, and ultimately to God-to use the Internet well.

The Internet places in the grasp of young people at an unusually early age an immense capacity for doing good and doing harm, to themselves and others. It can enrich their lives beyond the dreams of earlier generations and empower them to enrich others' lives in turn. It also can plunge them into consumerism, pornographic and violent fantasy, and pathological isolation.

Young people, as has often been said, are the future of society and the Church. Good use of the Internet can help prepare them for their responsibilities in both. But this will not happen automatically. The Internet is not merely a medium of entertainment and consumer gratification. It is a tool for accomplishing useful work, and the young must learn to see it and use it as such. In cyberspace, at least as much as anywhere else, they may be called on to go against the tide, practice counter-culturalism, even suffer persecution for the sake of what is true and good.

12. To all persons of good will. Finally, then, we would suggest some virtues that need to be cultivated by everyone who wants to make good use of the Internet; their exercise should be based upon and guided by a realistic appraisal of its contents.

Prudence is necessary in order clearly to see the implications-the potential for good and evil-in this new medium and to respond creatively to its challenges and opportunities.

Fortitude, courage, is necessary. This means standing up for truth in the face of religious and moral relativism, for altruism and generosity in the face of individualistic consumerism, for decency in the face of sensuality and sin.

And temperance is needed-a self-disciplined approach to this remarkable technological instrument, the Internet, so as to use it wisely and only for good.

Vatican City, February 22, 2002, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle.

Pierfranco Pastore Secretary

[ 1] John Paul II, encyclical letter Laborem Exercens, n. 25; cf. Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern WorldGaudium et Spes, n. 34.

[ 2] Vatican Council II, Decree on the Means of Social Communication Inter Mirifica, n. 1.

[ 3] For example, Inter Mirifica; the Messages of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the World Communication Days; Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pastoral InstructionCommunio et Progressio, Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media: A Pastoral Response, Pastoral Instruction Aetatis Novae, Ethics in Advertising, Ethics in Communications.

[ 8] Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern WorldGaudium et Spes, 39.

([ 14] Cf. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation , n. 10.

[ 18] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 45.

[ 19] Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, n. 37.

[ 28] Cf. Canon 212.2, 212.3.

[ 40]Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, n. 39.

[ 45] Message for the 24th World Communications Day, 1990.

[ 46] Message for the 34th World Communications Day, 2000.

[ 50] Cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, n. 76.

[ 55] Message for the 35th World Communications Day, n. 4.

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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS THE CHURCH AND INTERNET I INTRODUCTION Quoting Pope Pius XII's 1957 encyclical letter Miranda Prorsus , the Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social CommunicationCommunio et Progressio , published in 1971, underlined that point: "The Church sees these media as 'gifts of God' which, in accordance with his providential design, unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with his plan for their salvation".

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https://imision.org/

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iMisión está formada por católicos de distintos movimientos, congregaciones, familias religiosas... de todos los estados de vida (laicos, consagrados y sacerdotes), que compartimos una misma inquietud y llamada: evangelizar en Internet.
Si tú también te sientes llamado a esta misión:

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iMisión está formada por católicos de distintos movimientos, congregaciones, familias religiosas... de todos los estados de vida (laicos, consagrados y sacerdotes), que compartimos una misma inquietud y llamada: evangelizar en Internet. Si tú también te sientes llamado a esta misión:

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Guidelines and Policies Regarding Internet Presence, Social Media and Other Electronic Communications

https://www.jesuits.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Internet-Presence-norms-and-policies-2016-English.pdf

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Why do you look for the living among the dead - Rev. Fr. Joshan Rodrigues (Indian Catholic Matters)

https://www.indiancatholicmatters.org/why-do-you-look-for-the-living-among-the-dead-fakenews/

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By Rev. Fr. Joshan Rodrigues -

Just a few days ago, I received a Whatsapp text from one of my relatives stating that Sr Nirmala, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, had passed away. It was accompanied by a picture of her laid out on a bed with the other sisters gathered around her to pay their last respects. There was only one problem! Sr Nirmala had passed away two years ago on 23rd June 2015.

This is one of the many examples of old or distorted news or hoaxes that have begun arriving in our messaging apps in recent times. In the recent months, there have been a number of cases where priests have been announced to have died when they are very much alive and kicking. Not to mention, hoaxes about Pope Francis saying that you don't have to go for Mass in order to be a good Christian. You need to live like one.

Instant communication and messaging has infinite possibilities and advantages, but like any other human invention, it can be misused as well. There are a number of malicious individuals out there who revel in distributing false news, either because they simply enjoy doing it or because they have a more sinister agenda. But, there's another class of people, people who are gullible and easily taken in by such news. They unintentionally add to the confusion by sharing these messages with their own contacts and groups.

However, in the recent months there has been a growing awareness among people that they need to be circumspect about the truthfulness of the messages they receive. I receive queries from friends from time to time inquiring if a particular message is true. I've been asked by some how to distinguish a false message from an accurate one? While there are no standard rules for this, following the steps below would surely help.

The first rule about sharing/forwarding/retweeting messages is Stop and Think what you are about to do. If the message refers to a public figure or if names have been explicitly mentioned in the message, then we would be doing a great disservice to that person, if we forwarded false messages about them. Just because you received the message from someone you know doesn't make it true.

Does the message include the source from where the message has originated or the name of the original person who composed it? Is it dated? There are messages about job offers that keep doing the rounds long after the positions have been filled up. Look for unusual URLs or site names, including those that end with ".co" - these are often trying to appear like legitimate news sites, but they aren't. Look for signs of low quality, such as words in all caps, headlines with glaring grammatical errors. These are clues that you should be skeptical of the source.

For Church and faith related issues you could always check with a priest or nun whom you are in contact with. They are in a much better position to check such news with official sources such as the Diocesan Communications Office. For any other news, check with an authority figure or a person whom you trust.

There are a number of fact checking websites that help to point out fake news. Hoaxslayer and Snopes are two such sites. Or go to a reputed news website to check out if its published there. I've found that simply typing the message in the Google search bar also helps identify fake news at times. The search results will indicate whether a news is true or fake. However, this method may not work for news that is more local such as a dead priest.

Would the Pope actually tell people that it is not important to go for Mass? This itself is dead giveaway. Will you strike good fortune if you passed on a message to ten of your contacts? Did the person who didn't do it really drop dead?

vi Sowing division and hatred

Is the message trying to generate hatred and malice? Chappals with an image of Jesus on them are false news designed to sow hatred and division. Unless you see such a pair with your own eyes, don't believe it. I received a lengthy document from a friend of mine, allegedly written by a RSS top functionary to RSS workers offering monetary rewards to anyone who killed Christian bishops and priests or raped Christian women. Hopelessly fake stuff maliciously intended to instil anger and hatred and turn one community against another.

vii Information Overload

If the message you receive is useful neither to you nor to the person you intend to forward it to, don't do it anyways. There's way too many messages out there clogging our texting apps and our precious little time.

Finally remember Socrates' Test of Three before passing on a rumour or message: Is it True? Is it Good? Is it Useful?

Read Musings in Catholic Land by Rev. Fr. Joshan Rodrigues

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Why Do You look For The Living Among The Dead? #fakenews - Indian Catholic Matters

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By Rev. Fr. Joshan Rodrigues - Just a few days ago, I received a Whatsapp text from one of my relatives stating that Sr Nirmala, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, had passed away. It was accompanied by a picture of her laid out on a bed with the other sisters gathered around her to pay their last respects.

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The 10 Commandments of responsible use of Social Media - Rev. Fr. Nigel Barret (Indian Catholic Matters)

https://www.indiancatholicmatters.org/the-10-commandments-for-responsible-use-of-social-media/

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By Fr. Nigel Barrett -

Today, we live in a world of instant communication and much time is spent using social media and social networking sites. What is imperative for us to understand is that Social Networks are not toys to be played with, but tools that can influence minds and hearts. We must recognize that we are accountable for information whether it's a re-tweet or a forward on social media, even if it originated from someone else. We are called to raise doubts, ask questions, and knock down rumours and superstitious religious mumbo jumbo that circulates online. It is important for us, as people of faith, to embrace this digital technology and evangelize through these digital platforms; however, while embracing and entering boldly into this world of social media it is important that we follow certain guidelines that ensure that we become authentic communicators of the Good News.

1. Traditional ethics still apply online. No plagiarism, no personal or derogatory information, maintain political correctness and accuracy. Use the yardstick: is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?

2. Everything you publish online will become public. Be prudent about any statement that could be turned into 'dirty linen' in the public domain. Also, deleting a post does not ensure its removal from the Web. Assume that anything posted will be available in perpetuity.

3. Use social media to engage with readers, but do so professionally. Be aware that reposting on Twitter ("re-tweeting"), forwarding on WhatsApp groups, and updates from other sources may be viewed as an implicit endorsement of a specific viewpoint or fact. As such, we must apply the same standards of fairness and verification before we share, as information, the views, opinions and 'facts' on any forum. 'Forwarding as received'does not absolve us of our responsibility, for in doing so we may inadvertently endorse an opinion that proliferates misinformation.

4. Verify, verify, verify!Just because it has appeared in print or you found it online does not make it true. Verify the data before passing it forward. One of the features of the technological revolution is that practically anyone can create 'information' and disseminate it. This raises serious issues of fake-identities (of the author), questionable authenticity of the content, and ideological perspectives camouflaged as 'official' views. This often leads to people jumping to quick conclusions based on partial and biased information. This is why it is absolutely essential to independently authenticate anything found on a social networking site.

5. Spread Good News. Emphasise the positive and highlight activities that show Christian faith in action.

6. Be accurate. Make sure you have all the facts before you post. On social media all posts are open to comment, unless the settings indicate otherwise. Comments give rise, in some cases, to questions / statements / conversations that require monitoring/rejoinders. Being cautious will help to avoid embarrassing situations.

7. Think before you post. There's no such thing as a "private" social media site. Search engines can turn up posts years after the publication date. Comments can be forwarded or copied. Archival systems save information even if you delete a post. If you feel angry or passionate about a subject, it's wise to delay posting until you are calm and clearheaded.

8. Break the chain. Emails and FB shares that question faith ('If you believe... we dare you to share...), or threaten dire consequences if not shared, or profess sentiments that are counterproductive to genuine religious belief should be nipped in the bud. Do not share!

9. Be vigilant. Make sure to monitor your page/ profile often for offensive or frivolous posts, and respond to comments as promptly as possible. Remember this is an open forum. Use discretion and good judgment in responding to and monitoring feedback and comments.

Here's a Rule of thumb: You should conduct yourself in social media forums with an eye on how your behaviour or comments might appear if you were called upon to defend them. In other words, don't behave any differently online than you would in any other public setting.

Favour Judgment over Speed: Often speed is more sought after than accuracy; while you might want to be the first to post, make sure you have got it right before you do.

These might sound like a whole of dos and don'ts but let that not deter you! The evangelists, apostles, early Christians and saints had to communicate by word of mouth in front of an audience or use ink on papyrus, which was then carried forward many miles on foot. And still their communications reached to the ends of the earth and through 2000 years in time! Think of how your communication will impact the world, given that it travels round the globe in real time to a captive audience, with all the advantages of multimedia at your fingertips.

May the Good News be your reason, and sharing the love of God your goal.

Fr. Nigel Barrett is the Spokesperson and Director of Communication, Archdiocese of Bombay. He also holds a Phd in communication from Trinity College, Dublin

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The 10 Commandments for Responsible Use of Social Media - Indian Catholic Matters

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By Fr. Nigel Barrett - Today, we live in a world of instant communication and much time is spent using social media and social networking sites. What is imperative for us to understand is that Social Networks are not toys to be played with, but tools that can influence minds and hearts.

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https://czasopisma.ignatianum.edu.pl/pk/article/view/1791/1792

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Media Representation of the Moment of Death (by Fr. Tomasz Podlewski)

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Domus Maria, Aušros Vartų gatvė, Vilnius

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Domus Maria, Aušros Vartų gatvė, Vilnius

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Domus Maria, Aušros Vartų gatvė, Vilnius

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This the podcat about social communication of Catholic Church with practical examples and exercises (from event called "Restart. About communication" organized by Vilnius Academic Pastoral Center).
Valuable thoughts:
- Image of the institution should be not too good and not too bad. (If we call the church holy, it's not equal to be called perfect and otherwise we should not miss wonderful testimonies and works of mercy to share with people).
- Through media it is necessary to help build a relationship, not inform.
- Translation of ecclesiastical concepts.

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An article about Pope Francis view to social communication: The authenticity of communication is not determined by technology.
There is marked an importance:
- To take responsibility online;
- Of information overeating;
- Real meetings and relationships in the digital sphere;
- Family friendly content;
- Desire to share faith, strive for the well-being of those around you and maintain a respectful dialogue.

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Viena raktinių temų popiežiaus Pranciškaus mąstyme yra ryšiai, tiltai, sąsajos: tarp seno ir naujo, tarp kartų, tarp religijų, tarp kultūrų. Būtent šioje perspektyvoje atsiskleidžia ir dviprasmiškas virtualybės poveikis mūsų kasdienybei. Nors buvo sukurtos palaikyti ryšį ir bendrauti, neretai technologijos tampa siena tarp žmonių arba mūšio lauku. Nepaisant didžiulių galimybių, kurias suteikia komunikacijos technologijos, potenciali jų nauda ir žala priklauso nuo kiekvieno iš mūsų gebėjimo tinkamai jomis naudotis.

Kaip savo žinioje 50-osios Pasaulinės visuomenės komunikavimo priemonių dienos proga detalizuoja popiežius Pranciškus: „Visiškai žmogiškos komunikavimo formos gali būti ir elektroninis paštas,žinutės, socialiniai tinklai irpokalbiai internetu. Komunikavimo autentiškumą lemia ne technologija, bet žmogaus širdis ir jo gebėjimas tinkamai naudotis turimomis priemonėmis. Socialiniai tinklai gali ne tik palengvinti bendravimą ir skatinti visuomenės gėrį, bet ir didinti poliarizaciją bei susiskaldymą tarp asmenų ir grupių. Skaitmeninė sritis yra aikštė, susitikimo vieta, kur galima paglostyti ar sužeisti, prasmingai diskutuoti ar morališkai linčiuoti."

Kitais žodžiais tariant, išvengdamas paviršutiniško optimizmo virtualios erdvės atžvilgiu, popiežius Pranciškus kviečia kritiškai apsvarstyti, kaip mes naudojamės naująja komunikacija - tiltams ar sienoms statyti, gailestingumui praktikuoti ar kitaip manančius linčiuoti, tikram džiaugsmui ar nevilčiai skleisti?

Internetas tampa Dievo dovana, kai išnaudojame jo suteikiamą komunikavimo galią, kurią popiežius apibrėžia kaip „artumą" aplinkiniams: „Komunikavimo ir gailestingumo susitikimas vaisingas tiek, kiek pagimdo artumą, priimantį, guodžiantį, gydantį, lydintį kitą bei drauge su juo švenčiantį. Gailestingai komunikuoti susiskaldžiusiame, fragmentuotame, poliarizuotame pasaulyje reiškia prisidėti prie sveiko, laisvo ir solidaraus artumo tarp Dievo vaikų ir žmonių šeimos brolių bei seserų."

Informacinis persivalgymas

Enciklikoje „Laudato si'" Šventasis Tėvas atkreipia dėmesį, kad informacijos gausa neskatina asmens ir visuomenės progreso. Priešingai - mūsų laiką ir dėmesį užvaldyti skubantis žiniasklaidos ir skaitmeninis pasaulis neugdo „gebėjimo išmintingai gyventi, giliai mąstyti, dosniai mylėti. Tokiame kontekste iškyla pavojus, jog didžiųjų praeities išminčių išmintis bus nustelbta blaškančio informacijos triukšmo. Būtina stengtis, kad tos priemonės skatintų naują kultūrinį žmonijos vystymąsi, o ne naikintų jos brangiausius turtus. Tikroji išmintis, kuri yra apmąstymų, dialogo ir dosnaus asmenų susitikimo vaisius, neįgyjama vien kaupiant duomenis, kurie, vesdami prie persisotinimo ir painiavos, galiausiai virsta savotiškais psichikos teršalais."

Šiandien dažnai yra kalbama, jog gyvename informacijos pertekliaus sąlygomis. Vis dėlto kaltinti informaciją - tolygu absurdui. Juk niekas nesako, kad nutukęs asmuo kenčia nuo maisto pertekliaus. Todėl kai kurie mąstytojai siūlo verčiau kalbėti apie „persisotinimą informacija" ir įžvalgiai pastebi, kad šios problemos neišspręsime niekaip kitaip, tik ugdydami gerus įpročius ir mokydamiesi atsirinkti informaciją. Galima pridėti, kad vienas iš akivaizdžiausių informacinės dietos stygiaus ženklų yra laiko švaistymas, kuris trukdo užsiimti rimtais darbais ir saviugda. Arba, Pranciškaus žodžiais tariant, trukdo pagarbiai įsiklausyti į kitus žmones, nes iš tiesų klausytis kito prilygsta kankynei.

Panašiai kaip ir maistas, informacija yra vertinga ir reikalinga mūsų gyvenimo dalis, tačiau „persivalgius" - tampa potencialiai kenksminga. Tas ypač akivaizdu kalbant apie nekokybišką turinį, kurį mums nuolat siūlo internetas, arba neigiamus vertinimus, kurių apstu žiniasklaidoje. Nors žiniasklaidos pranešimai neveikia kaip sidabrinė kulka, nurodanti, ką mąstyti, medijos stipriai veikia tai, apie ką ir kaip mąstome. Nesilaikydami informacinės dietos rizikuojame netgi prarasti džiaugsmą ir teigiamą požiūrį į pasaulį, kuriam skatina Evangelija.

Tikri susitikimai

Kitas aspektas, padedantis įvertinti, ar technologijomis naudojamės tinkamai, yra joms skiriamas laikas. 2017 m. TNS atlikto tyrimo duomenys rodo, kad per išmanųjį telefoną prie interneto jungiamasi vis dažniau, o naudojantis juo telefone praleidžiama vis daugiau laiko. Vidutiniškai darbo dienomis per parą naudodamiesi internetu išmaniajame telefone lietuviai praleidžia 54 minutes. O naudodamiesi internetu savaitgaliais lietuviai vidutiniškai prie savo telefono ekrano praleidžia vieną paros valandą. Kiekvienas galime akimirką stabtelėti ir įsivertinti, kaip šie skaičiai atrodo mūsų kasdienybėje.

Žinoma, svarbūs ne tik skaičiai, bet ir bendresnė santykio su tikrove kokybė. Enciklikoje „Laudato si'" popiežius aptaria šių laikų pasaulyje ryškėjančią tendenciją realius santykius su kitais bei su tuo susijusius iššūkius pakeisti bendravimu per internetą. Tai skatina egoistinį požiūrį į bendravimą apskritai, nes virtualus kontaktas leidžia atsirinkti, ar nutraukti santykius savo nuožiūra. Dar daugiau, iš to kyla nauja dirbtinių emocijų rūšis, lemiama santykio su prietaisais ir ekranais nei su asmenimis ir gamta. Popiežius perspėja, kad virtualaus bendravimo perviršis gali vesti į melancholišką nepasitenkinimą tarpasmeniniais santykiais ar žalingą izoliavimąsi.

Turėtume nepamiršti, kad komunikacijos priemonės leidžia mums tarp savęs bendrauti ir dalytis pažinimu bei jausmais ribotai. Susiliesti su kito žmogaus nerimu, baime, džiaugsmu ir jo sudėtinga asmenine patirtimi geriausiai padeda tikri, gyvi susitikimai. Žvelgiant iš psichologinės perspektyvos, tai viena iš priežasčių, kodėl išpažinties negalime atlikti telefonu arba elektroniniu paštu.

Virtualūs pavojai šeimai

Primindamas, kad šeima yra centrinė visapusiško ugdymo(si) vieta, popiežius Pranciškus aptaria, kaip komunikacijos technologijos veikia šeimos gyvenimą. Šeimos dvasingumui apmąstyti skirtame apaštališkajame paraginime „Amoris laetitia" pontifikas perspėja, kad ekranai netaptų šeimos narius skiriančiomis sienomis. Popiežius pripažįsta, kad virtualus bendravimas gali būti naudingas, sujungdamas šeimos narius per atstumą. Vis dėlto jokios komunikacijos technologijos neatstoja asmeniško ir nuoširdaus dialogo, kuriam reikalingas fizinis sąlytis, gyvas pokalbis.

Vienas rimčiausių iššūkių, kuriuos turi spręsti šeima šiandien - kaip tvarkytis su technologijų nulemtu vaikų polinkiu skubėti ir kaip tokiomis aplinkybėmis pozityviai ugdyti gebėjimą laukti? Popiežius Pranciškus pataria susitelkti ne į draudimus, o į dialogą šeimoje, ieškant geriausio varianto, kaip apginti bendrą šeimos buvimą kartu ir ugdyti susivaldymą, neatmetant technologijų, ar tai būtų išmanieji telefonai, ar kompiuteriai, ar planšetės, ar knygų skaityklės.

Dvasinis gyvenimas kaip lakmuso popierėlis

Tai, kad popiežius Pranciškus tapo pirmuoju popiežiumi, turinčiu instagramo paskyrą ir pasakiusiu TED kalbą, liudija labai teigiamą Šventojo Tėvo požiūrį į technologinių platformų galimybes prisidėti prie evangelinės naujienos ir krikščioniško džiaugsmo skelbimo. Todėl vienas geriausių lakmuso popierėlių mūsų santykiui su technologijomis matuoti yra mūsų vidinio gyvenimo temperatūra.

Naujausiame apaštališkajame paraginime „Gaudete et exsultate" Pranciškus atkreipia visų tikinčiųjų ir geros valios žmonių dėmesį į mūsų polinkį absoliutinti savo laisvalaikį ir naująsias technologijas panaudoti vien pramogoms ir netvariems malonumams. Anot popiežiaus, taip „nukenčia mūsų misija, slopsta pastangos, ima silpnėti dosnus ir pasiaukojantis tarnavimas. Tai iškreipia dvasinę patirtį. Argi sveikas dvasinis užsidegimas dera su vangumu evangelizuoti ir tarnauti kitiems?"

Kitaip sakant, jei mūsų noras dalintis tikėjimu, stengtis dėl aplinkinių gerovės ir palaikyti pagarbų dialogą yra gyvas, tai technologijomis tikriausiai naudojamės tinkamai.

Praktikuoti dorybes tinkle

Technologinė skuba, arba „push the button" kultūra, veikia ne tik vaikus, bet ir jaunuolius bei suaugusiuosius - maigant klavišus ir išmaniųjų ekranus labai lengva pasiduoti iliuzijai, kad gyvenime gali gauti viską ir tučtuojau, lyg paspaudus mygtuką. Norėdami visų iššūkių akivaizdoje priimti internetą ir socialinius tinklus savo gyvenime kaip tikrą Dievo dovaną ir pasinaudoti jais evangelinei žiniai skleisti, turėtume mokytis puoselėti dorybes virtualioje erdvėje.

Tad mums reikia išminties, kad aiškiai pažintume naujųjų komunikacijos priemonių pliusus ir minusus, ir nepervertintume virtualios bendrystės, kuri niekada nepakeis gyvo bendravimo.

Mums reikia teisingumo, kad laikas, kurį skiriame virtualiai erdvei ar diskusijoms socialiniuose tinkluose, niekada nebūtų atimtas iš Dievo, mūsų artimųjų ir draugų, o padėtų geriau įsiklausyti į laiko ženklus.

Mums reikia tvirtumo, kad mokėtume pagarbiai praktikuoti gailestingumo darbus sielai - nemokančius pamokyti, abejojantiems patarti, nuliūdusius paguosti, atleisti įžeidimus ir nukęsti nuoskaudas, melstis už tuos, su kuriais bendraujame virtualioje erdvėje.

Galiausiai, mums reikia santūrumo - mokėjimo susivaldyti ir apriboti savo laiką prie ekranų, kad ne mes tarnautume internetui ir socialiniams tinklams, o jie tarnautų mūsų misijai kurti žmogiškesnį ir Dievui atviresnį pasaulį.
Tomas Taškauskas yra VšĮ „Kataliko balsas", tarptautinės katalikų pasauliečių iniciatyvos, atstovas.

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Tomas Taškauskas: Popiežius Pranciškus: komunikavimo autentiškumą lemia ne technologijos

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Viena raktinių temų popiežiaus Pranciškaus mąstyme yra ryšiai, tiltai, sąsajos: tarp seno ir naujo, tarp kartų, tarp religijų, tarp kultūrų. Būtent šioje perspektyvoje atsiskleidžia ir dviprasmiškas virtualybės poveikis mūsų kasdienybei. Nors buvo sukurtos palaikyti ryšį ir bendrauti, neretai technologijos tampa siena tarp žmonių arba mūšio lauku.

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Interaction of social networks with the Gospel. Monika Žydeliūnaitė, project coordinator of Kaunas Archdiocese Youth Center (03:33:34, from a Christian media conference in Lithuania) Useful and practical lecture full of various excamples how to engage with young person.
The main thought was that "social media is not a game, it should be playful/interactive but serious. It is very important that communication should be direct and personal as the Word of God is direct and personal".

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Krikščioniškos žiniasklaidos konferencija „Vakar. Šiandien. Rytoj“ 2021

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Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Ateities gatvė, Vilnius

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Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Ateities gatvė, Vilnius

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Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Ateities gatvė, Vilnius

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This is academic insights on how social media use can and should be expanded in Catholic Church communities and in the "Infuencer" accounts.  The aim of this study is to find and highlight good practices in Lithuania, examples that could be followed and improved, and the system under analysis is viewed holistically.

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Peculiarities of the use of social media by the Catholic Church

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"Good practice" - by Grotto Network on Instagram
An example of sharing common fears and hopes, connecting.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GrottoNetwork (@grottonetwork)

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Digital strategies for catholic institutions 

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Digital strategies for catholic institutions 

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https://www.holydemia.com/es-es/courses/estrategias-digitales-para-instituciones-catolicas-14

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1. Home

2. Courses

3. Estrategias digitales para instituciones católicas

Watch the video presentation to get more details about the course.

What you'll learn

Creación de contenidos de alto impacto

Planificación estratégica de tus acciones digitales

Desarrollo de marca personal e institucional

Definición de audiencias y públicos

Principios básicos para crear tu ecosistema digital

What is this course about?

Pensando en el contexto de Iglesia, de instituciones educativas y sociales de inspiración cristiana y su necesidad de poder comunicar valores, acompañar a sus comunidades, informar y dar testimonio, es que hemos preparado este curso, para que aquellos que tienen la responsabilidad de llevar adelante los proyectos digitales, lo hagan con herramientas profesionales y actualizadas.

Tres aproximaciones desde las que abordaremos este tema:

Modulo I - Diagnóstico: Qué dice la iglesia, las tendencias, los medios de comunicación y quienes estudian la comunicación digital y pastoral. Esto nos va a servir para saber dónde estamos parados y desde que lugar comenzamos nuestro viaje. La Iglesia y en especial los Papas, ya han dicho al respecto y vamos a ponerles atención y buscar formas de aplicar en la actualidad sus enseñanzas.

Módulo II - Definiciones: A través de estrategias y métodos profesionales te ayudaré a construir tu presencia digital, definir tus audiencias y públicos y encontrar tu espacio dentro de Internet, en donde puedas impactar la mayor cantidad de vidas.

Módulo III - Acciones estratégicas: Vamos a mirar qué cosas podemos hacer y cómo hacerlas de forma profesional, incluso con pocos recursos. Más allá de hacer buenas publicaciones o de vez en cuando hacer posteos que tengan muchos likes, vamos a definir juntos qué acciones vas a hacer en redes sociales, cómo construir tu campaña de comunicación digital y qué tipo de publicaciones van a funcionar mejor según tus objetivos comunicacionales.

Módulo IV - Caja de herramientas: Te invito a mirar desde dentro algunas plataformas y herramientas que facilitarán tú creación de contenidos digitales y la administración de tus redes sociales.

Course content

Requirements

Conocimiento de redes sociales nivel usuario

Manejo de plataformas digitales nivel usuario

Conocimientos básicos sobre creación de contenidos digitales

What do the students think?

Juan Carlos Martos Paredes

Un saludo. Te agradezco el curso que me ha iluminado en la medida en que necesitaba en este momento. Aporta un horizonte donde situarse y abre espacios para encontrar herramientas de ayuda. Me falta, por supuesto, dedicar tiempo al entrenamiento y el comenzar por lo que esté a mi alcance en mi tiempo disponible. Muchas gracias. Por si sirve añado algunos comentarios de mejora de la página: 1) En alguno de los vídeos la música de fondo estaba demasiado alta y me impedía seguir tu discurso (no fue lo general, solamente en alguno de los vídeos). 2) Con relación al pensamiento del Papa Francisco sobre los Social Media, además de las referencias que decías, tal vez te interese acudir a los mensajes que el Papa publica con motivo de las Jornadas Mundiales de Comunicaciones Sociales (por ejemplo: http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/es/messages/communications/documents/papa-francesco_20160124_messaggio-comunicazioni-sociali.html). Y hay muchas más.... 3) Finalmente, entiendo que exige un nivel profesional alto. Los animadores de la Pastoral ordinariamente estamos superocupados. Solo nos podemos valer de elementos básicos. Además somos inmigrantes virtuales en su mayoría (por ahora)... Esto no es u obstáculo, sino un dato a tener en cuenta. La solución que tiene es buscar cómplices, colaboradores... Termino ya. Muchas gracias y, aunque te canses, no te rindas. Juan Carlos Martos cmf

Es un curso muy completo.Aclara muchas dudas con respecto a varios temas que forman parte del social media. Sebastián comparte su experiencia y conocimientos de una manera amena, generosa y clara lo cual permite conectarse de inmediato con lo que se comparte a lo largo de las lecciones. Lo recomiendo ampliamente :)

Profe, comunicador, deportista y papá. Máster en comunicación estratégica y digital, especialista en creación de contenidos digitales y en desarrollo personal. Autor de tres libros de espiritualidad y conferencista en varios países de latinoamérica. Autor y colaborador en Catholic-link.com por más de 6 años y también consultor en temas de comunicación para distintas organizaciones civiles, eclesiales y educativas en Chile y Latino América.

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"Estrategias digitales para instituciones católicas" - Catholic online course by Sebastián Campos | Holydemia

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Home Courses Estrategias digitales para instituciones católicas Watch the video presentation to get more details about the course.

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YOUCAT - Creative Missionary ́s Workbook

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YOUCAT - Creative Missionary ́s Workbook

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«Cor Orans» - Instrucción aplicativa de la Constitución apostólica «Vultum Dei quaerere» sobre la vida contemplativa femenina (1 de abril de 2018)

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«Cor Orans» - Instrucción aplicativa de la Constitución apostólica «Vultum Dei quaerere» sobre la vida contemplativa femenina, 1 de abril de 2018

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It's an orientation for all Salesians in their communications through social networks

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Para todos los Salesianos, personal en formación y colaboradores laicos de obras y organizaciones de la Inspectoría[1]Introducción (sigla___ ) de los Salesianos de Don Bosco

Las redes sociales[2] son un nuevo estilo de comunicación. Se usan prioritariamente para intercambiar experiencias y opiniones, para encontrarse con amigos y estar en contacto con los conocidos, en una sociedad cada vez más Internet - conectada.

Su rol llega a ser indispensable en la realidad de muchas personas, pues permiten conocer gente y lugares nuevos, enterarse de eventos y sucesos de modo inmediato, entrar en diálogo y crear grupos con diversas intenciones y funciones.

Vía Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Whatsapp y muchos otros medios sociales, se crean conexiones con personas de tantos lugares del mundo que no hubiera sido posible ni imaginar hace pocos años. Con un solo clic podemos enterarnos instantaneamente de lo que sucede a miles de kilómetros de distancia.
La Congregación Salesiana y las redes sociales
De esta manera, las plataformas en línea traen grandes ventajas para los usuarios que se convierten en consumidores y en productores de información, porque están prácticamente al alcance de todo el mundo. En las redes sociales todos los usuarios son creadores, protagonistas, simultanea y permanentemente visibles.

Es necesario reflexionar sobre nuestra presencia y participación, sobre el cambio cultural y relacional que han introducido, sobre el uso que hacemos de las redes sociales. Las redes aportan grandes beneficios, pero al mismo comportan riesgos para las personas y para la institución si no sabemos convivir en ellas, si no las manejamos adecuadamente. La tecnología no es mala o buena, forma parte de la cultura, por ello hemos de comprender y de aprender sus lenguajes, sus ventajas y sus límites.

Hoy en día se dice que la Web 2.0 supone básicamente dos cosas: "En primer lugar, el usuario de la red pasa de ser un consumidor de contenidos a participar en la construcción y elaboración de los mismos. En segundo lugar, la web 2.0 es la web como plataforma, no es la red social en sí misma". Sin embargo permiten crear un espacio de trabajo colaborativo y participativo que rompe con anteriores modelos jerarquizados y unidireccionales de enseñanza aprendizaje, de producción y creación de conocimiento, de comunicación e información.

Para los Salesianos de Don Bosco (SDB) y sus más cercanos colaboradores, la Web 2.0 es una oportunidad para estar presentes, para difundir los valores del carisma y de la Institución salesiana, para entrar en contacto con tantas personas, especialmente jóvenes y educadores que pueblan las redes sociales. A través de ellas podemos ser multiplicadores del mensaje y misión de Don Bosco. Hoy buenas ideas y valores personales e institucionales se pueden hacer llegar a todo el mundo con un clic. Por supuesto que no es cuestión automática, tienen que ser presentados con lenguajes actuales, en momentos oportunos y con la modalidad y la tecnología adecuadas. No todo medio ni toda modalidad es adecuada para todo contenido, para toda información o para toda comunicación, si se desconoce este principio elemental, se puede perder el tiempo y banalizar el mensaje.

Muchos Salesianos de Don Bosco, así como colaboradores cercanos y voluntarios, utilizan redes sociales para uso privado o para trabajo. Estas permiten mostrar el rostro vivo, las ideas y el trabajo que Don Bosco y la Congregación están realizando en el presente.

Muchas personas que ven los perfiles de los salesianos y de los colaboradores en las redes sociales, fatigan para establecer los límites entre su identidad, su trabajo y su vida privada, pues son vistos no solo como individuos, sino como representantes de Don Bosco, de la Congregación Salesiana. Por tal motivo es muy importante ser conscientes de que existe una línea muy delgada entre el derecho fundamental de libertad de expresión y el deber de lealtad hacia la Congregación Salesiana.

Cualquier comentario, expresión o imagen individual, puede ser interpretada como muestra de lo que los salesianos del mundo creen, piensan o hacen. De allí la gran responsabilidad al habitar y usar las redes, cuya privacidad es muy diversa de la que se mantiene en las relaciones sociales físicas, en tiempos y espacios físicos. Es muy importante saber usar el tiempo y el espacio digital, pues allí convivimos y nos hacemos visibles a todas las personas, de modo especial a aquellos adolescentes, jóvenes y adultos, para quienes somos un referente importante en sus vida.

En esta nueva realidad digital, que crea sus propios conceptos de presencia, relación, información y trabajo, la Congregación Salesiana entra y utiliza las vías de comunicación para:

· Colaborar en la misión evangelizadora de la Iglesia Católica ofreciendo información sobre los eventos más importantes y sobre los mensajes del Papa.

· Posicionar la Congregación Salesiana como una comunidad religiosa de consagrados fundada por Don Bosco, para una misión evangelizadora y educativa en favor de los niños, adolescentes y jóvenes de los ambientes populares.

· Informar sobre las actividades de la Inspectoría, sus sectores y sus obras (escuelas, parroquias, oratorios, misiones, centros de acción social, empresas y productos de comunicación, etc).

· Transmitir una imagen positiva de nuestra misión en modo transparente, auténtico, moderno.

· Mantener una actitud de aprendizaje constante intercambiando conocimientos y experiencias del trabajo diario, de acuerdo a los objetivos y valores de la institución.

· Animar a conocer a Don Bosco, a la Congregación y a la Familia Salesiana para participar en sus proyectos, extendidos por 130 países del mundo.

· Poner a los adolescente, jóvenes, educadores y padres de familia en contacto con nuestras ideas, propuestas y acciones, ofreciéndoles la oportunidad de participar de modo concreto y corresponsable de acuerdo a su estatus.

· Acompañar, como hacía Don Bosco, siendo "asistentes" de adolescentes y jóvenes en el mundo virtual.
Algunas líneas guía
· Proporcionar subsidios pastorales, espirituales, sociales y culturales que favorezcan la formación de la Familia Salesiana y de las personas interesadas.
1. Presencia en redes sociales: identificabilidad y responsabilidad
· Ser un punto de referencia y de intercambio para muchas personas interesadas en temas juveniles, educativos y sociales desde la perspectiva de Don Bosco.

Las siguientes líneas guía[3] tienen como objetivo ofrecer algunas recomendaciones para el uso seguro y consciente de las redes sociales, para aprender y saber compartir y relacionarse éticamente en Internet.

Las nuevas tecnologías y las redes sociales del siglo XXI está borrando las fronteras entre la comunicación profesional y privada. Ciertamente es una decisión personal identificarse en el perfil de usuario como miembro de la Congregación Salesiana o como trabajador en alguna obra de los Salesianos de Don Bosco. Sin embargo su identidad en cuanto salesiano consagrado, trabajador o colaborador, debe ser reconocida por sus amigos, conocidos y colegas, lo mismo que fuera de esos círculos, por su transparencia, autenticidad y responsabildad individual.

Por lo tanto los SDB, trabajadores y colaboradores que se encuentran en las Redes Sociales:

· Tienen un perfil identificable con sus funciones, sus tareas y su misión en alguna obra.
2. Presencia en redes sociales: comunicación de contenidos
· Aceptan ser responsables de la información que comparten, de los comentarios que generan, de las fotografías y vídeos que colocan. El mundo de la red no borra ninguna información, imagen o video emitido.

· Tienen mucho cuidado con sus afirmaciones e intervenciones para no alentar rumores, dejar verdades a medias o sembrar sospechas, entre otros.

· Se comprometen a corregir las declaraciones equivocadas o las indicaciones contradictorias, igual las fechas, lugares y fuentes, cuando sea necesario. Es de personas maduras reconocer fallos.

Las redes sociales son espacios públicos de comunicación, por ende, lo publicado es potencialmente visible para todas las personas e implica riesgos tales como la distribución involuntaria de información, pero también ofrecen la posibilidad de un intercambio directo y rápido.

Por lo tanto a salesianos, trabajadores y colaboradores son invitados a:

· Apoyar el trabajo de la Congregación Salesiana, compartiendo el contenido que se distribuye a través de los canales oficiales, abriendo espacio a la opinión y crítica objetiva y constructiva.

· Tomar parte en las discusiones llevadas a cabo en los canales oficiales de los Salesianos de Don Bosco, donde puede contribuir con su experiencia, conocimiento y opinión.

· Ofrecer ayuda o dar consejos pastorales, así como estar abiertos al diálogo y al intercambio de información. Si la solicitud está más allá de su experiencia y capacidad, debe indicar a qué personas competentes se pueden dirigir, teniendo presente que si la información ofrecida no es la adecuada, puede dañar la imagen y la labor educativa pastoral de la Institución.

· Aceptar amistad y conexiones con otras instituciones sociales o personas que pueden contribuir a generar un espíritu de solidaridad, pero tenga cuidado de no hacer clic demasiado rápido en el botón "me gusta", "no me gusta", o entrar en relaciones con otras personas antes de observar su perfil y puntos de vista, ya que podrían ir en contra de las convicciones o de los valores de la Insticuión.

· Compartir contenidos (mensajes, imágenes o vídeos) que sean acordes a su vocación o función dentro de la Institución, que sean de buen ejemplo para los niños, adolescentes y jóvenes para quienes trabaja. Ellos, al igual que sus padres y sus colegas, pueden ver su perfil y los contenidos que comparte, por tal motivo evite las imágenes que no sean coherentes con su vocación o función y que puedan prestarse a malos entendidos.

· Antes de compartir o divulgar algún contenido en las redes sociales, es importante comprobar las fuentes y la veracidad de las informaciones. No es ni prudente ni educativo compartir contenidos falsos. Las personas confían en nosotros y nos consideran como fuentes fidedignas. Tenemos el deber de ser responsables.

· Antes de compartir y difundir contenidos en las redes sociales, es importante comprobar las fuentes y la exactitud de la información. No es ético ni educativo compartir contenidos falsos. La gente confía en nosotros y nos consideran fuentes fiables. Tenemos el deber de ser responsables.

· Preservar el derecho del autor: para compartir o divulgar contenidos que no sean los suyos, es necesario mencionar el autor o al menos la fuente de la que usted los copió.

· Preservar el derecho del autor al compartir o divulgar contenidos que no sean de su propia autoría, es necesario citar quién es el autor o la fuente de donde los ha sacado/copiado.
3. Redes sociale y relaciones respetuosas con los demás
· Superar la tentación de publicar las discusiones personales (especialmente en el muro de Facebook o similares).

· Conocer y proceder en conformidad con las normas legales vigentes en su país cuando intercambie contenidos, especialmente con niños y adolescentes.

· Tener presente que todo contenido pornográfico es moralmente inaceptable en la Congregación y puede ser ilegal, por tales motivos toda publicación de este material queda prohibida.

· Evitar que los lectores puedan sacar las conclusiones equivocadas, es aconsejable evitar declaraciones políticas.

Como parte de la Iglesia católica, los SDB y todos los trabajadores que colaboran con la Congregación Salesiana, aun siendo de otras creencias, deben expresarse de manera cortés, veraz y respetuosa hacia los demás. El "estilo Preventivo salesiano" debe estar presente en los mensajes y en los medios elegidos para darlos a conocer, asegurando que contengan las siguientes características: proactividad y prudencia, optimismo y realismo, innovación e interdisciplinariedad, ética y profesionalidad. Para nosotros es importante que, tanto en la realidad física como en la virtual, sin dejar de ser claros en nuestra postura, respetemos a quienes piensan diferente.

Por lo tanto:

· Sea tolerante frente a otras actitudes y abierto a otras opiniones.

· Utilice en el caso de los debates polémicos un lenguaje equilibrado y sereno que manifieste estima.
4. Problemas y confidencialidad
· Mantenga la calma y sea objetivo, incluso si los argumentos que le presentan no le convencen.

· Respete lo que para nosotros o para otras religiones es sagrado.

· Sea consciente de que en las plataformas en línea no hay lugar para la difamación, la violación de los derechos humanos, la intolerancia, el desprecio al color de piel o al origen de nacimiento o cualquier otra cosa que pueda dar lugar a malentendidos en este sentido.

· No provoque discusiones ni se involucre donde las haya; si se ve envuelto en alguna permanezca sereno, sea objetivo y abierto al diálogo. Sea el primero en pedir disculpas cuando se equivoca.

· Manténgase alejado del lenguaje y de los mensajes irónicos, pues fácilmente encienden las pasiones y crean polémica.
5. Seguridad, derechos y obligaciones
La obligación de confidencialidad y discreción también se aplica a las redes sociales. Por lo tanto:

· Toda la información interna, que forme parte de los datos institucionales protejidos, no puede ser publicada.

· La información confidencial y datos personales, no deben ser parte de la discusión pública en las redes sociales.

· Respete la privacidad de todas las personas, por tanto no haga públicos sus defectos, errores o problemas laborales o familiares.

· En caso de descubrir o ser testigo de delitos acuda a las autoridades pertinentes.

· En caso de incertidumbre antes de una publicación, póngase en contacto con su supervisor, delegado para la Comunicación Social o, si fuera necesario, con el Inspector.

Debe aprender y estar actualizado sobre el uso de las redes sociales. No olvide que contenidos como imágenes, vídeos, información de perfil y comentarios, son potencialmente visibles para todas las personas y que algunas aplicaciones de Internet tienen acceso a sus datos. Es un hecho que cualquier tipo de publicación que realice se convierte en un elemento de su personalidad virtual.

Por lo tanto:

· Preste una cuidadosa atención a su red personal y profesional.

· No difunda demasiados datos personales en público.

· Compruebe la configuración de seguridad y de privacidad.

· Antes de configurar un perfil, lea atentamente los términos y condiciones de su red social. Si hubiera algún problema con la aplicación, póngase en contacto con el delegado de Comunicación Social.
Dicasterio para la CS & Delegados para la CS
· Tenga cuidado con los derechos de autor aplicando siempre la siguiente regla: solo utilizar archivos, imágenes, gráficos, música o videos de los que se tengan los derechos de autor.

· Si publica imágenes, debe pedir autorización a quien aparece en la foto. Si hay niños y adolescentes, posiblemente requiera además la autorización por escrito de su mentor. Los formularios de solicitud pueden pedirse a la delegación de Comunicaciones.

· Si desea utilizar las redes sociales como empleado para establecer contactos de trabajo, incluyendo la imagen de la Congregación, hable primero con su superior.

· Las inspectorías y las respectivas obras de los SDB deben seguir los manuales de diseño corporativos y las reglas para el uso del logotipo de la Inspectoría y de los Salesianos de Don Bosco.

· Las personas pertenecientes en cualquier grado a la Institución, que hagan uso inadecuado de las redes sociales y los medios de comunicación, serán responsables moral y legalmente en primera persona de sus acciones.

Las actividades de la Inspectoría ___(Sigla o nombre) de los Salesianos de Don Bosco en medios de comunicación social están dirigidas y coordinadas por los miembros Delegados del personal de Comunicaciones bajo la supervisión del Inspector en turno. Puede contactar con ellos en los teléfonos __________ , correo electrónico ________ (Ciudad y obra) ______, 2015

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Para todos los Salesianos, personal en formación y colaboradores laicos de obras y organizaciones de la Inspectoría [1] Introducción (sigla___ ) de los Salesianos de Don Bosco Las redes sociales[2] son un nuevo estilo de comunicación. Se usan prioritariamente para intercambiar experiencias y opiniones, para encontrarse con amigos y estar en contacto con los conocidos, en una sociedad cada vez más Internet - conectada.

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brief guide to establish a pastoral of digital communication in parishes, with easy-to-use tools for experts and empirical communicators

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Harold Innis greatly shaped the work of Marshall McLuhan, and is a giant in the world of Communication Theory. His two great works are The Bias of Communication (1951) and Empire and Communications (1950). His work can help us understand social media as a media technology in a broader historical context, and help us avoid some of the potential pitfalls of being over-reliant on what he might label a "space-based" media paradigm.

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Harold Adams Innis: The Bias of Communications & Monopolies of Power

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Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

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Principles on Being Parish on Social Media

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Who is looking after your parish social media and are you confident that they know what they are doing? This is a question I have addressed in the past in this column but some recent postings on some parish social media accounts have promoted me to revisit the question again. When did you last take…

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Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

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What is social media?
Social media is computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. Users engage with social media via computer, tablet or smartphone via web-based software or web application, often utilising it for messaging.

Social media can be categorised under different types:

Social Networking Sites like Twitter, Facebook etc

Image Sharing and Messaging Sites such as Instagram and Snapchat

Video Sharing Sites like Vimeo, Tik Tok or You Tube.

Social Blogging.

Social Community and Discussion Sites.

Social media and the Church:
Social media is fundamentally changing how people communicate. Our Church can not ignore it; in fact, it is our responsibility as Catholics to bring the Church's teachings into what Pope Benedict XVI called the "digital continent."

Many parishes and dioceses are now active on social media. These platforms are all about telling stories and sharing our faith. We need to keep this mission statement in mind when we are creating content for sharing on our social media. We also need to have high standards for the content we create and share.

As Pope Francis wrote in the 48th World Communications Day message, "The revolution taking place in communications media and in information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God."

We need to be creative and imaginative in how we are reaching out to people in the context of faith.

So, in this section of the Digital Hub we will share tips on getting the most from your social media in a parish and diocesan setting. We will share creative ideas for content creation. We will also be looking at policies for your social media managers, assessing analytics, copyright. We will share how to do Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and have a look at what Tik Tok might have to offer to us as Church.

If there is something you would like us to cover please get in touch by email to [email protected]

Social Media articles and FAQs:
A 10 point checklist for those managing parish and diocesan social media accounts FAQs
How do I know what social media accounts exist in the name of my parish/diocese?

Should I link my parish Facebook and Twitter accounts?

How do I get more followers on social media?
ENDS @DigitalHub
Please credit the Digital Hub if using this content in print or online formats.

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What is social media? Social media is computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. Users engage with social media via computer, tablet or smartphone via web-based software or web application, often utilising it for messaging.

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"The Australian Catholic Media Council have prepared a social media guide to help parishes to navigate the challenges of using Facebook and Instagram. It responds in a very practical way to some of the challenges for users raised in the Social Justice Statement Making It Real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world."

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Social Media Guide - Office for Social Justice

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While many parishes, Catholic groups and organisations have jumped enthusiastically into the digital world, others have been a little hesitant. It is important to think through how our online presence can be one of dignity and respect, and how we take care of ourselves and others online.

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The Bishops' Conference of Scotland
Guidance on
the Safe Use of Social Media

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Nace el primer manual de fundamentos de marketing religioso

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Un manual imprescindible para cualquier católico o institución que quiera vivir una evangelización en salida hoy Propone sumar otras dimensiones que tienen que ver más con el marketing y nuestra capacidad de "vender" mejor la Buena Nueva en la cultura actual.

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Fundamentals of religious marketing for a better evangelization

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SOCIAL MEDIA AS EVANGELIZATION TOOLS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
review specifically from page 14 to 32, and from page 47 to 72

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Good practice example: Nova Eva, Croatia (eng. "New Eve")
In Croatia, the app Nova Eva has become The source among young Catholics for finding in one place the daily Gospel, the Liturgy of the Hours, Prayers, Novenas as well as music, the opportunity to ask questions, and listen to homilies and conferences. It has grown in the Salesian family, and personally I consider it a good way of creating community, especially since using the app is aimed at using it together in person, as well as for personal use. I can personally testify at youth group meetings that the app has been a meeting place for praying together, as well as afar by sharing novenas to pray together, and having them at hand.

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NOVA EVA - Oruđe nove evangelizacije

Teško breme društvene kritike i medijske manipulacije učinilo je da živjeti i svjedočiti svoju vjeru postane gotovo nemoguća misija. Društveno-moralna kriza kroz koju prolazimo nastoji isključiti Boga iz čovjekove svakodnevnice, a vjera se nastoji gurnuti na nijeme margine društva. Zamislite samo kako li je teško onda susresti se s vjerom nekome koji nikada u svom životu nije ni imao priliku? Ubrzani životni ritam, siromaštvo i svakodnevne životne bitke učinile su da čovjek jednostavno ne pronalazi vremena za Boga i prepreka za susret s Radosnom vijesti iz dana u dan sve je više. Možda i najveća prepreka jest ravnodušnost i nezainteresiranost današnjeg kršćanina za Krista i svjedočenje kršćanstva u društvu.

Nova evangelizacije kršćanski je odgovor na ovu situaciju. Upravo ovo je njen izazov i poslanje: otkrivanje novih metoda da se današnjeg opterećenog čovjeka što više približi Isusu i navijestiti Evanđelje onima koji ga još nisu upoznali niti prihvatili. Cijeli pontifikat svetog Ivana Pavla II bio je prožet tumačenjem nove evangelizacije. Još prije 25 godina u svojoj enciklici Redemptoris Missio o trajnoj vrijednosti misijske naredbe kaže: "Ne možemo ostati mirni promatrajući na milijune svoje braće i sestara koji su također otkupljeni Kristovom krvlju, koji žive ne znajući za Božju ljubav". Uvjeren je da je Crkva ili misionarska, ili više nije ni evanđeoska, a u evangelizaciju novog tisućljeća trebaju biti uključeni svi, biskupi i svećenici, laici i Bogu posvećene osobe. Mi kršćanni jednostavno trebamo dopustiti da nas obuzme žar apostolskog propovijedanja.

Upravo ovo je zadatak i studija Nova Eva: "Pođite po svem svijetu, propovijedajte evanđelje svemu stvorenju. Tko uzvjeruje i pokrsti se, spasit će se, a tko ne uzvjeruje, osudit će se" (Mk 16, 15-16).

Multimedijalni studio Nova Eva počeo je s radom 2011. i osnovan je od strane Hrvatske salezijanske provincije. U studiju je aktivno dvadesetak talentiranih mladih ljudi, koji stvaraju pozitivan medijski sadržaj iz kojeg progovaraju kršćanske vrijednosti. Pozitivnim sadržajem dostupnim svima, prvenstveno na novim medijskim platformama, studio ispunjava misionarsko poslanje na koje su pozvani svi kršćani. Njegova aktivnost je usmjerena da širu javnost upozna s aktivnostima provincije i crkve i da svim mladima aktivnim u crkvi otvori dio medijskog prostora. Najistaknutije djelatnosti studija su: snimanje glazbe duhovnog sadržaja, videospotovi i fotografije. Od najuspjelijih uradaka, izdvajamo dva audio CD-a Božje pobjede: Ja jesam i Dođi, DVD izdanja vjeronauka studentskog kapelana don Damira Stojića te dokumentarni film I tebe sam vidio u svojim snovima snimljen povodom stote obljetnice salezijanske prisutnosti u Hrvatskoj.

„Lik Marije nas vodi na našem putu. Taj put, kao što je rekao Benedikt XVI., moći će izgledati kao putovanje kroz pustinju. Znamo da ga moramo prijeći noseći sa sobom bitno: dar Duha, Isusovo društvo i istinu Njegove riječi, euharistijski kruh koji nas hrani, bratstvo crkvenog zajedništva, polet ljubavi. To je voda zdenca koja čini da pustinja procvjeta. I kao što su noću u pustinji zvijezde sjajnije, tako na nebu našeg putu snažno sja svjetlo Marije, zvijezde nove evangelizacije, kojoj se s povjerenjem povjeravamo"(Katolički biskupi). Upravo zato je Marija i inspiracija za ime Nova Eva. Prva Eva je, začevši riječ koja je dolazila od zmije, skrivila neposluh i smrt. Ali je Blažena Djevica Marija, s vjerom i radošću, kada joj je Anđeo donio dobru vijest da će Duh Sveti sići na nju i sila je Svevišnjega osjeniti te će roditi Sina Svevišnjega, odgovorila: 'Neka mi bude po tvojoj riječi.' Zato Gospu nazivamo Nova Eva. (parafraziranje sv. Justina Mučenika, +165 AD). Nova Eva je ujedno i akronim za novu evangelizaciju.

Logo Nove Eve sastavljen je od slova "M" i "A" koji simboliziraju latinski naziv Marie-Auxiliatrice što na hrvatskom znači Marija Pomoćnica. Salezijanci u Hrvatskoj zaslužni su za pokretanje aplikacije i studija, a njihov utemeljitelj sveti Ivan Bosco u svom se radu s mladima utjecao ponajviše Mariji Pomoćnici: " Uzljubite Mariju Pomoćnicu, svoju nebesku majku, utječite joj se svim srcem i budite sigurni kako ćete, koje god milosti budete molili, biti uslišani".

Misija Nove Eve je jasna i zahtjeva mnogo Pavlove hrabrosti u Josipove poniznosti u naviještanju. Najveća podrška koju nam možete dati je vaša molitva.

"Gledajte u budućnost s obvezom nove evangelizacije, koja je nova u svojem žaru, nova u svojim metodama i nova u svojim izražajima" (sveti Ivan Pavao II).

IVAN ŠIBALIĆ - MINISTAR

Osnivač je Ministarstva evangelizacije i na njegovu čelu stoji više od deset godina, točnije otkako je postao salezijanac svećenik. Već u početku redovničkog djelovanja ponudio je dosad najkonkretniji odgovor na filozofsko pitanje: " Zašto?" a svojim odgovorom: " Zato jer je tako bolje" poljuljao je sva dotadašnja filozofska rješenja. Treba li uopće odgovarati na pitanje zašto je njegov ministarski mandat evangelizacije doživotan? Zato jer je tako bolje! Ministru ne nosite knjige na poklon jer što će vam knjiga od 500 stranica kad je u digitalnom izdanju lakša i zauzima manje mjesta. Ukoliko želite pregovarati s ministrom, učinite to uz dobre masline, ribice ili ljute papričice. Znate zašto? Zato jer je tako bolje! Ministrovi talenti su neosporni, ali jedan posebno dolazi do izražaja. U javljanju na mobitel vještiji je od centrale mobilne službe i nema katolika koji nema njegov broj u imeniku. Njegovo radno vrijeme je od 0-24, a možete ga dobiti gotovo uvijek. Ljeti je nedostupan u kasnim popodnevnim satima jer tada voli plivati s perajama što je uz iskrcavanje kombija njegov jedini hobi. Ne kaže se uzalud u narodu za ministra: " Imao je brutalne metode treninga, ali je odgajao šampione!"

DAMIR STOJIĆ - GLASNOGOVORNIK
Studirati u Zagrebu, a ne otići barem na jedan vjeronauk studentskog kapelana Damira je isto kao otići u Rim, a ne vidjeti papu. Nema studenta koji ne zna barem jednu anegdotu nećaka Filipa. Odgovornu funkciju glasnogovornika Nove Eve zaslužio je svojim komunikacijskim vještinama, snalažljivošću i poznavanjem stranih jezika. Od stranih jezika Damir govori francuski, talijanski i hrvatski. Nominativ mu je omiljen padež, a instrumental samo asocijacija na glazbenu solažu. Stoga i ne čudi što je Damir u ovim kriznim vremenima izabran i za lektora Nove Eve. Sadržaj Nove Eve će biti višestruko zanimljiviji. Ukoliko ne znate gdje je don Damir, samo upalite televizor i naći ćete ga u nekoj od emisija. A ukoliko ga nema tamo onda je na duhovnoj obnovi. Nema sela gdje Damir propovijedao nije, od Koprna do Babine Grede. Prodao je toliko DVD-ova vjeronauka da se Mati Mišu Kovaču ozbiljno trese pozicija na vrhu, a svi dobro znamo da je Mišo prodao 20 milijuna ploča. Planira upisati doktorat iz dijalektologije hrvatskog jezika.

IVAN LOVRIĆ - DEKAN
Dekan je nadasve pričljiva osoba bogate opće kulture. Priča toliko da nekad cijelu večer možete provesti zajedno, a da ne progovorite više od uobičajenog pozdrava. Klapska tehnika sotto voce izvrsno se uklopila u njegovo hercegovačko podrijetlo. Sluša glazbu koju nitko ne sluša, gleda filmove koje ni rodbina autora pogledala nije. Ako ne znate gdje je dekan možete ga pronaći na najzabačenijim marginama Youtubea, a ukoliko nije tamo zavirite tamo gdje nikad zavirili ne bi.Nema sela u Hrvatskoj i Hercegovini u kojem dekan bio nije. Nema crkvene pjesme koju odsvirao nije. Njegovi su dokumentarni filmovi osebujne tematike doživjeli i internacionalne (čitaj: regionalne) uspjehe. Sve u svemu dekan je spoj glazbenika-snimatelja-montažera i glumca koji gaji posebnu strast prema volontiranju. Majstor je steadicama i svatove snima u jednom kadru. Njegove talente najbolje opisuje njegov stil odijevanja: svega pomalo. Ukoliko vidite čovjeka u fluorescentnim tenisicama skombiniranim s adidas sjajnom trenerkom, nema sumnje, to je dekan. Ne trebate se predstavljati, jer dekan vas vjerojatno već poznaje. Dekan zna sve.

FILIP VUKINA - DOKTOR
Doktor je zanimljiva simbioza čovjeka i fotoaparata jer se međusobno nadopunjuju i omogućavaju si skladan suživot. Više vremena je proveo gledajući kroz objektiv, nego li golim okom tako da često u neformalno razgovoru pokušava fokusirati ili zumirati sugovornika misleći da je predmet fotografiranja. Ljubitelj je višestrukih ekspozicija i nema sakralnog predmeta koji se barem na sekundu nije pojavio u njegovom videospotu. Najveći je kolekcionar relikvija s ovih prostora i anatomiju svetaca poznaje kao svoj džep. Trenutno je na privremenom radu u Njemačkoj (nije na baušteli) gdje je ušao u red regularnih kanonika sv. Augustina

Kongregacije "Braća zajedničkog života". Članova toga reda je toliko da svaki od njih ima instaliranu Novu Evu na mobitelu. Jedan od ciljeva mu je da svi igrači Borussie Dortmund imaju instaliranu aplikaciju Nova Eva. Ako kojim slučajem dobijete poziv u kasnim noćnim satima nema sumnje tko zove, doktorov raspored se oslobodio i telefon je slobodan za žičane kontrole situacije na terenu i razgovore o vječnim temama. Ukoliko imate kakav problem, javite se Doktoru! On ima rješenje za vas!

MATEJ SUNARA - PROFESOR

Profesor je svoj zanat ispekao na rimskom sveučilištu za medije. To iskustvo stvorilo mu je vječno pitanje u glavi jer ne može shvatiti gdje svi ti Talijani žure. Ukoliko dobro poznajete profesora onda znate da u desnom džepu ima platnenu maramicu s kojom ne briše nos, već je tu kao navika iz djetinjstva i da je jedina stvar na koju se iznervira Hajduk. Ljudima se preporuča da ne borave s profesorom više od tri sata jer s njim je sve moguće i ostavlja trajne posljedice. Ako razgovarajući i na tren promislite: "Pa neće valjda grom udariti u ono stablo!" otvorite oči jer toga stabla vjerojatno već nema. Profesor ima čudan ukus u glazbi, spava par sati, a prepoznati ga možete po krivim naočalama i podočnjacima. Radio je mnogo poslova, od maskote spužvice za pranje posuđa do turističkog vodiča po Rimu. Zahvaljujući njemu nekolicina ljudi misli da je ban Jelačić pokopan u katakombama. Drugi maštaju o tome da vide Havaje, Kineski zid ili čari daleke Amerike, a profesor kaže da bi on samo jednom htio vidjeti jutro. Taj mu je termin u potpunosti nepoznat. Jutro je za slabiće. On svoj put ka svetosti gradi pomalo, baš kako i dolikuje Dalmatincu od skoro dva metra kojem su doktori izvadili dva posljednja diska. Uz ribolov, zanima ga i novinarstvo.

IVICA ČALIŠ - TAJNIK

Ivicu možete naći u provincijalnoj kući na Knežiji. Ukoliko nije tamo, samo malo pogledajte bolje iza nekakve nakupine papira i vidjet ćete ga. Tamo je sigurno! Rijedak spoj kemičara i administrativnog djelatnika rezultirao je time da se stvorila čvrsta kovalentna veza između studenata i župe na Knežiji. Taj čovjek uživa u poslovima nad kojima se ostali članovi zgražaju. U slobodno vrijeme ljudi se opuštaju uz dobru knjigu i glazbu, dok se Ivica kao pravi tajnik opušta uz dobar pravni statut i misu na latinskom. Kađenje mu je omiljen hobi. Rijetko tko ima takav trzaj kadionicom. Ukoliko se barem dvadeset ljudi u Crkvi ne nakašlje, znači da je kađenje loše odrađeno. Stariji nam pričaju da je jednom toliko nakadio da su ministrante maglenkama tražili. Navodno je imao unosnu ponudu iz Santiaga de Compostele da dođe raditi kao službeni kaditelj, ali ju je spremno odbio jer kako kaže: "Statuta je mnogo, a radnika malo!" Ako vam se dogodi da nemate rješenje za nekakav problem, slobodno se javite našem Tajniku. Ako vam se dogodi da želite volonterski raditi, ali ne znate gdje, ne bojte se, Tajnik će pronaći posla za vas.

U glazbenom studiju Nova Eva djeluju dvojica vrsnih teoretičara glazbe, muževa, kompozitora, autora, kuhara i filozofa:

Grgur Sesar

Petar Buljan

Oni posjeduju određene supermoći, vrlo korisne za svaki glazbeni studio. Vrijedi istaknuti neke od njih. Petar i Grgur sviraju 14 instrumenata i u stanju su pjevati dvoglasno. Želi se reći: dvoglasno Grgur i dvoglasno Petar. Dakle, njih dvojica jednu pjesmu mogu otpjevati čak četveroglasno u isto vrijeme! Skoro pa imamo klapu u dva čovjeka. Petar i Grgur šalju mp3 privitke emailom čak i kada im Internet u studiju ne radi! Hobi im je brzopotezno resetiranje routera. Mišljenja su da je san za slabiće pa mogu biti budni i do 64 sata. No, nakon neprospavana 64 sata, svašta im pada na pamet. Ovdje ističemo neke od zapaženijih citata (svaka sličnost s pravim autorima je slučajna):
''Najljepši plač je - plač moje gitare. To je prava glazba''.
(Petar Buljan)
"Ne, ne! Najljepša glazba je kada moja djeca plaču! A, i meni se plače kada čujem tu meni najljepšu glazbu".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Moju glazbu najbolje razumiju djeca i životinje".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Pomoću poezije i kroz poeziju, pomoću glazbe i kroz glazbu, duša u isti mah nazire divote koje se kriju iza groba. I kad nam neka izuzetno lijepa pjesma izmami suze iz očiju, te suze nisu dokaz nekog pretjeranog zadovoljstva, nego su mnogo više svjedočanstvo jedne razdražene melankolije..."
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba je posrednica između duhovnog i materijalnog života".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba nije instrument, niti je instrument glazba. No ipak, glazba je identična prethodnoj zamisli autora".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Gdje prestaje govor, počinje glazba".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Ono što pripada glasu, a odnosi se na odgoj duše za krepost, dali smo ime glazba".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba je otkriće veće od sve mudrosti i filozofije".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba je ona umjetnost koja me od najranijih dana vraća u sebe, smiruje i obnavlja smisao i vjeru u ono što radim. Ona je najčudesniji dokaz da nismo sami i izgubljeni".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Glazba je zvučni esperanto".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Iz sjaja zanosa puštam melodiju. Idem za njom. Bez daha je sustižem. Ona se ponovno otima i leti, nestaje, tone u kaos raznovrsnih emocija. Ponovno je hvatam, držim je, prigrljujem je s radošću množim je modulacijama i, na koncu, prvom temom odnosim slavodobitnu pobjedu. U njoj je čitava simfonija".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba je jedini univerzalni jezik".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba je hrana ljubavi".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Pop glazba govori kako je sve u redu, a rock tvrdi suprotno i kaže ti kako svoju stvarnost još možeš promijeniti".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Jazz je pobjeda crnaca nad bijelcima".
(Grgur Sesar)
"Iz glazbe dolazi čar uz kojeg se moraju smiriti sve brige i sve boli srca".
(Petar Buljan)
"U prirodi ne možemo naći ništa ljepšeg i potpunijeg od glazbe. Ona usmjerava čovjeka u dubinu njegove duše".
(Petar Buljan)
"Glazba vodi k unutarnjoj skladnosti".
(Petar Buljan)
"Među umjetnostima muzika je najbožanskija, jer je od svih njih najmanje određena granicama".
(Grgur Sesar)

"Muziku smatram korijenom svih ostalih umjetnosti".

(Grgur Sesar)
"... i mi smo zauvijek na Zemlji, na dohvatu podzemlja i neba, mi smo svoja besmrtnost u stremnji za smrtnošću, za tijelom od kruha, mi smo nadahnuće, sjena kista nad bjelinom razapeta lista. Muzika je sve što nam treba ..."
(Grgur Sesar)
"Šutnja je zlato! Govorit ću u saboru". (Vuco) "Valdano je izjavio. Znaš ko je Valdano? To je najpoznatije krilo argentinske reprezentacije.On je izjavio kad je igrao s Maradonom: 'Tek kad sam igrao s Maradonom shvatio sam razliku između srebra i zlata!' Pa tako i to!"
(Mate Mišo Kovač)

MARIN ŠKARICA - ŠEGRT

Šegrt živi za više ideale. Njegovi ideali su na četiri kotača i prst od poda. Njegovi ideali su njemačke kvalitete. Čovjek iz Rame fotografski zanat je ispekao kod doktora Vukine i otada počinje njegov proboj na fotografsku scenu Hrvatske i okolnih zemalja. Upisao je grafički fakultet i veliki je obožavatelj engleskog jezika i fizike. Od većih uspjeha izdvajamo imanje CV (životopisa) na njemačkom i engleskom jeziku. Krasi ga snalažljivost, okretnost i komunikativnost. Dekan Lovrić mu planira prodati svoj fotoaparat i automobil jer je kao vozač besprijekoran. Ispovijed je obavezna prije sjedanja u auto s njim. Šegrt živi u studentskoj sobi u zvoniku i ukoliko mu propadne sveučilišna karijera, započet će honorarno raditi kao remeta.

STIPE PAVLOVIĆ - MENADŽER

Nadimak mu je ''Zmaj Studenački''. Rođen je u Studencima pored slapova Kravice u Hercegovini. Formalno obrazovanje stekao je na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu. Polja interesa su mu iznimno široka - od lobističkog utjecaja na trasiranje autoceste kroz Hercegovinu, do promocije i komercijalizacije jednostavnih kafe aparata na području Knežije. Pa ipak, prvu znanstvenu ljubav i sam uvijek rado sažima u jednostavnoj doskočici: ''Što je bolje od iPhone telefona?'' na što daje nedvosmisleni odgovor: ''Dva iPhone telefona''. Zmaj Studenački je mirne i staložene naravi; glazbeno je nadaren; ne zaliječe se; uvijek kontrolira situaciju; i jako voli popiti kvalitetnu kavu. U konačnici, on svaki projekt uvijek okrene u svoju i u korist svojih partnera. Vjerojatno upravo ovo posljednje i sam želi istaknuti kada lakonski kaže: ''Nisam protiv sebe''.

TAJNI AGENTI

Svaka ozbiljna organizacija ima svoje pozadinske igrače kojima je identitet strogo čuvan. Na aplikaciji za pametne telefone Nova Eva radilo je više tajnih agenata koji i dalje brinu o sigurnosti i učinkovitosti iste. Agenti su na tajnom zadatku pa nećemo otkrivati u potpunosti njihove biografije.

Popis agenata na tajnom zadatku (abecedno):

Branimir Pervan, programer - developer za Android

Doktor, grafika - instrukcije i stručno vodstvo

Ivan Radak, programer - developer za Windows Phone

Ivan Švaljek, programer - backend developer (server-side)

Ministar - assembler, compiler and interpreter

Josip Čavar, programer - developer za iOS

Tomislav Dubravčević, programer - Website developer

Vedran Čevis, grafika - App design, izrada sve grafike, plus zlata vrijedni grafički savjeti.

Agenti na prošlim verzijama aplikacije:

Hrvoje Orlović, grafika - App design ver. 1.0

Sve informacije koje ste upravo pročitali držite u strogoj tajnosti jer ovi agenti volontiraju i programiraju isključivo za Novu Evu, a programiranje ovako sadržajne aplikacije nije trčanje na sto metara. Ukoliko počnete raspačavati informacije o agentima, agenti neće biti sretni. Vjerujte mi to ne želite.

lp

Profesor

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NOVA EVA - Oruđe nove evangelizacije Teško breme društvene kritike i medijske manipulacije učinilo je da živjeti i svjedočiti svoju vjeru postane gotovo nemoguća misija. Društveno-moralna kriza kroz koju prolazimo nastoji isključiti Boga iz čovjekove svakodnevnice, a vjera se nastoji gurnuti na nijeme margine društva.

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Pastoral guidelines for media use, 2006. - Croatian Bishops Conference

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Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Catholic journalists from countries around Asia gathered to talk about strategies to fight the spread of "fake news" especially on social media.

The meeting was convened by the World Catholic Association for Communication with the theme "Communicating Trust and Hope in our Time."

The discussions highlighted what the group perceived as the spread of hoaxes and fake news across digital platforms that mislead consumers of news and media content.

Source: UCANEWS

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Catholic media meet to counter spread of fake news - UCA News

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Kuala Lumpur gathering calls on journalists to show integrity and be honest

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Social media is today’s ‘new media’ ministry. The Global Web Index conducted a survey of internet users aged 16 to 64 in the third and fourth quarter last year where the average daily use of internet via PCs and tablets is 9 hours. That’s more than the required amount of sleeping hours for a normal person. Moreover, the index showed that the average daily use of the internet via mobile phones is about 3 hours and 36 minutes.

These data has helped us realize that social media is the next big thing people can utilize in doing ministry work. Social media has given everyone a voice. It’s a vast space for everyone where people can link up with family, friends and all those who matter. While people continue to harness the full power of social media to connect and interact with people around the world, they also shape the experiences of others as they shape their online experiences.

According to Saint (Pope) John Paul II, the internet is a new “forum” where politics and business are transacted, where religious duties are fulfilled, where much of the social life of the city take place, and where the best and the worst of human nature is on display. On the other hand, the internet is a place rich in humanity; “a network not of wires but of people” too. Yet sadly, the stimulus for deeper thought, understanding, and real-life connection and authentic encounter with one another may be lacking.

Social media is already a major part of the lives of people around the world today, especially the young. These are the same people who need love, compassion and tenderness in the physical world.

Source: SIGNIS

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A ‘New Media’ Ministry: Countering depression and suicidal risk among netizens

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A ‘New Media’ Ministry: Countering depression and suicidal risk among netizens

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Social Media is very volatile. It has been continuously morphing as frequently the changes in technology. During the last ten years, the progress in technology that carries social media has been as aggressive as the venture capitalists that fund them. Human behavior or natural human impulses upon which social media have greatly impacted has been unpredictable and recently, alarming.

The pastoral guidelines made by Church instrumentalities especially in the U.S., in the early 2000s may not be applicable to today’s situation anymore because of the fast changing online landscape. Facebook and Twitter, for instance, keep changing their algorithms several times a year to keep abreast with changing user demands. The popular social media platforms some fifteen years ago (the likes of Friendster, MySpace, Multiply and SixDegrees, among others) have become obsolete in no time and eventually discarded.

With a big majority of Filipinos using social media every day (57 Million on Facebook in 2016) there is no mistaking that the internet needs evangelizing. Thus, these pastoral guidelines which are intended primarily for bishops, priests and religious.

Source: CBCP Online, Philippines

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Introduction

Social Media is very volatile. It has been continuously morphing as frequently the changes in technology. During the last ten years, the progress in technology that carries social media has been as aggressive as the venture capitalists that fund them. Human behavior or natural human impulses upon which social media have greatly impacted has been unpredictable and recently, alarming.

The pastoral guidelines made by Church instrumentalities especially in the U.S., in the early 2000s may not be applicable to today's situation anymore because of the fast changing online landscape. Facebook and Twitter, for instance, keep changing their algorithms several times a year to keep abreast with changing user demands. The popular social media platforms some fifteen years ago (the likes of Friendster, MySpace, Multiply and SixDegrees, among others) have become obsolete in no time and eventually discarded.

With a big majority of Filipinos using social media every day (57 Million on Facebook in 2016) there is no mistaking that the internet needs evangelizing. Thus, these pastoral guidelines which are intended primarily for bishops, priests and religious.

II. The changing Social Media landscape

When recent wave of social media started, it was mostly harnessed for social networking. Then it became a very potent tool for advertizing, so that traditional media became threatened with the migration of multimedia ads to online platforms. Soon it became a political tool that guaranteed the winability of a political candidate as in the case of the two runs of Barack Obama or more recently, Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte who, arguably, have been tagged as social media presidents.

It became very powerful in organizing mass political revolutions and activism as in the case of Oscar Morales of Colombia who in 2008 rallied a million people around the world using Facebook for the release of 700 hundred hostages being held by FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). Or the case of Wael Ghonim who helped sparked the Arab Spring in 2011 with one Facebook Page that toppled dictators-but, on the other hand, ended up tearing several countries apart.

Today, the dark side of social media has become a very powerful tool for destroying people. It has become a quick arena for cyber bullying, black ops, propaganda, and the derailment of objectivity and truth. It is heavily populated by bots, trolls, manufacturers of lies and rumors, news fakers and bullies.

The recent stories on social media are very telling:

How Trolls are ruining the internet (Time, Aug 18, 2016)

Propaganda War: Weaponizing the Internet (Rappler, Oct 3, 2016)

Unmasking the trolls: Spin masters behind fake accounts, news sits (ABS-CBN, Jan 20, 2017)

Rodrigo Duterte's army of online trolls (New Republic, Jan 4, 2017)

One social media expert said of late, "Five years ago, I said if you want to liberate society all you need is the internet. Today I believe if we want to liberate society we first have to liberate the internet."

III. Guiding principles
Pope Francis

"Communication is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church; today the social networks are one way to experience this call to discover the beauty of faith, the beauty of encountering Christ. In the area of communications too, we need a Church capable of bringing warmth and of stirring hearts"(WCD, 2014).

"Social media is fundamentally changing how people communicate. Our Church cannot ignore it; in fact, it is our responsibility as Catholics to bring the Church's teachings into what Pope Benedict XVI called the 'digital continent.'"(WCD, 2014)

"The revolution taking place in communications media and in information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God."(WCD, 2014)

Pope Benedict XVI

"Social networks, as well as being a means of evangelization, can also be a factor in human development. As an example, in some geographical and cultural contexts where Christians feel isolated, social networks can reinforce their sense of real unity with the worldwide community of believers." (WCD, 2013)

"It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent". Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm." (WCD, 2009)

Pope John Paul II

"For the Church the new world of cyberspace is a summons to the great adventure of using its potential to proclaim the Gospel message. This challenge is at the heart of what it means at the beginning of the millennium to follow the Lord's command to "put out into the deep": Duc in altum! (Lk 5:4)." (WDC, 2002)

IV. Social Media Platforms

Although there are a good number of social media platforms, only the following are most commonly used by Filipinos here and abroad:
Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the Philippines. According to statistics, there are 47 million active Facebook accounts in the country today. Founded sometime in 2003 as a school networking site, it has evolved into the most populated social media network in the world with 1.79 billion accounts as of the 3rd quarter of 2016. It has proven to be most useful in information dissemination, building online communities, advertizing, and even in faith-based content promotion.

Presently, all other social media platforms pale in comparison with Facebook. Its algorithm is constantly redesigned to adapt to the developing needs and versatility of its users. It has, for instance, perfected its algorithm on audience targeting, clustering or eco-chambering. On the other hand, this platform has also been used for destructive purposes.

It is in this platform that the trolls and bots are most common. Trolls are fake accounts that are mostly used to advance particular agenda of users. Bots (short for robots) are electronic programs that act and respond like live persons. In the last elections, enterprising groups or PR companies have earned millions of pesos by making use of trolls and bots to either promote or destroy political candidates or personalities.

Best practices

1. Create a personal Facebook account. If you don't, somebody else will make one for you-and it will be to your disadvantage. From your personal account, you can create your own Facebook Page. Indicate or let people know that it is your "official" account and page so as to discourage any third party from creating a fake account with your name.

2. Make sure that you do not forget your username and password by choosing one that you will easily remember or by writing it in a paper easily located.

3. From your root personal account, you may create as many Facebook pages as you wish especially for a good cause such as for evangelization or human development. Make them as your new pulpit

4. Study the settings of your account or page. The configuration of your settings may actually make your page either safe or susceptible to the influx of bad contents coming from your "friends." Also, the proper privacy setting will keep your files exclusively to yourself.

5. Be selective in inviting accepting friends on your personal account and in inviting friends to like your page. Whatever is posted in your friend's timeline will also be seen in your personal Facebook feed.

6. Post good content as often as you have time. For personal accounts, once a day is good or thrice a week at the least. When an account or page is stagnant for a long time, it may be deleted by the Facebook admin.

7. If you intend to use Facebook more often for evangelization purposes, it is an advantage to be connected. Like or follow other Facebook Pages and Groups that supports similar advocacies you uphold, this may strengthen your network and broaden your connections for the cause.

8. But, be very careful in liking or sharing contents from your friend's timeline or you could unknowingly become instrumental in disseminating destructive or unverified and false content. Whatever you like or share will create a trend in Facebook's algorithm for it to feed you with content that it thinks you are most interested in. Or it may isolate you into what is called an "eco-chamber" that will keep you out of behavioral groups.

9. See to it that you don't "like" or befriend trolls or fake accounts that enter into your homepage. They will find a way to make comments on your posts. When you see them, do not comment back or they will make your comment viral. Better to delete them right away. (See Appendix II for the List of Fake Websites circulating in the Philippines.)

10. In any case a curious and legitimate Facebook user genuinely asks important questions (usual misconceptions about Catholic Faith, significant concerns, catechism, etc.) find time to engage, this may strengthen the mission of the Church to be inclusive.

11. Study how to make use of the messenger section of Facebook. This can be the best and fastest way to send your "private messages" (PM) to individuals or groups.

12. Make this your tool for evangelization by posting or sharing your homilies, reflections, prayers and catechetical materials. Do not post or share contents that are copyrighted.

13. The use of photo messages or photo quotes are especially effective in communicating Church teaching, doctrine, or catechism or other specially complex or wordy passages.

14. Keep posts as concise as possible. Statistics show the most shared posts have images with minimal text.

15. In your spare time, read up on online lingo to be in the know (e.g. lol, tbh, smh, etc)

Twitter
Twitter is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with short messages. Often referred to as micro-blog, "tweets" are restricted to only 140 characters. Users access Twitter through its website interface, SMS or a mobile device app. Globally, Twitter has about 310 million users as of 2016.

In the Philippines, there are about 8 million users. Many prefer twitter when looking for news because it is immediate. Twitter is best for aggregating trending topics through the use of what is called a "hashtag." Through this hashtag, one's post can spread fast and wide even if your followers are just a handful. But like other social media platforms, Twitter has also been used in spreading fake news and lies. Twitter is a very powerful tool of spreading the Good News, when used properly. Pope Francis makes use of Twitter where he has 10.2 million followers.

Best practices

1. Create a Twitter account for the nobler purpose of sending catechetical or faith-based messages across. The best way to defeat the proliferation of false or bad messages is to circulate good ones.

2. Configure the settings well for better design and functionalities.

3. Make sure to keep and protect your username and password.

4. Make use of a hashtag (#) whenever you post in order to have a wider circulation of your messages; one that is used by many people at a given time.

5. Retweet messages only from known sources, such as those from established news agencies or personalities.

6. Tweet messages that are calling for immediate response such as during calamities or emergencies.

3. Instagram
Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing site that enables users to share pictures and videos either publicly or privately on the app as well as through a variety of other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.

This is very popular especially among younger netizens. As of the last quarter of 2016, Instagram has about 600 million users throughout the globe; about 4 million of that are in the Philippines. This platform has not been used much by Church groups or individuals except by those who file their religious icons and photos for posting in Facebook and/or Twitter.

Best practices

1. In the event that you wish to make use of this facility, make sure to make your privacy settings very secure.

2. Post only photos or videos with catechetical or faith values.

3. Append catechetical texts when posting photos or videos.

4. Never post or use copyrighted photos or videos.

5. Use hashtags(#) when posting for easy categorization and search across social networks.

6. For your network to grow, learn to mention Instagram accounts that belong to the same category, group or style as yours.

7. Be encouraged to post engaging and relatable, moving photos because graphic illustrations catch more attention than mere texts.

V - General guidelines on use of social media and the internet

1. All usage of social media is public and permanent and thus requires discretion and prudence - what you post online will always be online;

2. Every social media platform has a different audience, thus a different way of posting.

3. Information that is confidential in nature should NOT be communicated through social media;

4. Pictures, videos and all personal information should not be shared or posted without prior consent of the individual and, in the case of a minor or vulnerable adult, consent of the parent of the minor or vulnerable adult;

5. Views expressed through social media should always be made in a respectful manner with civility and Christian charity;

6. Be selective and cautious about visiting and participating in online sites, forums and groups;

7. Be aware that posted words, comments, images and videos can be easily misinterpreted;

8. A bishop, priest or religious must avoid inappropriate personal interaction, especially in social networking sites;

9. Appoint a trusted person (or, a confidential system in the Chancery) who can keep the username and password of your social media accounts in order to delete it in the event of your demise.

10. It is best that an individual/group commissioned to do online evangelization in a diocese/parish/Catholic organization have a strong prayer life with ongoing formation. Social media evangelization is no replacement for the sacramental and prayer life.

VI. Conclusion

By way of a conclusion, it is good to heed the words of Pope Francis taken from the Message of the 50th World Communications Day in 2016.

"Emails, text messages, social networks and chats can also be fully human forms of communication. It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal. Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups. The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks."

"The internet can help us to be better citizens. Access to digital networks entails a responsibility for our neighbor whom we do not see but who is nonetheless real and has a dignity which must be respected. The internet can be used wisely to build a society which is healthy and open to sharing."

For the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

(SGD)+ABP. SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, D.D.
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
President, CBCP
January 30, 2017

Appendix I

Definition of Terms

Algorithm: An algorithm is a set of formulas developed for a computer to perform a certain function. This is important in the social sphere as the algorithms sites like Facebook and Google use are critical for developing content promotion strategies.
Chat: Chat can refer to any kind of communication over the internet but traditionally refers to one-to-one communication through a text-based chat application, commonly referred to as instant messaging (IM) applications.
Comment: A comment is a response that is often provided as an answer or reaction to a post or message on a social network.
Direct Message: Direct messages - also referred to as "DMs" - are private conversations that occur on Twitter. Both parties must be following one another to send a message.
Facebook Group: Groups provide a space for people to communicate about shared interests. Groups can be created by anyone.
Facebook Page: Pages allow real organizations, businesses, celebrities and brands to communicate broadly with people who like them. Pages may only be created and managed by official representatives.
Follower: In a social media setting, a follower refers to a person who subscribes to your account in order to receive your updates.
Friends: Friends is the term used on Facebook to represent the connections you make and the people you follow. These are individuals you consider to be friendly enough with you to see your Facebook profile and engage with you.
Handle: Handle is the term used to describe someone's @username on Twitter. For example, CBCP News' Twitter handle is @cbcpnews
Hashtag: A hashtag is a tag used on a variety of social networks as a way to annotate or categorize a message. A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a "#" (i.e. #News #Gospel #Love). Social networks use hashtags to categorize information and make it easily searchable for users.
Instant Messaging: Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time, direct text-based communication between two or more people. More advanced instant messaging software clients also allow enhanced modes of communication, such as live voice or video calling.
Like: A Like is an action that can be made by a Facebook or Instagram user. Instead of writing a comment or sharing a post, a user can click the Like button as a quick way to show approval.
Meme: A meme on the internet is used to describe a thought, idea, joke, or concept that's widely shared online. It is typically an image with text above and below it, but can also come in video and link form.
Mention: A mention is a Twitter term used to describe an instance in which a user includes someone else's @username in their tweet to attribute a piece of content or start a discussion.
News Feed: A news feed is literally a feed full of news. On Facebook, the News Feed is the homepage of users' accounts where they can see all the latest updates from their friends. The news feed on Twitter is called Timeline.
Reply: A reply is a Twitter action that allows a user to respond to a tweet through a separate tweet that begins with the other user's @username. This differs from a mention, because tweets that start with an @username only appears in the timelines of users who follow both parties.
Retweet: A retweet is when someone on Twitter sees your message and decides to re-share it with his or her followers. A retweet button allows them to quickly resend the message with attribution to the original sharer's name.
Tag: Tagging is a social media functionality commonly used on Facebook and Instagram that allows users to create a link back to the profile of the person shown in the picture or targeted by the update.
Troll: A troll or internet troll refers to a person who is known for creating controversy in an online setting. They typically hang out in forums, comment sections, and chat rooms with the intent of disrupting the conversation on a piece of content by providing commentary that aims to evoke a reaction.
Viral: Viral is a term used to describe a content that spreads far and wide in so short a time.

Appendix II

Partial List of Web / News / Blog sites in the Philippines with fake or unverified content

(Note: Some contents of these sites have been fed to social media carrying fake or unverified contents. The pages in social media that are maintained by trolls and bots are not included in this list. They are too many and too variable to be listed.)

Pinoy Trending - http://pinoytrending.altervista.org/
Pinoy Trending News - http://pinoytrendingnews.net/
Public Trending - http://www.publictrending.net/
FilipiNews PH - http://www.filipinewsph.com/
Trending News Portal - http://www.trendingnewsportal.net.ph/
Classified trends - http://www.classifiedtrends.net/
Definitely Filipino - http://definitelyfilipino.com/
Duterte News Info - http://www.du30newsinfo.com/
Extreme Readers - http://www.extremereaders.com/
Get Real Philippines - http://www.getrealphilippines.com/
Guard1an - https://theguard1an.com/
Kalye Pinoy - http://www.kalyepinoy.com/
Leak News PH - http://www.leaknewsph.com/
Media ni Duterte - http://www.dutertedefender.com/
Minda Nation - http://mindanation.com/
Netizens PH - http://www.netizensph.com/
News Media PH - http://www.newsmediaph.com/
News Titans - http://www.newstitans.com/
OKD2 - http://okd2.com/
Pinoy Freedom Wall - http://www.pinoyfreedomwall.com/
Pinoy Viral Issues - http://www.pinoyviralissues.net/
Pinoy Viral News - http://pinoyviralnews.com/
PinoyWorld - http://www.pinoyworld.net/
SocialNewsPH - http://www.socialnewsph.com/
TahoNews - http://www.tahonews.com/
TheVolatilian - http://www.thevolatilian.com/
Thinking Pinoy - http://www.thinkingpinoy.net/
TrendingBalita - http://www.trendingbalita.info/
TrendTitan - http://trendtitan.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pastoral Guidelines on the Use of Social Media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Social Media is very volatile. It has been continuously morphing as frequently the changes in technology. During the last ten years, the progress in technology that carries social media has been as aggressive as the venture capitalists that fund them.

# data[].attributes.body
Internet and Evangelization – Challenges and Opportunities, Jure Strijić

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pregledni rad
Internet and Evangelization - Challenges and Opportunities
Jure Strujić orcid.org/0000-0001-9524-2763 ; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Sveučilište u Splitu

Puni tekst: hrvatski pdf 290 Kb

str. 475-500

preuzimanja: 859

Sažetak

The article, on the basis of an insight into the emergence of a new culture, founded on the Internet and virtual social networks, points to new communication tools that extend the possibility of evangelization, which poses significant challenges to the Church. The Church is called to use the new communication opportunities, especially the new social services, not only as an evangelization bulletin board, but as a challenge to enrich the "digital continent" with the Gospel, using the dynamics of two-way communication that evaluates speaking and listening, arguments and testimony of Christian digital profile. There are numerous network services by which it is possible to realize this, first of all Facebook, YouTube, Blog services, Instagram, Twitter, and many mobile phone applications, which is all supported by concrete examples in this work. However, all these new opportunities open up moral and ethical issues, and a clear answer is expected from the Church. In the final part, the paper presents practical possibilities of evangelization using the modern media and social networks and suggests the ways in which modern media could be much better used for new evangelization.

Ključne riječi

Church, evangelization, Internet, social networks, mobile applications

Hrčak ID:

188977

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/188977

Posjeta: 1.324 *

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
church; evangelization; internet; social networks; mobile applications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Internet and Evangelization - Challenges and Opportunities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The article, on the basis of an insight into the emergence of a new culture, founded on the Internet and virtual social networks, points to new communication tools that extend the possibility of evangelization, which poses significant challenges to t...

# data[].attributes.body
I am adding this website as an example of a useful practice of dialogue about responsible use of social media. "Medijska pismenost" in translation means "Media literacy", and has a variety of multimedia essays and discussions categorized into different type of media, therefore, there is also one about the Internet. Just some of the topics I find particularly interesting to start conversations, especially with youth are: Fake videos and misinformation about war on social media; Phishing, learning about algorythms, The safety of completing online quizzes on Facebook...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Portal za razvoj medijske pismenosti roditelja i djece

# data[].attributes.body
"Duc in Altum! Evangelization in "the Digital Age", by dr. Jerko Valković

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pregledni rad
Duc in Altum! Evangelization in "the Digital Age"
Jerko Valković ; Teologija u Rijeci, Područni studij Katoličkoga bogoslovnog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Rijeka, Hrvatska

Puni tekst: hrvatski pdf 200 Kb

str. 171-186

preuzimanja: 601

Sažetak

Modern media are not only (new) means of communication, but also a new communication "space" that is each day visited and occupied by a large number of people. In this virtual space the Church can meet people and interact with them, and "the digital continent" presents the Church with a challenge for the new evangelization. However, the evangelization of the virtual world requires more than the application of existing methods of pastoral ministry. The first thing is to notice the changes that occur in connection with new media, to get to know a person in the digital culture, because it is in those areas that a person experiences significant changes. Therefore, the author as the first step of evangelization points to some characteristics of the new culture, he speaks about the new codes of communication and new dynamics that develops between "interlocutors". All this helps the Church to better understand the way people today think and experience others. Special attention should be paid to the shaping of personal identity as well as sociability which are formed through social networks. Through the evangelization of digital world the Church enriches and humanizes society by developing an authentic communication and bringing its values to the spaces of communication.

Ključne riječi

evangelization, communication, new media, social networks, community

Hrčak ID:

86471

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/86471

Posjeta: 1.192 *

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
evangelization; communication; new media; social networks; community

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Duc in Altum! Evangelization in "the Digital Age"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Modern media are not only (new) means of communication, but also a new communication "space" that is each day visited and occupied by a large number of people. In this virtual space the Church can meet people and interact with them, and "the digital...

# data[].attributes.body
"Croatian (arch)dioceses on social networks" - Nenad Palac, 2015.
The final chapter is particularly interesting, as it is an analysis of social media use of Croatian bishops and dioceses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Stručni rad
Croatian (arch)dioceses on social networks
Nenad Palac orcid.org/0000-0001-8817-9970 ; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu

Puni tekst: hrvatski pdf 206 Kb

str. 324-344

preuzimanja: 700

Sažetak

Using the Internet more and more people are becoming part of
a "virtual community". The fact is that a large number of believers
have one or more profiles on social networks, using them daily and
even several times. Before us is a challenge and we have to seize
this opportunity and offer the users of social networks not only a
good quality content or material, but also try to realize encounter in
real space and time. To begin with, we need to be cooperative and
answer their questions through the platforms they use, no matter
where they are currently located, at school, at university, engaged
in their businesses, in the comfort of their home or having coffee
at a nearby cafe. It is necessary for the Church as an institution to
impose itself and to get its own brand on social networks as a new
e-community which is going to offer not only a good quality content,
but also become an active collocutor with all those who "sail the sea"
of digital data, information and social networks. An open and honest
two-way communication through the Internet and social networks
can and should ultimately lead to an encounter in real time and space. After showing the ubiquity and importance of social networks
in our time, the author refers to the use of social networks by Pope
Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, as well as by Croatian bishops Vlado Košić and Mato Uzinić. In the last chapter of the paper the author analyses the use of social networks in Croatia on the diocesan
level and gives the examples of four (arch)dioceses.

Ključne riječi

Internet, social networks, new evangelization, Croatian dioceses, Church

Hrčak ID:

141362

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/141362

Posjeta: 1.205 *

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
internet; social networks; new evangelization; croatian dioceses; church

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Croatian (arch)dioceses on social networks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using the Internet more and more people are becoming part of a "virtual community". The fact is that a large number of believers have one or more profiles on social networks, using them daily and even several times. Before us is a challenge and...

# data[].attributes.body
The Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross in Croatia included as part of their formation a course dedicated to the responsible use of social media, led by fr. Siniša Pucić, OFM, a former journalist. It was pointed out that social media can be a useful tool to communicate values and presents a challenge in communicating with young girls interested in entering the religious order.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
U samostanu Milosrdnih sestara sv. Križa u Đakovu, u sklopu trajne formacije, fra Siniša Pucić, OFM, održao je 28. veljače predavanje o odgovornom korištenju medija.

Fra Sinišu je na početku pozdravila provincijalna poglavarica s. Valerija Široki i kratko ga predstavila sestrama: od njegova članstva u Franjevačkoj mladeži, zatim u Franjevačkom svjetovnom redu, preko djelovanja s rubnim ljudima u društvu, posebno u prihvatilištu za beskućnike „Ruže svetoga Franje", zatim u prvoj hrvatskoj socijalnoj samoposluzi, do njegova ulaska u franjevački red. Fra Siniša je prije dvije godine imao mladu misu i sada je odgojitelj u Franjevačkom sjemeništu u Slavonskom Brodu.

Glavna misao predavanja bila je potaknuti sestre na širenje radosne vijesti putem novih medija, tj. putem društvenih mreža. Slikovito, uz LCD prezentaciju, fra Siniša predstavio je sestrama medije općenito te društvene mreže. Zatim je prikazao i neke statistike o korištenju medija i društvenih mreža i načinu njihova djelovanja. Iznio je činjenicu da nijedan medij u današnjem vremenu nije neovisan i da, tko ima medij, taj kreira moć.

Fra Siniša je naglasio: „Gdje god da jesmo, i bez mobitela u rukama, sa svojim habitom, i da nemamo ništa drugo, goloruki, mi smo jedan medij, mi prenosimo poruku, poruku evanđelja, poruku radosne vijesti, a to je medij koji je nezamjenjiv. Ali, mi želimo da ta poruka dođe do što većeg broja ljudi i zato je važno poznavati što nam nove društvene mreže nude." I nastavio je: „Mi želimo ponuditi neku vrijednost. Jedan je način da idemo po svijetu i govorimo ljudima o tome, a drugi da shvatimo kako se ta riječ može brzo proširiti preko medija, odnosno društvenim mrežama. To je jedan velik izazov, pogotovo za mlađe sestre, koje žele stupiti u kontakt s djevojkama koje se zanimaju za samostan."

Fra Siniša također je govorio o mogućnosti negativnoga utjecaja medija na djecu jer se tu stvara otvoreni prostor za pedofiliju, za trgovinu robljem, za krađu ljudi, koja se u ovom vremenu još više proširila. Preporučio je na tu temu poslušati prof. Igora Kanižaja, koji predaje na Fakultetu političkih znanosti, i govori o edukaciji djece.

Na kraju je potaknuo redovnice da popune medijski prostor, ne prepuštajući taj dio prostora nečemu lošem: „Možete staviti snimke mise, klanjanja, svjedočanstva, sve što ljude može privući i potaknuti da više budu uz Gospodina, da više mole, da možda više počnu ići na misu..., da mladi ljudi koji razmišljaju o pozivu pronađu tu vijest ili taj video ili to svjedočanstvo i oduševe se na taj način te dođu. Sv. papa Ivan Pavao II. u svojem posljednjem apostolskom pismu, koje je kao njegova oporuka svijetu, rekao je sljedeće: Ne bojte se medija! Ne bojte se novih tehnologija! Želi nam reći, kao što je rekao 1978. godine na Trgu Sv. Petra: Otvorite vrata Kristu! Odnosno, dopustite da Krist preko vas i tih novih medija, novih tehnologija, uđe u svijet, nemojte mu braniti! Nemojte mu zatvoriti vrata! Da svijet čuje za Krista, ne samo ovdje u Đakovu ili u Slavonskom Brodu." Na kraju sestre su mogle postaviti pitanja i izreći svoje dojmove.

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Odgovorno korištenje društvenih medija - IKA

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U samostanu Milosrdnih sestara sv. Križa u Đakovu, u sklopu trajne formacije, fra Siniša Pucić, OFM, održao je 28. veljače predavanje o odgovornom korištenju medija. Fra Sinišu je na početku pozdravila provincijalna poglavarica s.

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We are an organization that works to professionalize Church communication and contribute to the creation of a network of Catholic communicators in Latin America.

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Together with the Conference of Associations of Religious Orders and Secular Institutes KOVOSS'CORISS, the Commission for Communication and Media of the SBK has published a brochure for the successful media work of church institutions.

In addition to basic considerations on media work, the workbook offers practical tips on the following topics:

Structure of media releases and their distribution
Dealing with journalists
Preparation of interviews
Use of the Internet and social media
possible preparation and implementation of successful communication in the event of a crisis.

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Gemeinsam mit der Konferenz der Vereinigungen der Orden und Säkularinstitute KOVOSS'CORISS hat die Kommission für Kommunikation und Medien der SBK eine Broschüre für die erfolgreiche Medienarbeit kirchlicher Institutionen herausgegeben.

Das Arbeitsheft bietet neben grundsätzlichen Überlegungen zur Medienarbeit vor allem auch praxisnahe Tipps zu den Themenbereichen:

Aufbau von Medienmitteilungen und deren Verbreitung

Umgang mit Journalisten

Vorbereitung von Interviews

Nutzung des Internets und der Social Media

mögliche Vorbereitung und Umsetzung einer gelungenen Kommunikation im Krisenfall.

Die Druckvorlagen sind für A3-Drucker optimiert, können aber auch auf A4 gedruckt werden. Der Download ist gratis.

Die Broschüre erscheint in französischer und deutscher Sprache.

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Broschüre „Wie gehen wir mit den Medien um?" - Kommission für Kommunikation & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

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Gemeinsam mit der Konferenz der Vereinigungen der Orden und Säkularinstitute KOVOSS'CORISS hat die Kommission für Kommunikation und Medien der SBK eine Broschüre für die erfolgreiche Medienarbeit kirchlicher Institutionen herausgegeben.

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Social Web Communication
of the churches in Germany

This article analyses social web activities of Roman Catholic dioceses and Protestant regional churches in Germany. Empirical studies of communication activities on „Facebook“, „Twitter“ and „Youtube“ show that the dioceses were able to utilize the biannual congress of German Catholics in 2014 positively for their social web communication. Nevertheless, it was not possible to identify a consistent communication strategy which links day-to-day communication to event communication. In general, participative platforms were used quite reluctantly. Nevertheless, some best practices were identified. Those dioceses and regional churches engage in an active dialogue with members and other stakeholders. The Catholic dioceses are one step ahead of the Protestant regional churches, which, however, could be a sign of ecclesiological differences. Therefore, future social web analysis should focus at all church levels, especially on parishes and church districts as well as on local churches.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A Catholic Convo with Maclaine (@acatholicconvo)

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Net for God Media School

A year of multimedia training for people between 18-30 years of age. A year to receive practical work experience on the video production team of Net for God. It’s also a year to grow in self-knowledge to discern about life decisions.

During this year you can use your talents for the Church and evangelization with a ‘passion for unity.’ You will live together with other students and brothers and sisters of the Chemin Neuf Community. You can deepen your spiritual life with prayer times, scripture readings and fellowship.

The Media School takes place at the Maison Imago in Villeneuve d'Ascq, near Lille.

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https://home-eakademie.learnworlds.com/course/digitalisierung-der-kirche

Course: Digitization of the Church

In Salzburg, the Loretto community runs mission hubs called "HOME Mission Base". In these hubs, young adults receive formation, are mentored, live in community and practice radical hospitality with a missionary disposition. They have a media house - where they produce podcasts, films, multimedia productions etc. They also have a e-academy and a course called "Digital Church"

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"Social Media Guidelines" for church employees. Recommendations and samples (Germans Bishop Conference)

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DigComp 2.1

The digital competence framework for citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of use

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Mobile Ministry Forum. https://mobileministryforum.org

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https://www.vidanuevadigital.com/libro/comunicar-la-fe-en-la-ciudad-secular-vicente-vide-sal-terrae/

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Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia

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Un libro de Vicente Vide ( Sal Terrae, 2013). La recensión es de Manuel María Bru Alonso

-

Título: Comunicar la fe en la ciudad secular. Teología de la comunicación

Autor: Vicente Vide

Editorial: Sal Terrae, 2013

Ciudad: Santander

Páginas: 160

MANUEL MARÍA BRU ALONSO | El actual "eclipse de Dios", tan indiscutible como fenómeno social y cultural como irreductible a explicaciones simplistas, es para Vicente Vide un desafío y una oportunidad para la nueva evangelización. Apoyándose en que en todo hombre anidan, en expresión de Unamuno, "las grandes y eternas inquietudes del corazón", esta teología de la comunicación de la fe plantea con precisión y originalidad incontables preguntas y respuestas. La profundidad de los análisis, la novedad de las perspectivas abiertas, y la claridad y concisión de la exposición hacen de este libro una obra muy sugerente para todos los interesados en el tema, y llena de propuestas sorprendentes para los más aviados expertos, tanto teólogos como pastoralistas.

Distinguiendo secularización y secularidad, sacralizar y consagrar, ocaso y reconfiguración de lo religioso, empieza explicando las diversas teorías sobre la secularización que convergen en el "descontento del descontento", en el amplísimo abanico de creencias, increencias, de agnosticismos y de derivaciones y sucedáneos de lo religioso en la actual sociedad secular. Viene a la memoria, al leer este interesantísimo análisis, aquella "profecía" del teólogo Paul Tillich de que, en el siglo XXI, la diferencia religiosa fundamental no se daría entre creencia e increencia, sino entre inquietud e indiferencia.

Sin olvidarnos de este contexto socio-religioso, el autor nos conduce a un nuevo ámbito de reflexión propiamente teológico, en el que -en apenas 21 páginas- nos dirige, con el mismo rigor y claridad, a una comprensión interpelante de los diversos aspectos de la fe, en sorprendente sintonía con la encíclica Lumen fidei del papa Francisco.

Partiendo de que la fe no "se tiene", sino que "nos tiene", se apuntan caminos de vivencia y de transmisión de la fe, a la vez que se advierte de los peligrosos extremos a la hora de afrontar esta transmisión (integrismo/sincretismo; sola ortodoxia/sola ortopraxis). Y es en la Sagrada Escritura y en la enseñanza del Concilio Vaticano II donde busca el autor el criterio justo para una comunicación de la fe que ni claudica del mandato misionero ni se refugia en una nostálgica mentalidad de cristiandad.

El paso de la teología de la fe a la teología de la comunicación abre el melón de la reflexión de Vicente Vide sobre los nuevos lenguajes de la evangelización, empezando por comparar el lenguaje de dos concilios consecutivos: el Vaticano I y el Vaticano II, y el uso en ambos del mismo término Evangelio y sus derivados evangelizar y evangelización. No me resisto a adelantarles el resultado: si en el Vaticano I solo aparece una vez el término Evangelio y ninguna evangelizar ni evangelización, en el Vaticano II Evangelio aparece 157 veces, evangelizar 18 y evangelización 31 veces.

Comprensible y vivencial

Los nuevos lenguajes de la evangelización no tienen nada que ver con la "extravagancia de intentar novedades solo para satisfacer al hombre contemporáneo", sino sencillamente de hacerse comprensible y vivencial, teniendo en cuenta para ello la nueva filosofía del lenguaje que diferencia entre informar y preformar, entre aserción y asentimiento.

Distinción reconocida por Benedicto XVI aplicada a la evangelización, que lleva a la conclusión de que "la comunicación de la fe no puede reducirse a un mero mensaje informativo". Al menos, sin traicionarla.

La teología de la comunicación hunde sus raíces en la preponderancia de los conceptos bíblicos de dabar (veterotestamentario) y logos (neotestamentario) y, por ende, en la misma cristología: el logos hecho carne significa que es la misma acción comunicativa de Dios la que se ha hecho carne. Palabra y silencio teológicos que iluminan la metodología del anuncio cristiano, que en una cultura de la imagen prioriza las narraciones, los símbolos y los testimonios, en un discernimiento crítico con una cultura mediática en la que "no es que la imagen reproduzca la realidad, sino que la realidad se esfuerza por parecerse a la imagen".

Las diversas características de este lenguaje mediático (hiperestimulación sensorial, cultura mosaico...) plantean cómo la evangelización puede y debe armonizar la cultura del discurso con la cultura de la imagen, conciliando emotividad con racionalidad, narración y simbolismo.

En último lugar, a partir de los precedentes análisis, el autor propone cinco vías para la nueva evangelización. No son propuestas técnicas o estratégicas, y mucho menos recetas. Se trata de una relectura de la idea de los preambula fidei: la evangelización hoy ha de ser un diálogo con el hombre actual, en el que compartir la común existencia sea la base para poder buscar juntos la fe.

Estas vías son la búsqueda del sentido de la vida, en la conciencia de finitud y nostalgia de infinitud; la experiencia transparente de la belleza como gratitud, asombro y arrebatamiento; la autonomía y complementariedad de la ciencia y la religión, lejos de cientifismos, fundamentalismos y bio-neuro-teologías al uso; la vía del potencial simbólico y humanizador de la espiritualidad; y la vía de "los lenguajes de la fraternidad, la solidaridad, la utopía y la esperanza".

Magnífico libro, en conclusión, que descubre en la nueva ciudad secular (no secularista) no solo desafíos, sino también oportunidades para una nueva vivencia y comunicación de la experiencia cristiana.

Vivimos en un contexto social mucho más abierto al anuncio del Evangelio de lo que a veces pensamos, y en el que, sobre todo las nuevas generaciones desubicadas pero también desideologizadas, son más sensibles que nunca a ese testimonio cristiano que -Pablo VI decía- suscita siempre la pregunta de "por qué" y "quién" es el que lo inspira.

En el nº 2.880 de Vida Nueva

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Un libro de Vicente Vide ( Sal Terrae, 2013). La recensión es de Manuel María Bru Alonso - Título: Comunicar la fe en la ciudad secular.

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Pastoral da Música

https://www.instagram.com/paulinascomep/?hl=pt

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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Management and good practices manual in social networks

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I think this book has been published in many other countries. It is a book written by Antonio Spadaro SJ and is titled "SNS and Faith" in Korea.

So it is about in an era where social media has become a part of life, look at what religious life is like and suggest how to our ministry move forward.

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SNS 시대의 사이버신학

사이버신학의 등장

트위터, 페이스북, 인스타그램 등 SNS가 생활의 일부가 된 시대의 신앙 생활은 어떤 모습인지 진단하고 가톨릭 사목은 어떤 방향으로 나아가야 할지 제시한 「SNS 시대의 신앙」이 나왔다.

여기서 등장하는 용어 중 가장 핵심적인 용어는 사이버신학이다. 저자는 '인간이 살아가는 환경이 모두 그렇듯이 인터넷도 복음화되어야 한다'(32-33쪽)고 말하며 다음과 같이 말한다.

여기서 한 걸음 더 나아가야 할 때가 된 것 같다. 인터넷의 논리를 통해...교회, 친교, 계시. 전례, 성사 등 조직신학의 전통적 주제들을 풀어내는 방식과 관련된 요청들에 대해서도 고민해 봐야 한다. 이러한 성찰이 중요한 이유는 사람들이 종교적 정체성을 확립하는 데 인터넷이 기여하는 바가 점점 더 커지고 있기 때문이다. 바로 이것이 내가 말하고 있는 사이버신학이다.(33쪽)

즉, 저자는 인터넷의 논리로 교회의 주제를 설명하는 것을 고려해야 한다고 주장한다. 그러면서 "사이버신학은 인터넷상에서 수행하는 종교성에 관한 사회학적 성찰이 아니라, 인터넷의 논리가 생각...

SNS 시대의 사이버신학

사이버신학의 등장

트위터, 페이스북, 인스타그램 등 SNS가 생활의 일부가 된 시대의 신앙 생활은 어떤 모습인지 진단하고 가톨릭 사목은 어떤 방향으로 나아가야 할지 제시한 「SNS 시대의 신앙」이 나왔다.

여기서 등장하는 용어 중 가장 핵심적인 용어는 사이버신학이다. 저자는 '인간이 살아가는 환경이 모두 그렇듯이 인터넷도 복음화되어야 한다'(32-33쪽)고 말하며 다음과 같이 말한다.

여기서 한 걸음 더 나아가야 할 때가 된 것 같다. 인터넷의 논리를 통해...교회, 친교, 계시. 전례, 성사 등 조직신학의 전통적 주제들을 풀어내는 방식과 관련된 요청들에 대해서도 고민해 봐야 한다. 이러한 성찰이 중요한 이유는 사람들이 종교적 정체성을 확립하는 데 인터넷이 기여하는 바가 점점 더 커지고 있기 때문이다. 바로 이것이 내가 말하고 있는 사이버신학이다.(33쪽)

즉, 저자는 인터넷의 논리로 교회의 주제를 설명하는 것을 고려해야 한다고 주장한다. 그러면서 "사이버신학은 인터넷상에서 수행하는 종교성에 관한 사회학적 성찰이 아니라, 인터넷의 논리가 생각, 지식, 소통의 방식을 지배하는 이 시대에 이해를 추구하는 신앙의 열매"(34쪽)라고 말하며 "사이버신학도 신학"(33쪽)이라고 힘주어 말한다.

SNS 시대의 한계과 위험

안토니오 신부는 SNS 시대의 한계와 위험을 진단하기도 한다. 먼저 지적한 한계는 관계의 진정성이다. 베네딕토 16세 전임교황은 2012년 성령 강림 대축일 강론에서 "우리는 소통하고 정보를 얻으며 소식을 전하는 가능성을 배가시킨 것은 사실입니다. 그렇다고 해서 우리가 서로를 이해하는 면에서 성장했다고 말할 수 있을까요?"(35쪽)라고 물었다. 이에 대해 저자는 "서로를 더 잘 이해하고 친교를 맺기 위해 과연 접속을 몇 배로 늘리는 것만으로 충분한지 되짚어 보게 하는 질문"(35쪽)이라며 SNS에 보내는 시간이 많다고 해서 관계의 질이 향상되지 않는다는 점을 지적한다.

또 저자는 SNS가 선별된 정보를 제공함으로써 생길 수 있는 '자기중심적인 독단(고립된 섬)'(41쪽)의 위험을 경고하기도 한다.

구글과 페이스북이 우리가 관심을 더 많이 가지고 있는 것이나 우리가 방문하는 사이트의 접속 상황을 보고 우리를 '아는 것'과 같다. 이것은 큰 위기다. 나와 다른 것들은 이미 여과된 상태의 정보 안에 갇히는 격이 된다. ... 이렇게 되면 자신과 다른 것을 거부하며 스스로 자신 안에 갇혀버리는 위험에 빠질 것이 분명하다. 서로 다름을 볼 줄 아는 눈을 잃어버리고, 다름을 참지 못하며, 나와 다른 방식으로 관계 맺거나 사고하는 데에서 생기는 새로운 일과 돌발 상황을 받아들이지 못한다. 다른 사람이 어떤 식으로든 나와 비슷할 때만 의미 있는 사람이 되고, 그렇지 않으면 아예 존재하지 않는 사람이 된다.(39-40쪽)

SNS 시대의 가톨릭 사목
이 책은 SNS 시대에서 그리스도인들은 어떻게 신앙을 증언하고, 그 안에서 소통할 것인가에 대해 교회 문헌과 교황의 홍보주일 담화, 그리고 성경 말씀과 연결해 보여준다.

"성경 말씀에 비추어 볼 때, 이러한 욕구(새로운 기술을 발전시키는 근본적인 열망)는 근본적으로 모든 인류가 한 가족이 되기를 바라시는 하느님의 사랑, 대화와 일치를 가능하게 하는 그 사랑에 우리가 동참하고 있음을 나타내는 것으로 보아야 합니다.(베네딕터 16세 2009년 제43차 홍보주일 특별 담화, 46쪽)

저자는 SNS가 발전된 시대에 교회는 "단지 친교의 신비로만 여겨지지 않고 조각난 사회에서 친교의 관계를 구축하기 위한 토대를 제공해 줄 수 있는, 사람들의 중요한 접속 장소로도 이해되는 것이 중요하다"(75-76쪽)고 말한다. 그러면서 교회가 과거와 현재를 견고하게 유지하면서 미래를 바라보기 위한 과정과 관점의 변화 필요한 여섯 가지 측면을 제시한다.

1. 답변하는 사목에서 질문하는 사목으로.
2. 콘텐츠에 집중된 사목에서 사람들에게 초점을 맞춘 사목으로.
3. 전달하는 사목에서 증언하는 사목으로.
4. 복음선교를 목적으로 하는 사목에서 이웃이 되어주는 사목으로.
5. 관념을 내세우는 사목에서 이야기를 들려주는 사목으로.
6. 내면생활과 상호작용에 주의를 기울이는 사목으로.(77-78쪽)

이 책에 사용된 이미지들은 SNS 시대를 잘 표현하고 있다. SNS의 역할, 사용되는 양상, 각종 SNS 아이콘 등이 알기 쉽고 귀여운 이미지로 제시되어 있어 글의 내용 이해를 돕는다.

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상세정보 | 서강대학교 로욜라도서관

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SNS 시대의 사이버신학 사이버신학의 등장 트위터, 페이스북, 인스타그램 등 SNS가 생활의 일부가 된 시대의 신앙 생활은 어떤 모습인지 진단하고 가톨릭 사목은 어떤 방향으로 나아가야 할지 제시한 「SNS 시대의 신앙」이 나왔다. 여기서 등장하는 용어 중 가장 핵심적인 용어는 사이버신학이다. 저자는 '인간이 살아가는 환경이 모두 그렇듯이 인터넷도 복음화되어야 한다'(32-33쪽)고 말하며 다음과 같이 말한다.

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<A Study on Social Media Mission in the Era of Web 2.0>

A purpose of the study is to assert that a mission work in the era of Web 2.0 must be a mission of openness, sharing and participation by social media. An advent of Web 2.0 in the mid-2000's and social media is changing a whole world beyond web space. Yet, a missiological study on this topic is rare. My thesis is focusing not only possibility of web 2.0 and social media as a new media, but technical, sociocultural and communicational aspect of it for a multi-directional mission strategy.

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A Study on Social Media Mission in the Era of Web 2.0

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This is an Instagram account called "Catholic Sisters". It is an account voluntarily operated by young women, not by parish or religious order. I think this channel is more fun and interesting than any other parish-run channel. New content and information and knowledge about faith are keep delivered. The popularity of this channel gives us a inspiration about what young people want.

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This is a video that emphasizes that all churches must use Instagram. The speaker in the video is a Korean pastor in charge of youth affairs at a church in the United States. He said in order for the church to outreach the local community, it is essential to use Instagram through video or pictures.

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교회가 인스타그램 사용하는 방법 | 온라인사역 전략을 함께 세워 보아요 | 교회를 위한 온라인 전략 시리즈 #2 | 가장 핫한 소셜미디어 플랫폼 | 교회도 꼭 해야합니다

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This is a news published by Korea's most representative Protestant broadcasting station. The main content is that the church should not avoid using social media, but should think about it to make good use of it. In Korea, Protestantism has greater social influence and more believers than Catholic, and the power of Protestant media is quite large. As Protestants use social media first, so Korean church can refer to their cases.

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[CBS 뉴스]  "교회, 소셜미디어 피하지 말고 활용하자"

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It is a YouTube channel run by the MAGIS Youth Center of the Jesuit Korean Provice for communicate with young people. The center communicates most through YouTube instead of web pages or other social media channel, and I think in the Korean context, it shows YouTube has become the most important channel among all social media.

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마지스청년센터 마지스 예수회 청년센터 가톨릭청년 가톨릭 복음나눔 복음 주일복음 묵상 가톨릭기도 이냐시오 천주교 jesuits 제수이트 관상기도 주일 청년 나눔 예수 수도회 서울대교구

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가톨릭 예수회 청년사도직 마지스 청년센터의 유튜브입니다!! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam 마지스 청년센터는 후원자님들의 도움으로 운영됩니다! 청년양성 및 영성 교육 유튜브 컨텐츠 제작에 후원해 주시는 모든분들에게 감사드려요! 이 채널을 후원하고 싶으신 분들 또는 마지스 예수회 청년센터를 후원하고자 하시는 분들은 하단 링크를 통하여 후원회 가입을 해주시길 부탁드려 봅니다! 많은 형제 자매님들의 도움에 다시한번 감사의 말씀을 드립니다!

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Juan Narbona School of Church Communications, Pontifical University of Santa Croce, Rome, Italy

Digital leadership, Twitter and Pope Francis

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10 things Catholics can do to make Twitter a less toxic place

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For Christians, the ministry of social communications does not exist for the sake of mere speech but for the one who is himself the Word.

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https://ecatholic.com/blog/social-media-guidelines

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A crucial issue we need to be aware of is the consequences of news. This study, published in Nature magazine, is particularly useful because it explores whether journalism can limit polarization.

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Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

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Measuring social response to different journalistic techniques on Facebook - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

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Beppe Severgnini is a columnist and deputy editor of “Corriere della Sera”, a leading quality newspaper in Italy. In this TED talk he discusses the growing issue of information overload and how to manage it.

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Meno è meglio, less is more | Beppe Severgnini | TEDxPolitecnicodiMilanoU

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Don Fabio Rosini, Director of the Office of Vocations in Rome, "The art of the word at the service of the Word. Experiential notes on the communication of faith".

This paper examines the state of the language used in the communication of faith today. It is a brief overview, whose purpose it to highlight the main problems with the way faith is currently communicated, and suggest what can be done to avoid them.

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Riprendiamo dal volume La predicazione oggi, EDB, 2008, a cura del Servizio nazionale per il Progetto culturale della CEI, la trascrizione della relazione di don Fabio Rosini, apparsa con il titolo originario "L'arte della parola al servizio della Parola. Note esperienziali sulla comunicazione della fede". Restiamo a disposizione per l'immediata rimozione se la presenza sul nostro sito non fosse gradita a qualcuno degli aventi diritto. I neretti sono nostri ed hanno l'unico scopo di facilitare la lettura on-line. Per approfondimenti, cfr. la sezione Annuncio del Vangelo. Il Centro culturale Gli scritti (17/3/2010)
Mi si chiede di trattare l'argomento dell'attuale stato del linguaggio della comunicazione della fede. Credo sia opportuno partire da una constatazione: questo linguaggio sembra essere in molti casi fallimentare, inefficace, non attraente. La colpa, mi sembra necessario riconoscerlo, è del nostro stile di annuncio. Il problema siamo noi. Cercherò di menzionare, a peso, senza troppa analisi, i tipi di difetti che la nostra predicazione presenta a mio avviso. Quanto vado ad enumerare non ha nessuna pretesa di esaustività. Sono solo i punti principali, esposti in grande sintesi, macroscopicamente evidenti, se si vuole fare un'analisi di massima della situazione.

1. Difetto fondamentale e diffusissimo è presupporre la fede negli ascoltatori; spesso ci si ritiene investiti dell'autorevolezza sacramentale che l'ascoltatore non riconosce, anzi non conosce proprio. Direi che la colpa principale di questo approccio è la scarsa considerazione che l'ascoltatore e la sua condizione reale trovano in chi predica. L'assemblea, ad esempio di un matrimonio, è distratta, superficiale, estranea alla liturgia? E chi se ne avvede? Il sacerdote è partito nella sua descrizione della fedeltà prima battesimale e poi nuziale all'alleanza con Dio, parla della grazia che è donata nel sacramento, della vocazione salvifica della famiglia, mentre oramai molta gente non riesce nemmeno a capire il contenuto logico del lessema "sacramento", o "grazia", o "salvezza". Una cosa sola l'uditorio ha per certa: che presto o tardi il prete smetterà di parlare. Possiamo parlare di coincidenza topografica fra predicatore e assemblea, ma non c'è molto di più in comune fra le due parti. L'assemblea non capisce il predicatore, e il predicatore non ha provato a capire l'assemblea.

2. Una fetta non piccola dei nostri sforzi predicatorii viene sperperata in due filoni di un vecchio approccio:
a. Il vetero-moralismo, che per un'inerzia secolare da contro-riforma, insiste sulle opere, spossando l'ascoltatore con la pressione della pretesa. Il difetto maggiore di quest'approccio: se l'agire è conseguenza dell'essere, diventa ridicolo chiedere di agire cristianamente a chi cristiano, forse, non è se non in parte ancora tutta da verificare, perché spesso non è stato formato ad esserlo. Se infatti ripetiamo spesso che la crisi del popolo di Dio è la sua formazione carente, come pensiamo di poter risolvere il problema partendo dal pretendere i risultati? In ogni caso, per definizione, il linguaggio moralista non può essere il linguaggio dell'annuncio.
b. Il neo-moralismo, che confonde il cristianesimo con la forza di volontà, e scivola in approcci stile new-age, ponendo tutta la forza della redenzione nella 'decisione' come fulcro salvifico. In fondo a Gesù Cristo non rimane altro ruolo che quello di stimolo, di causa solo ed unicamente esemplare.

3. Molte occasioni vengono altresì sprecate in funzione di un peccato tipicamente clericale, una vanagloria ecclesiastica dura a morire, che definisco teologismo astratto. Mentre la gente aspetta di essere coinvolta nella spiegazione della Parola di Dio, ecco che prorompe la libido teologica e si affonda in una serie di precisazioni da algebra dogmatica. Si è, di conseguenza, precisi ed elevati, quanto inutili e noiosi.

4. Ma come non citare anche un altro filone, trionfante e diffuso: il sentimentalismo. La ricerca metodica del punto erogeno nell'ascolto e la tecnica sonora di avviluppante melassa, che tocca la zona certa dell'emotivo, del lacrimevole. Certe pause, certi toni, anche se diametralmente opposti allo stentoreo della vecchia retorica, hanno però in comune lo stesso orribile difetto di fondo: suonano falsi. Ormai questa tecnica è comune ai preti e ai politici. In certo senso viene da chiedersi se sia Veltroni che parla da prete o i preti che hanno da tempo sposato una comunicazione buonista-veltroniana. In questi modi non si è 'persona', ma 'personaggio'. Con tale tecnica non si fa un annuncio ma si da luogo ad un evanescente momento ormonale-impulsivo.

5. Non possiamo tralasciare la fresca generazione dei predicatori provenienti dalle nuove esperienze ecclesiali, movimenti e simili. Qui il difetto è di altro genere, quello di scivolare dal tono kerigmatico-passionale allo stato di espettorazione ripetitiva dello slogan catechetico appreso nel proprio movimento: puoi avere davanti anziane del rosario, fanciulli del catechismo o coppie di fidanzati, la polpetta è la stessa, gli esempi sono gli stessi, i decibel impiegati sono gli stessi. E il senso di estraneità dell'uditorio pure.

6. Di pari passo procede un simile risultato di derivazione più semplice e banale: uno si trova quei quattro schemi che gli sembrano funzionare, e ormai da anni li emette a selezione random. Lentamente ogni predicazione scivola verso questo imbuto precostituito e si finisce per suonare sempre la stessa solfa. È un difetto da replica semi-ossessiva (soprattutto per l'ascoltatore) del rassicurante schema già noto. In poche parole: una mancanza di creatività che genera ripetitività.

7. E che più? Parlando di mancanza di creatività viene in mente un'altra negligenza con cui molti porgono la predicazione: se anche il discorso è azzeccato nella sostanza, si autosqualifica per un difetto essenziale, quello di un tono monocorde. Chissà perché si pensa di avere risolto il problema di una spiegazione del Vangelo quando ne abbiamo identificato i contenuti. A quel punto, invece, abbiamo il bisogno di passare alla fase non meno importante dell'attenzione alla modalità espressiva, della cura della "musica" delle parole, perché di fatto è la cosa che più direttamente influisce sull'ascolto. La parola udita, prima di essere senso, è suono. Certi preti sono così negligenti sulla musica delle proprie parole, sono così concentrati sul significato, e così piatti sul livello sonoro, da divenire prepotentemente, implacabilmente soporiferi. È anche questo un ministero, quello del riposo.

Abbiamo finito? No, certo che no. C'è tanto altro di cui intristirsi. Ma a ben vedere questi sono, tutto sommato, difetti umani che si riflettono nel linguaggio.

Perché dire ciò? Perché in modo costante mi trovo di fronte a responsabili ecclesiali di vario livello che venendo a sapere del felice impatto che l'esperienza sui 10 comandamenti ha sulla gente, mi chiedono aiuto, ma fondamentalmente mirano ad uno specifico risultato: avere gli schemi.

E io mi lancio ogni volta nella difficile esplicazione dell'inutilità di tale richiesta. Riuscirò a spiegarmi questa volta? Mah... Ci riprovo per l'ennesima volta e faccio l'esempio che di solito uso: si cerca uno schema funzionante, un'idea che impatti, e si tenta di trovare una formula nuova ed efficace, una ricetta che possa alzare il livello della cucina. Come si cerca lo spartito di una musica che sia più gradevole, più bella, più geniale.

E allora? Mettiamo che io tiri fuori lo spartito della Settima sinfonia di Beethoven. La musica, lo spartito, lo schema è straordinario. Ma chi lo suonerà? Se a quel punto prendo il flauto dolce e ci suono la Settima di Beethoven, sarà un'esecuzione allappante e ridicola. Tutti cercano gli spartiti, ma in realtà il problema sono gli esecutori. Anzi, corriamo il rischio di giudicare orribile la Settima di Beethoven, mentre orribile è solo l'esecuzione.

Si cercano contenuti, e a me sembra che la nostra bellissima fede ce ne dia a bizzeffe. 10 comandamenti? Per ora si può fare questo, ma forse fra un po' si deve fare altro. Qualunque argomento può essere reso in modo vitale. Se Pollini suona l'orribile inno di Mameli, te lo fa sembrare bello.

Allora cortocircuitiamo con quanto detto sopra: difetti umani. Qui non si tratta di avere nuove idee ma un tratto predicatorio diverso.
Cosa ce lo può fornire? È chiaro che abbiamo bisogno di lavorare profondamente a livello della formazione, dove si apprende lo stile. Ma quali possono essere i principi cardine? Discutiamone; io propongo le mie povere intuizioni in materia, ma se non spostiamo l'argomento su questo livello, restiamo sempre al palo. Offro il poco che io ho capito e che forse può essere utile.

Quale linguaggio può farci uscire dallo stato di stallo? Dobbiamo chiederci se disponiamo di un linguaggio più adatto alla presente generazione che è quella del post-concilio e dell'era post-moderna. Va detto che fra le tante note caratteristiche di questo popolo dell'oggi, una non trova, a mio avviso sufficiente evidenza: siamo di fronte alla prima generazione alfabetizzata della storia.

Si trovano ancora nei nostri monasteri di clausura delle anziane religiose che leggono a fatica. Ma la generazione presente, fatto assolutamente nuovo, è certamente in grado di leggere e scrivere. E ha un nuovo modo di ascoltare, anche perché la nuova religione, che è la scienza, panacea di ogni problema umano, rende gli ascoltatori critici come mai verso l'argomento religioso.

E che linguaggio possiamo proporre? Vediamo: quali linguaggi ha la Chiesa? Meglio ancora: quali linguaggi sono messi a disposizione della Chiesa dalla Rivelazione? Voglio introdurre la tematica dei tre linguaggi della Rivelazione.

L'A.T. dispone, a grandi linee, delle celeberrime tre parti: Legge, profeti e scritti. Nella Legge abbiamo il linguaggio apodittico o casistico ma comunque nomistico, definitivo, imperativo. La norma è uno slogan, una formulazione secca che o la si accetta o la si rifiuta, la sua forza è nell'autorità dell'emittente, Iddio stesso.

Nei profeti abbiamo l'esortazione, l'applicazione al quotidiano dello slogan della legge. I profeti ricordano i doveri dell'alleanza al popolo. Il linguaggio profetico è eminentemente morale, il carattere è quello dello sprone alla coerenza con la legge. La cogenza del linguaggio profetico è la condizione di popolo dell'alleanza. La congruenza etica è la potenza di questo linguaggio.

Negli Scritti compare un altro linguaggio, quello sapienziale, esplicativo, educativo. È il linguaggio paterno, educativo, che spesso basa sulla logica e sulla constatazione del reale la sua forza di convincimento. Senza sfociare nel filosofico, il linguaggio sapienziale non comunica regole, non impone doveri ma motiva, spiega, rende semplicemente accettabile il richiamo della legge, che risulta luminoso, opportuno, utile, produttore di felicità.

Il N.T. non presenta, sorprendentemente, un cambio di linguaggi ma una semplice traslazione di occasioni. Lo slogan della Legge diventa la formulazione del linguaggio kerigmatico, che è la ripetizione di formule che pian piano divengono stereotipate, e racchiudono come seme tutto lo sviluppo della fede. Sono enunciazioni che rinveniamo sparse fra i racconti della resurrezione, le lettere paoline, soprattutto gli Atti degli Apostoli. Brevi locuzioni, nette, pregnanti. Chiedono l'assenso, pongono davanti alla scelta di aprirsi o meno.

L'esortazione profetica, a sua volta, diviene il linguaggio parenetico tipico del richiamo paolino, ma anche di altri scritti. Questo è il linguaggio etico, della esortazione alla coerenza con la fede nell'agire, a vivere secondo l'uomo nuovo.

E quale è il linguaggio che sta fra le due fasi, quello che copre lo spazio fra l'apertura alla fede e la fede ricevuta in pieno, ormai da praticare? Quello che nell'A.T. è il linguaggio sapienziale, diviene nel N.T. il linguaggio didascalico. Il discorso fatto alla ragione perché assimili il kerigma, lo possieda, lo arrivi ad incarnare; le istruzioni per l'uso e l'appropriamento dell'evento salvifico. La parola che istruisce, ammaestra, spiega, rende masticabile e digeribile la salvezza cristiana.

Una nota storica: da Trento in poi, fino al Vaticano II, avevamo solo ed unicamente il linguaggio morale parenetico, che spesso diveniva moralista, ma che, in una società fondamentalmente già convinta di cristianesimo, esortava alla coerenza.

Grande riscoperta pratica del tempo del Concilio è la riproposizione, dopo secoli di assenza, del linguaggio kerigmatico, sotto l'influsso di due spinte: l'aver rimesso al centro della teologia il mistero pasquale e la prassi, non ininfluente, dei movimenti, tendenzialmente molto kerigmatici.

Il kerigma, in se per se, è formulazione univoca ed inequivocabile, ma il suo rischio è un uso che ne dimentichi la natura di "seme", di punto di partenza. Non si mangia un seme, ma da un seme si deve partire per poter arrivare a mangiare un frutto. Il seme va coltivato, assecondato nei suoi tempi di maturazione, e per quanto sia vero che un seme contiene un albero, è altresì vero che un seme non è un albero. Perché dire ciò? Perché la fase kerigmatica deve essere preludio ad una fase didascalica, altrimenti parliamo di vera e propria sterilità, paradossalmente, per abbondanza di semente.

Siamo di fronte ad una sovrabbondanza di annunci kerigmatici a motivo di un tutt'altro che disprezzabile sforzo predicatorio messo in atto da movimenti, iniziative delle diocesi, missioni giovanili e simili, cui dovrebbero corrispondere altrettante iniziative didascalico-formative. Invece si salta spesso dal kerigma alla parenesi, al volontariato, al frutto senza fusto e corteccia, direttamente senza passare dal 'via'...

Cosa è una mentalità didascalica? Cosa è un'intelligenza formativa? Quali sono le caratteristiche di un'efficace operazione di autentica iniziazione? Mi sembra che questo sia il vero dito nella piaga della pastorale. Siamo tutto sommato capaci di esporre come la Parrocchia debba essere, ma non sappiamo come si fa per portarla ad essere come la prospettiamo.

E continuiamo ad affastellare documenti sull'immagine della parrocchia, sul tipo di configurazione collaborativa fra pastori e corresponsabili della pastorale, in una sorta di neo-hegelismo ecclesiale: ci è chiaro come si dovrebbe essere, ma in genere non si sa come arrivarci.
E allora il linguaggio della stragrande maggioranza dei predicatori resta parenetico, esortativo, tutto sulla coerenza, tutto sul bene da fare. E gli ascoltatori chiudono l'audio.

***

Quali sono le caratteristiche di una comunicazione virtuosa, efficace? Cominciamo col controbilanciare i difetti già esposti: è anzitutto urgente non presupporre la fede in chi ascolta. Questo facilita il linguaggio didascalico, perché parlare pensando di aver davanti persone che non possiedono le categorie religiose ci aiuta a sdoganare naturalmente il linguaggio da una fase assiomatica ad una zona di traduzione, per così dire, dei concetti.

A tal proposito va ricordato che le forme del linguaggio umano sono fondamentalmente tre: i linguaggi di tipo univoco, equivoco ed analogico.

Univoco è il linguaggio, ad esempio, scientifico, che per una convenzione prestabilita usa i termini in modo coerente con detta convenzione, e qui ci imparentiamo con le espressioni nomistiche prima, e kerigmatiche poi, univoche, assiomatiche, apodittiche. Va detto a tal proposito che i nuovi linguaggi intra-ecclesiali, quelli che si vanno creando in certi contesti come inconsapevoli convenzioni linguistiche, diventano facilmente le gabbie in cui questi gruppi dal linguaggio stereotipato e riconoscibile si chiudono involontariamente, e spiegano l'attuale incontrovertibile crisi di nuove adesioni nei movimenti.

Il linguaggio interno, dopo aver avuto il felice impatto della novità, diviene invece carcere comunicativo, dove la Parola viene ingabbiata dalla parola, quest'ultima essendo stata un tempo felice analogia, ora fungendo da struttura di sicurezza del predicatore inesperto o poco riflessivo, nello stesso tempo fungendo da barriera impenetrabile. Sia detto che comunque questo è un difetto diffusissimo, laddove si stabiliscano convenzioni linguistiche da appartenenza, fatto, questo, quasi impossibile da evitare se l'appartenenza è percepita come vitale, salvifica. Il linguaggio però non può essere sovradimensionato a totem intoccabile, dove non si possa ri-formulare quanto esposto, perché si passa dal presupporre la fede a presupporre addirittura uno specifico linguaggio della fede. Siamo al paradosso.

In sostanza: il linguaggio univoco, convenzionato, che sia quello accademico, o teologico, o di appartenenza si dimostra facilmente come fallimentare.

Breve trattazione richiede il linguaggio equivoco, essendo questo artifizio di tipo artistico o comico. È infatti il linguaggio poetico, oppure ironico, quello che varca le regole della logica per darci il paradosso, l`"oltre" della lingua, oppure la comicità. Questo è un linguaggio ingiustamente disprezzato dagli anziani predicatori, e spesso usato male dai giovani. Gli anziani erano troppo inchiodati al "dignitoso" per passare per l'assurdo e il comico; i giovani spesso dimenticano che un paradosso o un elemento ironico devono, per definizione essere nuovi, freschi, altrimenti diventano essi stessi convenzione noiosa.

Ma il linguaggio principe di ogni comunicazione valida è, e non può che essere, il linguaggio analogico. Questo è il linguaggio più efficace per definizione. La forza di un annuncio è nelle analogie impiegate. Si capisce meglio un esempio indovinato che un intero discorso coerente e logico ma privo di analogie. Se la nostra emergenza è lo sdoganamento dei contenuti della fede dal linguaggio religioso alla accessibilità per un uditorio post-religioso quale il nostro, la condizione obbligata è il linguaggio analogico.

È la scelta degli esempi che convoglia l'attenzione all'uditorio. Se l'esempio tocca l'ordinario o il vissuto storico dell'ascoltatore, quest'ultimo balza dentro le mie parole, si sente capito e mi vuole capire, perché in un istante gli sono diventato intimo, coinvolgendolo con un esempio in cui lui si muove bene.

Tutto il mio intervento sarebbe a buon fine se solo questa idea passasse: quando si comunica, metà del valore della comunicazione sta negli esempi impiegati, che non vanno solo preparati. L'esempio più efficace è quello che la presenza, il magnetismo dell'uditorio stesso provoca in chi annunzia la Parola.

Come salvarsi dalle comunicazioni moraliste di vario stampo? Dobbiamo ricordare che il moralismo, questo senso latente di esigenza che preme sull'ascoltatore, deriva buona parte delle sue polveri da una sopravvalutazione della volontà. L'imperativo categorico kantiano perde ogni partita contro un altro elemento pure tanto fedele alla nostra tradizione cristiana: il desiderio. Quanto predico posso presentarlo come giusto o come bello. Il bello avrà la meglio in ogni caso. Allora il tema patristico del ' fascinans' torna quanto mai proficuo in un mondo narcisista ed estetizzante come il nostro. Mi preme quindi di trovare meno la doverosità di quanto predico e molto di più la bellezza di quanto propongo.

Proporre una scalata di una montagna per imparare l'abnegazione del sacrificio fisico ha pessimo gioco se confrontato col proporre la scalata della stessa montagna per il gusto dell'avventura, per la bellezza del paesaggio, per l'obbiettivo di arrivare alla meta e via dicendo. Quante volte l'annuncio si snoda verso un terreno molto più interessante quando semplicemente si introducono domande: ma perché fare questo? Cosa c`è di bello in questo? A cosa mi può servire? Questa, eminentemente, è tecnica sapienziale-didascalica.

Alla fin fine possiamo dividere i vari difetti della predicazione nei due poli della comunicazione, il predicatore e l'ascoltatore, e identificare teologismo astratto, fissità da slogan catechetico o da mancanza di creatività e tono monocorde come polarizzazioni eccessive sul predicatore il quale difetta nel varcare la soglia della propria autocomprensione, e disattende ogni realtà che non sia il contenuto che vuole comunicare. Questo contenuto è il suo assoluto, e, ahimé, in un modo o in un altro vive in uno sterile autismo comunicativo.
Dall'altra parte, moralismo di qualsivoglia guisa e sentimentalismo sono avventure predicatorie tutte disegnate sull'ascoltatore che è ora sottoposto ad esigenza schiacciante, ora strumentalizzato dalla melassa sentimentale.

Questi difetti comunicativi possono essere risolti da un linguaggio didascalico che si snodi per analogie, ma vorrei fornire due ulteriori elementi costruttivi per questo scopo.

È assolutamente urgente imparare ed insegnare, o perlomeno portare alla coscienza formativa, il fattore della musica delle parole usate.
Per insegnare ad alcuni collaboratori a cambiare musica alcune volte li ho traumatizzati costringendoli a riascoltare una registrazione di una propria predicazione. Io stesso, se mi riascolto, mi trovo inascoltabile, ed è una piccola sofferenza a cui ogni tanto mi sottopongo per avere ben presente i miei difetti comunicativi, le mie lentezze, le mie ingenuità, le mie esagerazioni, le mancanze di mordente, i toni mosci e quant'altro. In questo senso bisogna pervenire ad una sorta di comunicazione uditiva, ove il primo ricettore della predicazione è proprio il predicatore.

Questo essere seduti davanti a se stessi ad ascoltarsi, questo dire le cose come vorremmo sentircele dire ci può insegnare un ulteriore livello qualitativo, quello in cui la comunicazione non è del tutto pre-determinata ma definita, nella sua realizzazione concreta, dall'olfatto dell'assemblea, una sorta di fiuto che permette di capire chi si ha davanti e cosa possa recepire.

In tal senso, ben inteso, l'uditore non può determinare il contenuto, altrimenti l'oratore é un comunicatore subdolo, ipocrita o senza personalità, ma l'uditore deve determinare la forma della comunicazione, almeno in parte. Di certo la musica delle mie parole la devo saper mutare secondo il contesto.

E arriviamo all'ultimo elemento: noi comunichiamo sempre attraverso generi letterari. Voglio ricordare una legge della lettura dei testi che diventa proficua coordinata comunicativa al momento di emettere un testo, anche solo parlato: nei testi il contenuto si rinviene costantemente nella rottura del genere letterario. Mi spiego, e forse non è azione necessaria per chi ha avuto lo stomaco di ascoltarmi finora: ogni comunicazione ha il suo latente genere letterario di riferimento. Se io parlassi rispettando seccamente, pedissequamente, il genere letterario, la mia comunicazione risulterebbe la più noiosa possibile. Infatti i generi letterari sono schemi inconsapevoli che noi usiamo nella comunicazione come strutture prefabbricate atte a fornire uno schema, uno scheletro alle nostre articolazioni comunicative. Ma se vengono rispettati del tutto, essendo convenzioni comuni, sono assolutamente prevedibili.

Quando analizzo un racconto di miracolo, ad esempio, cerco la violazione dello schema, l'imprevedibile del testo, l'elemento fuori genere, perché è proprio li che risiede la comunicazione.

Allora è quanto mai efficace divenire gestori consapevoli di cotanta legge della trasmissione del senso: la rottura del genere letterario è necessaria alla comunicazione, la rottura dello schema permette l'ascolto. Si deve sempre dire, paradossalmente, il contrario di quanto si dice, ossia: devo usare uno schema che faccia da sfondo di contrasto a quanto voglio dire.

Non dimentichiamo che il Signore Gesù si è incarnato in una cultura semitica, e di questa cultura ha assunto una caratteristica, e l'ha sposata forse come nessuno: il linguaggio paradossale. Impossibile leggere i Vangeli se non si è disposti ad affrontare i paradossi. Quando si leggono i Vangeli, fra le molte cose a cui si può essere portati, di certo si è portati a pensare. Tocca restarci con la testa su. Gesù, per quello che ci resta della sua comunicazione, ci costringe ad ascoltarlo. Era un maestro. Un didàscalo. E parlava in parabole, ossia con analogie. E rompeva gli schemi comunicativi. Questo è saper parlare!

Torna all'Homepage de Gli scritti. Per altri testi sulla catechesi e la predicazione, vedi, su questo stesso sito, la sezione Catechesi e pastorale.

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La dimensione didascalico-formativa fra il kerygma e la parenesi morale, una questione centrale nella comunicazione della fede, di don Fabio Rosini

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Riprendiamo dal volume La predicazione oggi, EDB, 2008, a cura del Servizio nazionale per il Progetto culturale della CEI, la trascrizione della relazione di don Fabio Rosini, apparsa con il titolo originario "L'arte della parola al servizio della Parola. Note esperienziali sulla comunicazione della fede".

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Gebetshaus

Community, gatherings, ecumenical, beauty

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Reform Wellness

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Hallow App

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Magis Brasil

Apostolado pra jovens da Companhia de Jesus, Brasil

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Broteria
Centro cultural no Bairro Alto, onde as culturas urbanas contemporâneas e a fé cristã se cruzam. Revista desde 1902.

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Jovens Conetados

Pastoral Juvenil do Brasil

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Revolução digital, revolução comunicativa

Massimo Di Felice, um dos mais respeitados estudiosos de comunicação da atualidade, afirma que a quarta revolução da comunicação ocorre nos dias atuais e, como as anteriores, “estaria ocasionando importantes transformações no interior dos distintos aspectos do convívio humano". Leia as assertivas a seguir sobre o pensamento do autor sobre a quarta revolução da

comunicação.http://www.ihuonline.unisinos.br/artigo/4199-massimo-di-felice-1

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As redes digitais vistas a partir de uma perspectiva reticular

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"A revolução digital é hoje a última revolução comunicativa que alterou, pela primeira vez na história da humanidade, a própria arquitetura do processo informativo", constata o sociólogo "A revolução digital é hoje a última revolução comunicativa que alterou, pela primeira vez na história da humanidade, a própria arquitetura do processo informativo".

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, Roma, RM

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Marco Carroggio, School of Church Communications, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

This is an extremely sensitive issue, and his paper helps us to reflect on it, and gives us a framework in which to address it.

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It is a book written by Alessandro Gisotti, Deputy Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication, in which he outlines the Ten Good Rules that Pope Francis suggests we use to communicate Mercy. When putting together our communication tool kit, we should keep in mind these recommendations since they apply to everyone, not just journalists or professional communicators.

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Il «Decalogo del buon comunicatore secondo Papa Francesco» di Alessandro Gisotti, un testo dedicato al mondo dei media ma non solo

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His Holiness Pope Francis addresses the employees of the Dicastery for Communication, on the Occasion of the Plenary Assembly.

This address touches on many points on which we need to reflect, and which we need discuss for our work.

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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO EMPLOYEES OF THE DICASTERY FOR COMMUNICATION,
ON THE OCCASION OF THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY

Sala Regia
Monday, 23 September 2019

Address pronounced by the Holy Father

Address consigned by the Holy Father

Address pronounced by the Holy Father

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have a discourse to read... it is not very long; it is seven pages... but I am sure that after the first one the majority of you will fall sleep, and I will not be able to communicate. I think that what I want to say in this address will be clearly understood by reading it, in reflection. For this reason, I will consign this address to Dr Ruffini, whom I thank for the words he addressed to me, so that he may make it known to all of you. And I will allow myself to speak a little spontaneously with you, to say what is in my heart regarding communication. At least I think not so many will fall asleep, and we can communicate better!

Thank you for your work, thank you for this quite numerous Dicastery... I asked the Prefect: "But... does everyone work?" - "Yes", he said - to avoid that famous anecdote... [Pope John XXIII was once asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?" and he answered: "About half"]. They all work, and they work with this attitude that expresses God's desire: to communicate himself, in what theologians call perichoresis: he communicates himself, and is communicated to us. This is the beginning of communication: it is not an office job, like advertising, for example. To communicate is precisely to receive from God's Being and to have the same attitude; unable to remain alone: the need to communicate what I have and I think to be true, just, good and beautiful. To communicate. And you are specialists in communication; you are technicians in communication. We must not forget this. One communicates with the soul and with the body; one communicates with the mind, with the heart, with the hands; one communicates with everything. A true communicator gives everything, gives all of him or herself - as we say in my land, "they put all the meat on the grill", they do not save any for themselves. And it is true that the greatest communication is love: in love there is the fullness of communication: love for God and among us.

But what should communication be like? One of the things you must not do is advertising, mere advertising. You must not do what human businesses do, that try to attract more people... To use a technical term: you must not proselytize. I would like our communication to be Christian and not an element of proselytism. Proselytism is not Christian. Benedict XVI said this very clearly: "the Church does not grow through proselytism but through attraction", that is, by witness. And our communication must be a witness. If you want to communicate just one truth without goodness and beauty, stop, do not do it. If you want to communicate a truth more or less, but without involving yourselves, without witnessing to that truth with your own life, with your own flesh, stop, do not do it. There is always the signature of witness in each of the things we do. Witnesses. Christian means witnesses, "martyrs". This is the "martyrial" dimension of our vocation: to be witnesses. This is the first thing I would like to say to you.

Another thing is a certain resignation, which so often enters the hearts of Christians. We see the world...: it is a pagan world, and this is nothing new. The "world" has always been a symbol of the pagan mentality. Jesus asks the Father, at the Last Supper, to guard his disciples lest they fall into the world and into worldliness (cf. Jn 17:12-19). The climate of worldliness is not a novelty of the 21st century. It has always been a danger; there has always been temptation, it has always been the enemy: worldliness. "Father, guard them lest they fall in the world, lest the world be stronger than they are". And many, I see them, think: "Yes, we must close ourselves off somewhat, be a small but authentic church" - I am allergic to those words: "small but authentic": if something is authentic, it is not necessary to say so. I will come back to this. This is a withdrawal into oneself, with the temptation of resignation. We are few in number: but not few like those who defend themselves because they are few and the enemy is greater in number; few like yeast, few like salt: this is the Christian vocation! We need not be ashamed of being few in number; and we need not think: "No, the Church of the future will be a Church of the chosen ones": we would once again fall victim to the heresy of the Essenes. And this is how Christian authenticity is lost. We are a Church of few, but like leaven. As Jesus said. Like salt. Resignation to cultural defeat - allow me to call it that - comes from a mean spirit; it does not come from God. It is not a Christian spirit, the complaint of resignation. This is the second thing I would like to say to you: do not be afraid. Are we few in number? Yes, but with the desire for " mission ", to show others who we are. By bearing witness. Once again I repeat that expression of Saint Francis to his friars, when he sent them to preach: "Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, even with words". That is, witness in the first place.

I look at this Lithuanian Archbishop here before me, and I think of the Bishop emeritus of Kaunas, who will now be made a cardinal: that man, how many years did he spend in prison? By his witness he did so much good! With suffering... It is our martyrs, those who give life to the Church: not our artists, our great preachers, our custodians of the "true and complete doctrine"... No, the martyrs. A Church of martyrs. And to communicate is this: to communicate this great richness that we have. This is the second thing.

The third thing I take from what I said just a bit ago, which I am slightly allergic to: "This is something authentically Christian", "this is truly so". We have fallen into the culture of adjectives and adverbs, and we have forgotten the strength of nouns. A communicator must make one understand the weight of the reality of the nouns that reflect the reality of people. And this is a mission of communication: to communicate with reality, without sugar-coating with adjectives or adverbs. "This is a Christian matter": why say authentically Christian? It is Christian! The mere fact of the noun "Christian", "I am of Christ", is strong: it is a substantivized adjective, yes, but it is a noun. To pass from the culture of the adjective to the theology of the noun. You must communicate in this way. "How, do you know that person?" - Ah, that person is like this, like that...": immediately the adjective. First the adjective, perhaps, then, afterwards, what the person is like. This culture of the adjective has entered the Church and we, all brothers, forget we are brothers, by saying that this is "this type of" brother, that one is "the other" brother: first the adjective. May your communication be austere but beautiful: beauty is not rococo art; beauty does not need these rococo elements; beauty manifests itself from the noun itself, without strawberries on the cake! I think we have to learn this.

To communicate by witness, communicate by involving oneself in communication, communicate with the nouns of things, communicate as martyrs, that is, as witnesses to Christ, as martyrs. To learn the language of martyrs, which is the language of the Apostles. How did the Apostles communicate? Let us read that gem that is the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and we will see how they communicated at that time, and what Christian communication is like.

Thank you, thank you so much! Then you have that [ the written address] which is more "structured", because the foundation was made by you. But read it, reflect on it. Thank you for what you do, and go forth with joy. To communicate the joy of the Gospel: this is what the Lord is asking of us today. And thank you, thank you for your service and thank you for being the first Dicastery headed by a lay person. Well done! Carry on! Thank you.

Address consigned by the Holy Father

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I welcome you and thank Dr Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Department, who is presiding over the Plenary Assembly for the first time, for the words he has addressed to me on behalf of you all. Some of your faces are more familiar to me, as you accompany me in my daily work and in my apostolic journeys. I know, however, that there are many other people who also live their work week at the pace of the Pope's commitments. But they do so "behind the scenes", putting into their work, at the service of the Church, all their professionalism and creativity, their passion and discretion.

I am happy to be able to see you all together today and to thank you for what you do! Thanks to your work many people are encouraged in their journey of faith and many are invited to search for and encounter the Lord. Thanks to your work, the Pope speaks in nearly forty languages - it is a true "Pentecostal miracle"! Thanks to you the Magisterium of the Pope and the Church is read on paper, listened to on the radio, seen on television networks and websites and shared through social media, in the ever increasing whirlwind of the digital world.

It is the first time that I have met you all together since the beginning, four years ago, of the process of bringing together in a new department of the Roman Curia all the entities that, in different ways, deal with communications (cf. Motu Proprio The current context of communications, 27 June 2015). Reforms are almost always laborious, and so are those regarding Vatican media. There may have been some particularly difficult stretches on the path; there may have been some misunderstandings, but I am happy to see that the road is going ahead with foresight and prudence. I know of the effort you have made to make the best use of the resources entrusted to you, containing non-productive costs.

For the Church, communication is a mission. No investment is too great for spreading the Word of God. At the same time, every talent must be well spent, made to bear fruit. The credibility of what we say is also measured by this. Moreover, to remain faithful to the gift received, one must have the courage to change, never to feel that one has succeeded, nor to be discouraged. It requires always getting back into play, leaving behind one's false sense of security and embracing the challenge of the future. Moving with the times does not mean extinguishing the memory of the past; it means keeping its flame alive.

I have seen the work you have done. I see it every day. For this reason, today I would like to thank God together with you for the strength that he has given you and that he gives us. May the grateful memory for all that has already been done and the awareness of the common effort fill you with strength to move forward on this path.

In reality, our strength alone is not enough. Paul VI said this 55 years ago when he received the members of the first Plenary Assembly of what was then called the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications. He recognized how limited our strengths were in the face of this immense field of communication. But it is precisely because of this - he said - that it is necessary "to think of another order of strengths, another way of judging things; order and method, that we go to study at the school of the Lord.... A thought of faith must therefore support the smallness of our humble efforts [...]. The more we become instruments in God's hands, that is, small and generous, the more likely our effectiveness will increase" ( Insegnamenti II [1964], 563).

We know that since then the challenges in this area have grown exponentially, yet our efforts are still not enough. The challenge to which you are called, as Christians and as communicators, is truly great. And precisely for this reason it is beautiful.

I am therefore pleased that the theme chosen for this Assembly is " We are members one of another" ( Eph 4:25). Your, and our strength, lies in unity, in being members of one another. Only in this way will we be able to respond ever better to the demands of the Church's mission.

In my Message for this year's World Communications Day, which bears the same title, I wrote that "A community is that much stronger if it is cohesive and supportive", if it "pursues common objectives.... The metaphor of the body and the members leads us to reflect on our identity, which is based on communion and on 'otherness'. As Christians, we all recognize ourselves as members of the one body whose head is Christ", and we "are called to manifest that communion which marks our identity as believers. Faith itself, in fact, is a relationship, an encounter; and under the impetus of God's love, we can communicate, welcome and understand the gift of the other and respond to it".

Communication in the Church cannot but be characterized by this principle of participation and sharing. Communication is truly effective only when it becomes witness, that is, participation in the life that is given to us by the Spirit and reveals us in communion with each other, members of one other.

Saint John Paul II wrote in his Apostolic Letter on Rapid Development: "Communication both within the Church community, and between the Church and the world at large, requires openness and a new approach towards facing questions regarding the world of media... This is one of the areas in which collaboration between the lay faithful and Pastors is most needed, as the Council appropriately emphasized, 'A great many wonderful things are to be hoped for from this familiar dialogue between the laity and their spiritual leaders... In this way, the whole Church, strengthened by each one of its members, may more effectively fulfil its mission for the life of the world'" (Lumen gentium, 37) (12).

For this reason I encourage you to continue, in your daily work, to work increasingly as a team, in this cooperation between lay people, religious and priests from many countries, of many languages, which is very good for the Church. May the very style of your work bear witness to communion.

I also encourage you, beyond the work of this Plenary Assembly, to seek with ingenuity and creativity all ways of strengthening the network with the local Churches. I encourage you in this to also support the formation of digital environments in which people communicate, and not simply connect.

I know that recently this Department has advanced several tangible instruments to ensure that the circularity of communication at the service of all may increase between the local Churches and the Department itself. I know that you have new projects, which will certainly not lack the support of the Pope. Through your work you participate in the service of the Church's unity and in the coordination of the communications of the entire Roman Curia. We must walk together. We must know how to interpret and direct our time. May ecclesial communication truly be an expression of a single "body".

Thank you to each of you; my thanks also to your families and communities. I ask you, please, to pray for me, and I bless you wholeheartedly.

"L'Osservatore Romano", Weekly Edition in English, 27 September 2019.

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To Employees of the Dicastery for Communication, on the occasion of the Plenary Assembly (23 September 2019) | Francis

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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO EMPLOYEES OF THE DICASTERY FOR COMMUNICATION, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY Sala RegiaMonday, 23 September 2019 Address pronounced by the Holy Father Address consigned by the Holy Father Address pronounced by the Holy Father Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have a discourse to read...

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A Sunday Gospel reflection in one of the local Filipino dialects called Ilocano. An initiative of the Daughters of Saint Paul

https://web.facebook.com/watch/?v=465409741326660

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GOSPEL POWER  (ILOCANO)  -  APRIL 25, 2021 | GOSPEL POWER  (ILOCANO)  -  APRIL 25, 2021
4th Sunday of Easter
with Sr. Carmela Braganza, fsp
#GospelPower​​​​​ #Ilocano​​​​​ #PaulinesPH​​​​​... | By Daughters of Saint Paul Philippines | Facebook

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1.9K views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 2 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Daughters of Saint Paul Philippines: GOSPEL POWER  (ILOCANO)  -  APRIL 25, 2021
4th Sunday of Easter
with Sr. Carmela...

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https://www.callebautcollective.com/en/act-human/

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They are human activators

"Today and tomorrow,
humans and humanity are taking central place, with one important, common focus - it's all about caring. We need to ask ourselves whether what we are doing and what we are claiming adds value, whether it solves a problem and whether it truly helps people. Make marketing more human. If you care, they will care."

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They are human activators "Today and tomorrow, humans and humanity are taking central place, with one important, common focus - it's all about caring. We need to ask ourselves whether what we are doing and what we are claiming adds value, whether it solves a problem and whether it truly helps people.

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TIPS_EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Group work - Chiara, JuanCarlos, Alexandra and Nikki

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https://www.paoline.it/blog/figlie-di-san-paolo-blog/1587-le-10-parole-della-comunicazione.html

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Una nuova proposta giovani! Un percorso di riflessione su 10 parole, tratte dal mondo della comunicazione e dei social network, per scoprirne il significato, al di là dell'uso abituale che ne facciamo, per coglierne le opportunità sul piano delle relazioni e le risonanze della Parola divina sul piano della fede.

Introduzione

È molto difficile scegliere dieci parole della comunicazione, the top ten, più usate nella Rete, considerando che la comunicazione digitale, in particolare quella dei social, e delle tecnologie 2.0, ha dato vita, e di fatto costruito un significato nuovo nell'uso di parole e termini del linguaggio comune, che nel web hanno assunto connotazioni particolari e hanno contribuito a creare atteggiamenti culturali nuovi.
Siamo dentro una vera e propria trasformazione antropologica, in divenire. Esistono le lingue parlate da milioni di persone ( secondo l'Unesco sono seimila quelle parlate nel mondo) e avanza e si diffonde la lingua con cui si comunica nei social media, quali, per es. Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin ... e come Facebook, il quale, benché metta a disposizione degli utenti 101 traduzioni linguistiche incluso il sardo, ha dato vita a un linguaggio proprio, a modi di tradurre la comunicazione con un semplice "mi piace" o un "condividi" e ha dato spazio a un nuovo approccio del concetto di amicizia.

Un nuovo idioma

In questa vera e propria rivoluzione antropologica e culturale emerge al primo posto, la comunicazione del sistema social e del linguaggio digitale, ossia della lingua della Rete, che è il segno dell'attuazione di un nuovo senso interpretativo delle relazioni e della visione del mondo, con le sue opportunità, potenzialità e i suoi limiti.
Tentiamo con voi di postare alcune parole che hanno un significato, non solo per il linguaggio della Rete ma per la cultura del web, che condiziona e segna la vita delle persone, e in particolare di chi frequenta la Rete, in un contesto di ambiente digitale che è anche un mondo "liquido", come direbbe il celebre sociologo Zygmunt Bauman, in continua evoluzione e in continua reinterpretazione di significati.

Parola, Rete e Vita

In pratica proponiamo una BREVE sosta "dentro" alcune parole comuni del web usate da milioni di persone, (come, per es. loggare, cookie, like...) articolata in 4 momenti:

1. La parola alla parola
In questo primo momento, partiamo dal significato della parola, per es. del termine "share" e della sua etimologia. Etimologia (dal greco etimos, vero, certo,+ logos, parola, discorso) è, per definizione, ricerca del vero, della reale origine di una parola o di un'espressione. È un'attitudine della persona umana, ricercare la verità e la natura delle cose, entrare, in un processo, appunto di ricerca, in cui si trovano le radici della nostra lingua e dunque della nostra cultura. Non è un processo scontato, perché richiede tempo e disponibilità nell'appropriazione delle parole che usiamo e di cui spesso ignoriamo l'origine e quindi il significato, le sfumature e la storia.

2. La parola della rete
Dopo aver colto il significato della parola, entriamo nella parola usata nella Rete e dalla Rete e nell'interpretazione della Rete stessa. Il web ha un suo linguaggio che deriva da una serie di modalità tecniche del sistema digitale, ma il linguaggio scritto, in Rete, ha assunto un nuovo significato comunemente condiviso, basti pensare, per esempio, al termine "virale"...

3. La parola e la vita
Sostiamo nella parola "applicata" o meglio vista dalla prospettiva delle relazioni non solo digitali, per cogliere l'opportunità di trovare aiuto e sostegno, a partire dall'esperienza del web, nelle relazioni e nelle amicizie reali, cioè nell'incontro fisico, non mediato, con l'altro.

4. Una Parola di vita
Alla fine del percorso arriviamo forse a trovare una chiave di lettura anche dalla Parola del Vangelo, che ci può ridare un senso o un nuovo spessore alla comunicazione digitale. Una Parola che ci apra e ci riporti alla nostra vera identità, ossia di persone chiamate all'Esistenza dalla Parola. Nella Parola eterna del Padre, fattosi Carne in Gesù, tutte le nostre parole trovano senso, e dentro le nostre parole di vita c'è un frammento della rivelazione della Parola divina.

Le 10 parole

leggi anche
Conclusione: Relazione: a voi la parola!

Rubrica a cura di Paoline PGV

visita la pagina Paoline e giovani dove puoi scambiare idee e opinioni con altri giovani
e/o la pagina ufficiale di Paoline dove trovi altre proposte interessanti.

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Una nuova proposta giovani! Un percorso di riflessione su 10 parole, tratte dal mondo della comunicazione e dei social network, per scoprirne il significato, al di là dell'uso abituale che ne facciamo, per coglierne le opportunità sul piano delle relazioni e le risonanze della Parola divina sul piano della fede.

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https://pascombrasil.org.br/comunicar-a-fe-livro-reflete-sobre-a-acao-pastoral-em-tempos-midiaticos/

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"Comunicar a fé" é o novo livro do pesquisador Moisés Sbardelotto - Pascom Brasil

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O jornalista e pesquisador Moisés Sbardelotto, colunista da Pascom Brasil, publica seu novo livro: "Comunicar a Fé: Por quê? Para quê? Com quem?", no qual

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http://www.ihu.unisinos.br/159-noticias/entrevistas/613851-a-igreja-no-metaverso-possibilidades-e-desafios-de-novas-experiencias-da-fe-entrevista-especial-com-moises-sbardelotto

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Por: Ricardo Machado | Edição: João Vitor Santos | 22 Outubro 2021

Se compreendermos o metaverso como uma forma de vivermos numa ambiência entre mundos ou como algo capaz de nos conectar a um outro lugar enquanto permanecemos no nosso, é possível se reconhecer que, no campo da religião, da fé e do Sagrado, fazemos movimentos similares. É nessa linha Moisés Saberdelotto vê no próprio processo de relação com O Sagrado um ato comunicacional. "Poderíamos dizer até que o próprio rito religioso, por exemplo, é um metaverso avant la lettre", resume. "Historicamente, os fiéis - independentemente da tradição religiosa - se dirigem a um lugar geolocalizado específico e, por meio de gestos, objetos e palavras ritualizados, fazem a experiência de um universo transcendente, em uma dimensão espaço-temporal sagrada que ressignifica o recinto físico do templo e a duração cronológica do rito", relaciona.

Na entrevista a seguir, concedida por e-mail ao Instituto Humanitas Unisinos - IHU, Sbardelotto é desafiado a pensar os possíveis impactos da assunção do metaverso no espaço da fé. E, para ele, não deve haver de imediato grandes transformações no ato comunicacional desse espaço. "Pensando o metaverso como um desdobramento da comunicação digital como a conhecemos hoje, o fenômeno religioso continuará se expressando também nesse meta-ambiente digital, seja ele como for", pontua. Porém, aponta que "a questão será como se darão esses desdobramentos e também como se constituirá a interface entre as experiências religiosas no universo religioso tradicional e no metaverso digital, ou seja, como se darão esses trânsitos e essas interlocuções". Mudança que, pelo que já temos visto em outras experiências de comunicação digital, fogem ao controle de quem concebe a tecnologia e da própria autoridade religiosa.

No caso do cristianismo, especialmente o católico, ele arrisca que "o metaverso, com seus múltiplos universos de comunicação também religiosa, provavelmente tornará ainda mais forte a diversidade no interior da Igreja, em termos de possibilidades de experiência da fé nos diversos contextos locais, gerando ainda mais 'catolicismos' diversos". Assim, ao mesmo tempo em que há uma abertura em possibilidades de se viver, a Igreja é ainda mais desafiada a pensar em como conjugar esses mundos que se intercambiam na nova ambiência. "A Igreja precisa abandonar a lógica da substituição ('ou isto ou aquilo') e assumir uma lógica da complementaridade: a evangelização diz respeito a todos os seres humanos e ao ser humano como um todo, e o desafio é ser uma Igreja 'companheira de estrada'", aponta.

Ainda assim, o pesquisador acredita que o atual pontífice tem boas pistas que podem ser interessantes para a constituição de caminhos diante desses novos desafios. O que também não chega a ser novidade para Francisco, que tem provocado a milenar instituição a se desacomodar e sair em direção ao povo e pensar em questões como a sinodalidade. "O papa está no caminho certo ao defender uma 'salutar descentralização' (EG 16) na tomada de decisões sobre as questões eclesiais. E acredito que isso será ainda mais importante em relação às futuras possibilidades do metaverso", avalia.

Moisés Sbardelotto (Foto: Pascom Brasil)

Moisés Sbardelotto é bacharel em Comunicação Social - Jornalismo pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, mestre e doutor em Ciências da Comunicação pela Unisinos, com estágio doutoral na Università di Roma La Sapienza, na Itália. É professor da PUC Minas, pesquisador do Núcleo de Estudos em Comunicação e Teologia (Nect/PUC Minas), membro do Grupo de Reflexão sobre Comunicação da Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil (Grecom/CNBB. Entre suas publicações, destacamos Comunicar a fé: Por quê? Para quê? Com quem? (Petrópolis: Vozes, 2020), E o Verbo se fez rede: religiosidades em reconstrução no ambiente digital (São Paulo: Paulinas, 2017) e E o Verbo se fez bit: A comunicação e a experiência religiosas na internet (Aparecida, SP: Santuário, 2012).

Confira a entrevista.
IHU On-Line - Como compreender o metaverso a partir do paradigma de análise da midiatização?
Moisés Sbardelotto - Como premissa para esta resposta, antes que a um "paradigma" único e unívoco, acredito que o conceito de midiatização está relacionado a "paradigmas" variados, a uma diversidade de linhagens, escolas e perspectivas de investigação, em uma complexa "plurivocidade" ( Pedro Gilberto Gomes). Em linhas gerais, os principais "paradigmas" de análise da midiatização são o sociológico-simbólico e o semioantropológico (segundo a categorização de Bernard Miège) ou o institucional e o socioconstrutivista (segundo Andreas Hepp). De minha parte, associado a abordagens mais semioantropológicas e socioconstrutivistas (de acordo com tais categorizações), compreendo a midiatização como um processo histórico e complexo de transformações comunicacionais articuladas com transformações socioculturais.

Tal perspectiva da midiatização possibilita entender a comunicação em sua processualidade, não apenas como uma ação social sobre elementos simbólicos ou tecnológicos, mas como a inter-relação dinâmica entre esses três níveis. Por outro lado, possibilita entender a comunicação em sua historicidade: comunicação e tecnologia, por exemplo, desde sempre estão intimamente interligadas e se desenvolvem mutuamente; por isso, a tecnologia não é uma irrupção contemporânea e recente nos processos comunicacionais, mas é tão antiga quanto os primeiros registros humanos, como as pinturas rupestres, manifestando-se de formas diferenciadas e específicas ao longo da história. Daí, por fim, a complexidade da midiatização, que, a partir de tais redes de relações, faz emergir mídias, entendidas não como meros elementos externos a nós - como aparatos tecnológicos (o televisor, por exemplo) ou empresas de informação (o canal de televisão "X") - mas como sistemas-ambientes socioculturais de comunicação, nos quais agimos e somos "agidos", em aceleração e abrangência cada vez maiores.

Levando-se em conta essa "perspectiva de longo prazo da midiatização" ( Eliseo Verón), ela pode ser entendida como um metaprocesso ( Friedrich Krotz) de transformações evolutivas dos dispositivos sociotécnicos e sociossimbólicos que os seres humanos foram desenvolvendo historicamente desde as suas origens para dar sentido à realidade e se inter-relacionar - e, portanto, se comunicar. Entretanto, do ponto de vista observacional, é a contemporaneidade que evidencia a midiatização como objeto de reflexão comunicacional.

O conceito teórico ganhou força nos anos 1980, com o advento da internet e da digitalização, período que marcou um ponto de saturação e bifurcação desse processo, na transição de sociedades "midiáticas" (dinamizadas fortemente pelos meios de comunicação de massa, como televisão, rádio e jornal) para uma configuração social inovadora. Outras instituições sociais (como governos, empresas, igrejas, universidades, partidos políticos, sindicatos, associações etc.) também passaram a desenvolver processos midiáticos próprios, não dependendo mais da chamada "grande mídia" para se comunicar socialmente. Além disso, indivíduos comuns, sem vinculação com os meios de comunicação tradicionais nem com outras instituições sociais, também emergiram na cena midiática, autonomizados pelas tecnologias e linguagens digitais. Com isso, âmbitos sociais diversos começaram a agir segundo lógicas e dinâmicas midiáticas.

Intensificação do fenômeno da midiatização

Nas sociedades contemporâneas, crescentemente urbanizadas, industrializadas e globalizadas, portanto, ocorre uma maior evidenciação do fenômeno da midiatização, tornando-o mais observável empiricamente nas práticas sociais. Mais recentemente, observa-se uma complexificação ainda maior da tríade "meios/instituições/sujeitos sociais" (analisada pioneiramente por Verón), com a emergência de uma série de plataformas digitais de comunicação que transformaram o cenário midiático, como Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005), Twitter (2006), Netflix (2007), WhatsApp (2009), Instagram (2010), Tik Tok (2016), entre outras.

O fenômeno da pandemia, ao provocar diversas transformações socioculturais no modo de vida contemporâneo, demanda novas transformações comunicacionais, que já começam a emergir, como o próprio metaverso - Moisés Sbardelotto

Nos anos 1980, portanto, foram as transformações comunicacionais fomentadas pelo surgimento da internet que geraram ao longo do tempo uma série de transformações socioculturais que estamos vivendo atualmente, revelando um crescente processo de midiatização. Hoje, por sua vez, o fenômeno da pandemia, ao provocar diversas transformações socioculturais no modo de vida contemporâneo (principalmente a partir da necessidade de distanciamento por questões de saúde e do desejo de fazer coisas à distância por questões de conforto e praticidade), demanda novas transformações comunicacionais, que já começam a emergir, como o próprio metaverso.

Metaverso

A partir dessa primeira premissa mais ampla sobre uma perspectiva evolutiva da midiatização, decorre uma segunda, diretamente relacionada com a sua pergunta: o metaverso (ainda) não existe. Ainda não temos as tecnologias necessárias para torná-lo viável do modo como vem sendo anunciado, ou ao menos elas ainda não existem de forma satisfatória, seja do ponto de vista da infraestrutura para possibilitar a convivência "metaversal" de bilhões de usuários nesse ambiente, seja do ponto de vista da chamada "interoperabilidade" entre as várias plataformas digitais que darão forma a essa infraestrutura.

O Facebook, por exemplo, prevê a existência efetiva de um metaverso somente daqui a 10-15 anos. Mark Zuckerberg, fundador da empresa, em uma recente entrevista ao The Verge, questionado a respeito, afirmou: "Eu adoraria repassar vários casos de uso em mais detalhes, mas, em geral, acho que o metaverso será uma grande parte do próximo capítulo da indústria de tecnologia ". Mesmo assim, a empresa anunciou, em setembro passado, um investimento de 50 milhões de dólares na pesquisa e no desenvolvimento do metaverso "de forma responsável".

Portanto, seria irrazoável fazer previsões de algo que poderá ocorrer - se ocorrer - de forma mais perceptível apenas a partir de 2030. Tratar-se-ia de mera futurologia, com todo o risco de ser rapidamente frustrada e desmentida. Em relação ao metaverso, só temos a certeza de que caminhamos rumo a "novas incertezas", parafraseando Edgar Morin. Entretanto, temos algumas pistas, ao menos, de como o metaverso vem sendo pensado e concebido desde já - e, a partir disso, podemos levantar algumas hipóteses à luz da midiatização.

O Facebook, por exemplo, prevê a existência efetiva de um metaverso somente daqui a 10-15 anos. Seria irrazoável fazer previsões de algo que poderá ocorrer - se ocorrer - de forma mais perceptível apenas a partir de 2030. Tratar-se-ia de mera futurologia - Moisés Sbardelotto

Na entrevista citada, Zuckerberg projetou que, no metaverso, as pessoas poderão "experimentar uma sensação muito mais forte de presença com as pessoas de que gostam, com as pessoas com as quais trabalham, com os lugares em que querem estar". Segundo ele, o metaverso será uma "internet encarnada". Ou seja, será fruto daquilo que já estamos experimentando digitalmente hoje, mas em dimensões ainda não conhecidas: será o caldo tecnocultural para uma vida pessoal e social ainda mais conectada em suas várias dimensões.

Um universo de universos

Pretende-se que o metaverso seja um universo de universos físico-digitais onde as pessoas poderão se encontrar - independentemente de onde estejam geograficamente - de forma híbrida e tridimensional, não apenas olhando para telas planas, mas também e principalmente por meio de softwares, aplicativos e tecnologias de realidade virtual, ampliada e/ou hologramática. Já vemos algo nesse sentido hoje com tecnologias como o Google Lens, o Ray-Ban Stories ou o Oculus Quest 2, estes dois últimos desenvolvidos em parceria com o próprio Facebook, e de experiências digitais como Pokémon Go, Horizon, Fortnite, dentre outros, que, entre suas limitações e potencialidades, manifestam alguns elementos de "metaversalidade".

Com um maior desenvolvimento de tais tecnologias e plataformas nos próximos anos, será possível fazer a experiência do movimento físico-corporal em ambientes digitais e do encontro não apenas "face a face a distância" (como já fazemos hoje em videoconferências), mas propriamente "corpo a corpo a distância". Assim, poderemos nos sentir "corporalmente" presentes nesse universo digital, por meio de uma articulação entre a realidade físico-biológica geolocalizável e as experiências de realidade virtual e ampliada, em um único espaço online compartilhado. A presença de uma pessoa se desvinculará ainda mais da sua localização.

Metaverso enquanto 'mídia'

A partir da perspectiva processual, histórica e complexa da midiatização, podemos entrever o metaverso como uma "mídia" emergente na qual a vida humana se constituirá, isto é, como uma rede de relações sócio-tecno-simbólicas, como um sistema-ambiente sociocultural de comunicação. No entanto, assim como nenhuma outra mídia "caiu do céu", o metaverso também será o desdobramento das potencialidades ou a superação das limitações das mídias atuais. Como o Facebook reconhece, o metaverso não surgirá da noite para o dia, nem será um "produto" que uma única empresa poderá construir, mas se trata de um "sucessor" da internet como a conhecemos, que envolverá parcerias entre as principais plataformas e, principalmente, a participação da sociedade em geral, em seus diversos níveis, para "habitá-lo". Nós já estamos fazendo parte dessa evolução gradual rumo a um futuro metaverso neste exato momento.

Em outras palavras, o surgimento do metaverso não ocorrerá apenas por um processo de inovação tecnológica por parte de empresas como o Facebook, mas também depende de invenções socioculturais, que são complexas, imprevisíveis e indeterminadas. A infraestrutura tecnológica do metaverso será oferecida por tais empresas, mas só poderá ser concebida a partir do acompanhamento de certas tendências comunicacionais da sociedade (muitas das quais já estamos vivendo neste tempo de pandemia e de distanciamento). Por sua vez, quando o metaverso estiver estabelecido, as futuras tendências - a partir das práticas comunicacionais pessoais e sociais nesse novo ambiente - desempenharão um papel significativo na evolução e na transformação do próprio metaverso ao longo do tempo, a partir dos usos e apropriações específicos e conjunturais que a sociedade promoverá sobre essa "internet reinventada".

Pensar o metaverso na perspectiva da midiatização é pensá-lo com suas processualidades, historicidades e complexidades, como algo que já está sendo constituído pelo ser humano e pela vida social hoje, pelo modo como agimos no e sobre o digital - Moisés Sbardelotto

Em suma, pensar o metaverso na perspectiva da midiatização é pensá-lo com suas processualidades, historicidades e complexidades, como algo que já está sendo constituído pelo ser humano e pela vida social hoje, pelo modo como agimos no e sobre o digital, e que, uma vez estabelecido, reconstituirá, por sua vez, o próprio ser humano e a vida social como os conhecemos, agindo sobre nós. Essas "intertransformações" comunicacionais e socioculturais são indeterminadas e imprevisíveis aprioristicamente, embora a emergência de certas "metaversalidades" já possam ser observadas local e conjunturalmente.
IHU On-Line - De que forma podemos pensar o fenômeno religioso em perspectiva com o metaverso?
Moisés Sbardelotto - De modo geral, a relação entre os seres humanos e a transcendência, o divino, o sagrado, é um processo comunicacional. Desde os primórdios da humanidade, o ser humano, ao buscar se relacionar com tais realidades, fez isso também por meio de ações comunicativas. A comunicação, por sua vez, à luz da midiatização, é um processo que ocorre mediante meios e mediações, desde os gestos e a fala, passando pela palavra escrita, até chegarmos recentemente a toda a ecologia da comunicação digital. Como Homo religiosus e, ao mesmo tempo, Homo technologicus, o ser humano busca se comunicar com o transcendente - e, por sua vez, também comunicar o transcendente a outros - por meio de todas as mediações e os meios possíveis e disponíveis em cada período histórico.

Poderíamos dizer até que o próprio rito religioso, por exemplo, é um metaverso avant la lettre. Historicamente, os fiéis - independentemente da tradição religiosa - se dirigem a um lugar geolocalizado específico e, por meio de gestos, objetos e palavras ritualizados, fazem a experiência de um universo transcendente, em uma dimensão espaço-temporal sagrada que ressignifica o recinto físico do templo e a duração cronológica do rito. Nessa dimensão ritual e cúltica, comunicam-se com seres divinos ou mesmo pessoas que já se encontram no "além da vida", tudo por meio de técnicas e tecnologias próprias para isso (discursos, sons, músicas, artes, textos, livros, símbolos, objetos cúlticos etc.). Seja no templo ou à beira de um rio sagrado, esse lugar se transforma no "centro do mundo" (Mircea Eliade), um espaço sagrado por excelência, onde os diversos níveis cósmicos se comunicam.

O ser humano, portanto, evolui por meio da sua própria experiência comunicacional e tecnológica, que não estão desvinculadas da sua experiência religiosa. Elas se inter-retroalimentam, para evocar Morin. Se ao longo da história dependemos de gestos, discursos, cantos, músicas, livros, imagens, fotografias, filmes, para poder perceber e ao mesmo tempo expressar de forma mais profundamente humana a experiência do sagrado, isso também continua ocorrendo em tempos de cultura digital e provavelmente continuará ocorrendo com ainda mais profundidade e complexidade nos futuros tempos de metaverso.

Metaverso, propriamente, e religião

Pensando o metaverso como um desdobramento da comunicação digital como a conhecemos hoje, o fenômeno religioso continuará se expressando também nesse meta-ambiente digital, seja ele como for. O metaverso poderá emergir como um ambiente de relação com o sagrado, pois no fundo se tratará de um ambiente de relação entre pessoas, que portam consigo uma dimensão religiosa e espiritual, de abertura e de busca de um "algo mais". No metaverso, do modo como ele vem sendo anunciado, poderá haver ritos celebrados com mediações intrarrituais (gestos, palavras, objetos) que poderão ser percebidas e sentidas a distância, por meio de uma macromediação extrarritual, ou seja, todo o aparato tecnológico que permitirá a "presença metaversal" em um rito celebrado em outro espaço geográfico - uma forma de presentificação digital em um espaço ritual geolocalizável. Se assim for, teremos uma complexificação da experiência histórica e tradicional do fenômeno religioso.

O fenômeno religioso continuará se expressando também nesse meta-ambiente digital, seja ele como for - Moisés Sbardelotto

A questão será como se darão esses desdobramentos e também como se constituirá a interface entre as experiências religiosas no universo religioso tradicional e no metaverso digital, ou seja, como se darão esses trânsitos e essas interlocuções. E isso não vai ser definido nem pelas empresas de tecnologia digital, nem pelas instituições religiosas ou suas autoridades, nem pelos fiéis, mas sim por um complexo jogo de inter-relações entre os vários âmbitos sociais e culturais, que já está ocorrendo hoje e se desdobrará ainda mais nos próximos anos.
IHU On-Line - No que toca ao cristianismo, especialmente o católico, o que se pode esperar de mudanças em relação à liturgia em ambientes como o do metaverso? Como ficam as questões relativas ao sacramento no metaverso?
Moisés Sbardelotto - Não sendo um especialista em liturgia e sacramentos, minha resposta será do ponto de vista comunicacional, entendendo a liturgia e a celebração dos sacramentos como um processo de comunicação com Deus e ao mesmo tempo com os irmãos e irmãs de fé. Nesse sentido, acredito que a pandemia já trouxe à tona alguns elementos que revelam, de alguma forma, aquilo que o metaverso complexificará ainda mais na comunicação litúrgica. Destaco apenas dois pontos centrais nesse sentido: o "onde" e o "com quem" se celebra.

O primeiro deles diz respeito às noções de espacialidade e de presencialidade. O período de pandemia já pôs em xeque tais experiências, principalmente devido ao fechamento dos templos e à "reabertura" das casas graças ao ambiente digital. Os ritos passaram a ser transmitidos a distância, e as pessoas puderam manter o contato com suas comunidades a partir de dentro da própria casa. Nessas experiências, o espaço sagrado passou por uma reconfiguração.

Acredito que o metaverso irá tornar essa questão ainda mais candente, pois a nossa experiência do espaço digital não será apenas em duas dimensões, na frente de uma tela plana, mas sim em três ou até mais dimensões. O "distante" não será experimentado como um simulacro ou como uma representação virtual em bits e pixels, mas como uma espacialidade geográfica ressignificada digitalmente, em várias dimensões e em vários ângulos de experiência. Mesmo sem estarmos presentes fisicamente em um determinado lugar, no metaverso poderemos fazer uma experiência "envolvente e circundante" de um espaço a distância, graças às possibilidades tecnológicas que vêm sendo anunciadas.

Isso favorecerá, por sua vez, uma presencialidade na interface entre o físico-biológico e o tecnológico-digital. Zuckerberg, na mesma entrevista, afirma que o metaverso possibilitará uma sensação de presença mais natural no ambiente digital, pois será possível se sentar como um holograma no sofá da casa de um amigo que está a quilômetros de distância, ou o amigo poderá se sentar como um holograma no sofá da nossa casa. Poderemos "coestar" com pessoas que estão longe de nós, em um "agora" compartilhado, independentemente de fusos horários e do tempo cronológico, e também em um "aqui" físico-digital ressignificado para além dos pontos geográficos em que cada participante se encontre.

Do ponto de vista da "comunicação sacramental", o que está em jogo é a ideia do "hic et nunc", do "aqui e agora" necessários para a celebração e a vivência de um sacramento - Moisés Sbardelotto

Com isso, como dizíamos, a presença de alguém em um dado rito não apenas se desconectará cada vez mais da sua localização objetiva, mas também poderá favorecer uma participação mais "sensível" nos eventos online, sendo assim também mais percebida pelos outros participantes. Entretanto, do ponto de vista da "comunicação sacramental", o que está em jogo é a ideia do " hic et nunc ", do "aqui e agora" necessários para a celebração e a vivência de um sacramento. E esse "aqui e agora" é entendido pela teologia tradicional como um mesmo tempo cronológico e um mesmo espaço geográfico. Com isso, a vivência dos sacramentos provavelmente continuará sendo impossibilitada no metaverso, assim como já ocorre em relação ao rádio, à televisão e à internet.

Corporalidade e relacionalidade

O segundo aspecto que poderá sofrer alterações é a experiência da corporalidade e da relacionalidade. O período de pandemia já revelou que o corpo não fica escanteado em nossas relações comunicacionais em rede, mas permanece como mediação básica de todo contato. A questão é que se trata de um corpo não mais experimentado em suas dimensões tradicionais, mas ressignificado a partir das linguagens e das condições de existência que o ambiente digital possibilita. Isso se relaciona diretamente com a experiência do contato com o outro.

No metaverso, poderemos entrar em formas de relação interpessoais talvez muito mais íntimas e presentificadas do que aquelas que já podemos fazer neste período de pandemia nos ambientes digitais que temos hoje - Moisés Sbardelotto

No metaverso, poderemos entrar em formas de relação interpessoais talvez muito mais íntimas e presentificadas do que aquelas que já podemos fazer neste período de pandemia nos ambientes digitais que temos hoje. Pois, no metaverso, não nos relacionaremos com avatares (como os dos atuais jogos digitais) nem com um mero rosto alheio "achatado" na reconstrução gráfico-imagética em duas dimensões, mas sim com uma forma de "presença autêntica" do corpo alheio em várias de suas dimensões. Provavelmente poderemos percebê-lo em sua altura, largura e profundidade físico-biológicas reconstruídas digitalmente e poderemos ouvir a sua voz não apenas em dois canais estéreos, mas por meio de uma experiência de som ambiente, surround, em múltiplos canais.

Em um possível metaverso, portanto, nosso corpo continuará presente como meio de comunicação básico, e continuaremos fazendo experiência do mundo, dos outros e da realidade a partir dele. Não se tratará de um corpo "virtual" ou apenas "ampliado", mas de um corpo "teleonipresente", que poderá se deslocar de forma instantânea ao longo do espaço geolocalizável e também digitalmente experienciável, mediante "teletransporte", como promete Zuckerberg. Entretanto, hoje, embora possamos fazer inúmeras coisas conectados, com os nossos corpos geograficamente distanciados, ainda não podemos comer o mesmo pão do mesmo prato ou beber o mesmo vinho do mesmo cálice juntos em uma dada plataforma digital, e o metaverso provavelmente não conseguirá superar essa barreira. E essa, como se sabe, é uma experiência litúrgica fundamental.

Sem sacramentos "teletransportados"

As implicações disso, do ponto de vista litúrgico, são as mais diversas. Os sacramentos demandam sinais sensíveis e materiais para sua celebração, que passam pelo corpo e pelos sentidos corporais objetivos. Isto é, a vivência da eucaristia passa por um comer e beber que devem tocar o nosso paladar de forma objetiva, sensível e material; o batismo passa pela imersão na água (ou ao menos o derramamento dela) de forma objetiva, sensível e material; e assim por diante. No metaverso, os elementos objetivos, sensíveis e materiais não poderão ser "teletransporados" nem experimentados digitalmente.

Portanto, essas serão limitações para a vivência dos sacramentos, segundo a teologia tradicional. Exceto que a reflexão teológica avance a ponto de reconhecer como válidas sacramentalmente tais experiências comunicativas e sensoriais ressignificadas digitalmente, assim como o "aqui e agora" que as categorias socioculturais da sociedade do século XXI vêm desenvolvendo hoje, graças aos desenvolvimentos tecnológicos recentes.

Basta lembrar que a própria celebração da missa mudou (e muito) ao longo da história. Embora certos grupos defendam a chamada "missa de sempre", a celebração da eucaristia passou por diversas transições e transformações históricas. Portanto, a "missa de hoje" também pode mudar para corresponder às experiências culturais contemporâneas e futuras. Como Francisco afirma na Evangelii gaudium (n. 33), é preciso abandonar o cômodo critério pastoral que afirma: "Sempre se fez assim". Talvez o metaverso demandará que se supere esse critério também no âmbito litúrgico. Só o tempo (futuro) dirá.

A liturgia como um metaverso

Por fim, é preciso relembrar que a própria liturgia também é uma experiência "metaversal", em certo sentido. Como afirma a Sacrosanctum concilium, a liturgia terrena nos permite degustar (praegustando) e participar, aqui e agora, da Liturgia celeste celebrada na cidade santa de Jerusalém, glorificando ao Senhor junto com todos os seres celestiais e os Santos (SC 8). Com nossa corporeidade físico-biológica, comunicamo-nos no e com o universo "metaterreno". Para isso, recorremos a "sinais sensíveis" que significam (signa sensibilia significatur) tais realidades sagradas (SC 7). No metaverso, continuaremos recorrendo a "sinais sensíveis" audiovisuais e talvez até de outras ordens para significar a realidade, que, por sua vez, nos permitirão fazer experiência de outros universos terrenos e - por que não? - "metaterrenos".

No metaverso, continuaremos recorrendo a "sinais sensíveis" audiovisuais e talvez até de outras ordens para significar a realidade, que, por sua vez, nos permitirão fazer experiência de outros universos terrenos e - por que não? - "metaterrenos" - Moisés Sbardelotto

IHU On-Line - O que se pode projetar em termos de mudança aos processos de midiatização do catolicismo, levando-se em conta as tecnologias de comunicação digital atuais e as que surgirão como metaverso?
Moisés Sbardelotto - É difícil tentar fazer qualquer projeção em relação às tecnologias de comunicação digital atuais e as que surgirão no metaverso, pois estão em jogo questões que envolvem um processo extremamente complexo e indeterminado como a própria midiatização, assim como movimentos histórico-culturais que se desdobram e evoluem de uma forma nada linear, muito menos previsível (por exemplo, ninguém, poucos meses antes, foi capaz de projetar que estaríamos vivendo esta situação pandêmica tão duradoura).

É difícil tentar fazer qualquer projeção em relação às tecnologias de comunicação digital atuais e as que surgirão no metaverso, pois estão em jogo questões que envolvem um processo extremamente complexo e indeterminado como a própria midiatização - Moisés Sbardelotto

Entretanto, fazendo um exercício de generalização e extrapolação daquilo que é possível constatar a partir de outras transições de época históricas, podemos esperar - frisando bem o termo "esperar", pois não há nenhuma garantia disto - que o processo de midiatização do catolicismo se dará por meio daquilo que Verón chamava de "rupturas de escala" em termos de velocidade e de alcance. Isto é, a midiatização faz com que as práticas de comunicação se tornem cada vez mais velozes e também cada vez mais abrangentes, seja do ponto de vista do alcance geográfico, seja do ponto de vista do alcance dos sujeitos envolvidos nos processos midiáticos. Trata-se de experiências comunicacionais cada vez mais difusas e diferidas (José Luiz Braga). Ou seja, a midiatização traz à tona sempre uma abrangência e uma complexificação dos modos pelos quais a sociedade se comunica consigo mesma.

Possibilidades de experiência da fé

Com isso, acredito que o metaverso, com seus múltiplos universos de comunicação também religiosa, provavelmente tornará ainda mais forte a diversidade no interior da Igreja, em termos de possibilidades de experiência da fé nos diversos contextos locais, gerando ainda mais "catolicismos" diversos. Ao mesmo tempo, por outro lado, poderá favorecer uma maior interconectividade entre as inúmeras Igrejas locais e seus fiéis, no intercruzamento de fronteiras geográficas e eclesiásticas, fortalecendo a experiência da catolicidade para além das possíveis diferenças. Justamente por isso, se tratará de uma Igreja cada vez mais diversa e complexa em suas várias dimensões.

Isso poderá fomentar revisões significativas na concepção e no papel de questões como autoridade, comunidade, identidade, ritualidade católicas. Isto é, em um contexto cada vez mais acelerado e abrangente - e, portanto, cada vez mais interconectado, diverso, descentralizado, autônomo - como se equilibrarão as relações de poder dentro da Igreja? Como se dará a participação das pessoas no corpo eclesial? Como se definirá a catolicidade pessoal ou coletiva? Como se regularão os modos de celebrar? A questão-chave, nesse caso, é justamente como equilibrar a tensão entre unidade e diversidade católicas nos vários universos de vida físicos e digitais que o metaverso evidenciará.
IHU On-Line - Considerando as múltiplas frentes do catolicismo, com suas composições e diversidade, a despeito da unidade litúrgica, qual pode ou deve ser o papel do Vaticano e do Papa neste contexto?
Moisés Sbardelotto - Parafraseando o próprio Papa Francisco, eu poderia responder perguntando: "Quem sou eu para julgar o que o Vaticano e o papa podem ou devem fazer nesse contexto?". Pelo contrário, acredito que o papa está no caminho certo ao defender uma "salutar descentralização" (EG 16) na tomada de decisões sobre as questões eclesiais. E acredito que isso será ainda mais importante em relação às futuras possibilidades do metaverso. A Igreja local e o bispo local estarão em melhores condições para oferecer saídas para as questões que surgirem, à luz das suas culturas (digitais ou não) e sensibilidades próprias. Afinal, embora falemos de "ambiente digital" e de "cultura digital" no singular, sabemos que existem inúmeros ambientes digitais diferentes e heterogêneos, assim como inúmeras culturas digitais diferentes e heterogêneas, não apenas em nível mundial, mas também dentro de um mesmo país como o Brasil, ou inclusive no interior de suas próprias regiões.

Além disso, será fundamental que a Igreja faça um empenho maior em refletir sobre as questões do digital. Esse esforço vem sendo feito de forma difusa ao longo dos últimos anos, particularmente nas mensagens para o Dia Mundial das Comunicações Sociais e em alguns parágrafos específicos das últimas encíclicas papais. Entretanto, ainda falta uma reflexão comunicacional mais orgânica, articulada, aprofundada, com foco na pastoral, especialmente levando-se em conta que a Igreja está enfrentando uma verdadeira "Reforma digital" ( Elizabeth Drescher), na qual é a própria cultura que exige que a Igreja repense e revise a sua própria pastoral à luz dos desafios contemporâneos.

Não seria descabido afirmar a necessidade de um Sínodo sobre a comunicação em tempos de midiatização, plataformização e metaverso - Moisés Sbardelotto

Não seria descabido afirmar a necessidade de um Sínodo sobre a comunicação em tempos de midiatização, plataformização e metaverso, principalmente retomando aquilo que os bispos latino-americanos e caribenhos já afirmaram em 1979, no Documento de Puebla: "A evangelização, anúncio do Reino, é comunicação" (n. 1.063). A questão é justamente reconhecer as recentes e grandes transformações pelas quais a ação de comunicar vem passando desde então, de modo cada vez mais acelerado, o que, por sua vez, acarreta grandes transformações também na concepção e na prática da evangelização.
IHU On-Line - Como conciliar o fenômeno religioso em sua dimensão comunicacional em um ambiente altamente tecnológico como o metaverso e, por outro lado, o trabalho pastoral com as comunidades empobrecidas?
Moisés Sbardelotto - Uma questão central nesse sentido é justamente saber como se dará o acesso e a experiência do metaverso. Que tecnologias serão necessárias para isso? Quem poderá ter acesso a elas? Quais serão os custos financeiros para tal acesso e experiência? Qual será a contrapartida demandada pelas empresas que oferecerão a infraestrutura para o metaverso? São todas questões fundamentais para pensarmos também a pastoral com pessoas empobrecidas, que provavelmente não terão acesso nem poderão - assim como não têm e nem podem hoje, muitas vezes - custear a sua experiência nesses ambientes digitais.

No metaverso será preciso atentar para as possíveis novas formas de exclusão de quem não poderá ter acesso a tais ambientes - Moisés Sbardelotto

Por isso, também no metaverso será preciso atentar para as possíveis novas formas de exclusão de quem não poderá ter acesso a tais ambientes. O risco é de que surjam novas brechas digitais, que ampliem a distância entre uma "elite digital" e os "descartados digitais", em função de critérios socioeconômicos. Trata-se, no fundo, daquilo que o Papa Francisco já denuncia hoje como uma "cultura do descarte", que também existe em relação às questões digitais.

Por outro lado, o metaverso também poderá oferecer uma maior acessibilidade, do ponto de vista da possibilidade de fazer experiências religiosas a distância para pessoas que talvez não poderiam fazê-lo de outra forma, devido aos custos de deslocamento e transporte a determinados locais. O mesmo vale para as pessoas com deficiências diversas, que poderão, graças ao metaverso, experimentar uma forma de presença e participação mais intensas em ritos midiatizados, talvez até se "teletransportando" aos principais centros da fé, apesar de suas limitações.

Nem essencial e sem opcional

É importante reiterar, porém, que o digital não é nem essencial nem opcional para o trabalho pastoral na cultura contemporânea. Sem dúvida, é necessário acompanhar os desdobramentos da cultura digital do ponto de vista pastoral, para que seja possível aquele diálogo entre fé e cultura tão caro à tradição da Igreja. Entretanto, o próprio metaverso, neste caso, não será essencial para a ação evangelizadora. Justamente na preocupação da Igreja com os excluídos, os marginalizados, os periferizados, também do ponto de vista digital haverá muitas pessoas "jogadas à beira do metaverso", das quais a Igreja deverá cuidar e servir, fazendo-se próxima, como fez o Bom Samaritano. E isso só será possível "para além" do metaverso, por meio de outras práticas pastorais.

Ao mesmo tempo, os ambientes digitais - pela sua importância na cultura contemporânea - devem ser levados em consideração pela pastoral, e a Igreja deverá se sentir culpada diante do seu Senhor se não se fizer presente também no metaverso, parafraseando a famosa frase de São Paulo VI na Evangelii nuntiandi. Por isso, a Igreja precisa abandonar a lógica da substituição ("ou isto ou aquilo") e assumir uma lógica da complementaridade: a evangelização diz respeito a todos os seres humanos e ao ser humano como um todo, e o desafio é ser uma Igreja "companheira de estrada", como pede o Papa Francisco, nas múltiplas estradas humanas, incluindo as digitais - sem negligenciar todas as demais.
IHU On-Line - O que pode significar ser católico no metaverso? O que implica ser educador e educando para a fé no metaverso?
Moisés Sbardelotto - Trata-se de um paradoxo: por um lado, o metaverso não mudará nada e, por outro, mudará tudo. Acredito que não mudará nada porque ser cristão é seguir a Jesus Cristo sendo discípulo-missionário em todo o tempo e lugar. Portanto, também no metaverso esse desafio permanece constante, assim como foi em diversos outros períodos históricos.

Entretanto, o modo de viver na prática esse segmento não é o mesmo sempre nem em todo o lugar. O metaverso poderá gerar uma realidade ainda mais complexa e heterogênea do ponto de vista social, cultural e religioso, o que demandará de cada cristão e cristã uma coerência de vida ainda maior e um testemunho ainda mais consistente dos valores do Evangelho, independentemente dos ambientes (digitais ou não) em que se encontrar.

E a educação para a fé passa principalmente pelo exemplo, pela atração, e não pelo proselitismo, como o Papa Francisco reitera continuamente. Por isso, onde quer que um cristão esteja - seja neste universo que já conhecemos ou em um possível metaverso - ele será reconhecido pelo amor que tiver ao próximo (cf. Jo 13,35).

Leia mais

"O 'virtual' é real". Cultura digital e evangelização. Entrevista especial com Moisés Sbardelotto

Católicos em rede: de ouvintes a produtores da palavra de fé. Entrevista especial com Moisés Sbardelotto

Igreja e internet: uma relação de amor e ódio. Entrevista especial com Moisés Sbardelotto

"E o Verbo se fez bit": Uma análise da experiência religiosa na internet. Artigo de Moisés Sbardelotto. Cadernos IHU Nº. 35

Deus digital, religiosidade online, fiel conectado: Estudos sobre religião e internet. Cadernos Teologia Pública, Nº 70

A Igreja em um contexto de "Reforma digital": rumo a um sensus fidelium digitalis? Artigo de Moisés Sbardelotto. Cadernos Teologia Pública N.º 116

Metaverso: entre a possibilidade de uma existência estendida e a escravidão algorítmica. Entrevista especial com Rafael Zanatta

Realidade virtual e o vindouro metaverso católico. Artigo de Phyllis Zagano

Estética, ética e políticas universais: os desafios da promoção da cidadania no metaverso. Entrevista especial com Francisco Pimenta

Metaverso, a revolução da internet

Second Life: uma fábrica de sonhos e desejos. Revista IHU On-Line, Nº. 226

Midiatização. Um modo de ser em rede comunicacional. Revista IHU On-Line Nº. 289

A midiatização. Um novo modo de ser no mundo

Pedro e Paulo: unidade na diversidade

Comunicação e evangelização, de Jesus às redes

Tendências tecnológicas pré e pós pandemia

A fé é a verdadeira aliada da liberdade do homem

O religioso Mircea Eliade no território dos vampiros

Depois da covid, a missa nunca mais será a mesma. Talvez isso seja uma coisa boa

A catequese deve começar pelo querigma que conduz a um encontro pessoal com Jesus Cristo. Entrevista especial com Leomar Brustolin

Evangelizar, sem proselitismo, sem ideias pré-fabricadas, sem rigidez. O vídeo do Papa

"Anunciar Cristo não é proselitismo, nem marketing", adverte Francisco

"Escutai!": esse será o tema da mensagem do Papa Francisco para o 56º Dia Mundial das Comunicações

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Ricardo Machado | Edição: João Vitor Santos

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Metaverso. Novas possibilidades e desafios para a Igreja. Entrevista especial com Moisés Sbardelotto

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Por: Ricardo Machado | Edição: João Vitor Santos | 22 Outubro 2021 Se compreendermos o metaverso como uma forma de vivermos numa ambiência entre mundos ou como algo capaz de nos conectar a um outro lugar enquanto permanecemos no nosso, é possível se reconhecer que, no campo da religião, da fé e do Sagrado, fazemos movimentos similares.

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https://up.edu.ph/promoting-tolerance-through-books-and-education/

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Promoting tolerance through books and education

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“At 22, people say that I am ‘accomplished’ and they expect that I’ll be even more accomplished as I grow. This induces a lot of pressure, and the fear of not living up to people’s expectations can cripple anyone. However, I have to remind myself that these accolades are just decoration.…

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O HUMANO NA DINÂMICA DA COMUNICAÇÃO: POR UM HUMANISMO INTEGRAL

Human in the dynamics of communication - For an integral humanism

https://www.paulinas.com.br/produto/humano-na-dinamica-da-comunicacao-o-9469

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Autor(es): Joana Teresinha Puntel, SEPAC

Ficha técnica

Detalhes

Neste livro, o Congresso on line de Comunicação realizado pelo Paulinas Cursos EAD e o Serviço à Pastoral da Comunicação (SEPAC) oferecem o conteúdo profundo de vários palestrantes, que promove uma formação humana e cristã com o tema "O humano na dinâmica da comunicação" para "um jeito novo e criativo de evangelizar". "O tônus do Congresso, contudo, não foi um espaço de lamentação, antes, de indignação; não foi um tempo de confissão da impotência humana diante do caos pandêmico, antes de coragem em elucidar caminhos novos e ousados, como respostas aos desafios, ou seja, àquilo que incita a fazer algo. O desafio é uma incitação à ação. Aliás, esse é o melhor sentido da palavra esperança, porque ela, a um só tempo mistura, saudavelmente, indignação diante de algo e ousadia, destemor, na ação. É a esperança em ato" (Dom Joaquim G. Mol) Organização de Joana T. Puntel e Equipe do Sepac. Textos de D. Joaquim G. Mol, Elizabeth Saad, Helena Corazza, Ismar O. Soares, Joana T. Puntel, Luís M. Sá Martino, Moisés Sbardelotto.

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Neste livro, o Congresso on line de Comunicação realizado pelo Paulinas Cursos EAD e o Serviço à Pastoral da Comunicação (SEPAC) oferecem o conteúdo profundo de vários palestrantes, que promove uma formação humana e cristã com o tema "O humano na dinâmica da comunicação" para "um jeito novo e criativo de evangelizar".

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PASTORAL INSTRUCTION

"COMMUNIO ET PROGRESSIO"
ON THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN BY ORDER OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

1. THE UNITY AND ADVANCEMENT of men living in society: these are the chief aims of social communication and of all the means it uses. These means include the press, the cinema, radio and television. The constant improvement in the media puts them at the disposal of more and more people who in their daily lives make increasing use of them. More than ever before, the way men live and think is profoundly affected by the means of communication.

2. The Church sees these media as "gifts of God" which, in accordance with His providential design, unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with His plan for their salvation. A deeper and more penetrating understanding of social communication and of the contribution which the media it uses can make to modern society, can be derived from a number of documents issued by the Second Vatican Council. These are, notably the Constitution on "The Church in the World Today", the Decree on "Ecumenism", the Declaration on "Religious Freedom", the Decree on "The Missionary Activity of the Church", and the Decree on "The Pastoral Duties of Bishops". And, of course, there is a Decree that is wholly devoted to a discussion of "The Media of Social Communication".

The deeper understanding based on the teaching and spirit of this Council will now guide Christians in their attitudes to the media and will make them the more eager to commit themselves in this field.

4. It will therefore be the task of Bishops and their conferences and, equally, of the Synods of the Eastern Churches, to consult experts and their diocesan, national and international councils. This should be done not only to implement this Instruction efficiently and in a spirit of collegiality, but also to discover the best way of explaining it and suiting it, as precisely as possible, to the needs of the people in their care. And while they do this, they will keep in mind the unity of the Church.

In this task Episcopal Conferences will lean upon the professional assistance which priests, religious and laity can offer. For a proper use of the media of social communication is the responsibility of the entire People of God.

5. This Instruction, it is hoped, will be well received by all those who are professionally involved in the field of communications and, indeed, by all who, from good will, seek the progress of mankind. So, as a result of exchanges of views and cooperation with such men, the vast potential that lies in the means of social communication will be made good and this for the advancement of all.

THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF THE MEANS
OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION:
BASIC POINTS OF DOCTRINE

7. All over the world, men are at work on improving the conditions for human living and the latest scientific wonders and technical achievements play their part in this. The Christian vision of man, of his motives and of his history, sees in this development a response - though usually an unconscious one - to the divine command to "possess and master the world". It also sees it as an act of cooperation in the divine work of creation and conservation.

10. When, by his own fault, man turned away from his Creator, chaos succeeded crime and man became embroiled in discord and deadly fraternal strife. He was no longer able to communicate with his fellow men. But for all that, God's love for man persisted, despite its rejection by man. It was He who made the first move to make contact with mankind at the start of the history of salvation. In the fullness of time, he communicated His very self to man and "the Word was made flesh ".

When, by His death and resurrection, Christ the Incarnate Son, the Word and Image of the invisible God, set the human race free, He shared with everyone the truth and the life of God. And He did this more richly and lavishly than ever before. As the only mediator, between the Father and mankind He made peace between God and man and laid the foundations of unity among men themselves. From that moment, communication among men found its highest ideal and supreme example in God who had become Man and Brother. He ordered His disciples, always and everywhere, to spread the Good Tidings "in the light of day" and "from the roof tops".

11. While He was on earth Christ revealed Himself as the Perfect Communicator. Through His "incarnation", He utterly identified Himself with those who were to receive His communication and He gave His message not only in words but in the whole manner of His life. He spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press of His people. He preached the Divine message without fear or compromise. He adjusted to His people's way of talking and to their patterns of thought. And He spoke out of the predicament of their time.

Communication is more than the expression of ideas and the indication of emotion. At its most profound level it is the giving of self in love. Christ's communication was, in fact, spirit and life. In the institution of the Holy Eucharist, Christ gave us the most perfect and most intimate form of communion between God and man possible in this life, and, out of this, the deepest possible unity between men. Further, Christ communicated to us His life-giving Spirit, who brings all men together in unity. The Church is Christ's Mystical Body, the hidden completion of Christ Glorified who "fills the whole creation". As a result we move, within the Church and with the help of the word and the sacraments, towards the hope of that last unity where "God will be all in all".

13. All men of good will, then, are impelled to work together to ensure that the media of communication do in fact contribute to the pursuit of truth and the speeding up of progress. The Christian will find in his faith an added incentive to do this. And the message of the Gospel thus spread will promote this idea which is the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.

Contact and cooperation among men depend, in the last resort, on man's free choice which, in its turn, is affected by psychological, sociological and technical factors. And so the importance and ultimate significance of the media of communication depend upon the working of man's free choice in their use.

14. Since it is man himself who decides how the available means of communication shall be used, the moral principles at issue here are those based on a true interpretation of the dignity of man. And man, it should be recalled, must be accounted a member of the family of the adopted children of God. At the same time, these principles derive from the essential character of social communication and the innate qualities of the medium in question. This also follows from what is said in Gaudium et spes: "By the very fact of their having been created, all things are endowed with their own stability, truth, goodness, proper laws and order which man must respect...".

"Recipients" are those who, for their own purpose, read, listen to or view the various media. Everything possible should be done to enable these to know about the media. So they will be able to interpret their message accurately, to reap their benefit in full and play their part in the life of society. Only if this is done will the media function in the best possible way.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA
TO HUMAN PROGRESS THE WORK OF THE MEDIA IN HUMAN SOCIETY
19. The modern media of social communication offer men of today a great round table. At this they are able to participate in a world-wide exchange in search of brotherhood and cooperation. It is not surprising that this should be so, for the media are at the disposal of all and are channels for that very dialogue which they themselves stimulate. The torrent of information and opinion pouring through these channels makes every man a partner in the business of the human race. This interchange creates the proper conditions for that mutual and sympathetic understanding which leads to universal progress.

20. The swift advances of the means of social communication tear down the barriers that time and space have erected between men. They can make for greater understanding and closer unity. A mass of information is continually on the move to and from all parts of the world and, as a result, men can learn what goes on and how other men live. Teaching at all levels has benefited by the use of these aids. These media play their part in eliminating illiteracy and in providing both basic and further education. They can, very effectively, help people in developing countries to achieve progress and freedom. They can establish a measure of universal equality in which all men, whatever their place in society can enjoy the delights of culture and leisure. They enrich men's minds. They help them to keep in touch with reality by providing the sights and sounds which are the very stuff of life. They bring far away times and places within their grasp. And when illiteracy is rife - and this is not in any way to question the validity of traditional cultures - citizens can quickly be brought in touch with recent developments in modern ways of life.

21. In the light of these advantages, the communications media can be seen as powerful instruments for progress. It is true they present difficulties but these must be faced and overcome. Both the communicators and the recipients ought to be aware of their inherent dangers and difficulties. For instance, how can we ensure that this swift and haphazard and endless stream of news is properly evaluated and understood? The media are bound to seek a mass audience and so they often adopt a neutral stance in order to avoid giving offence to any section of their audience. How, in a society that is committed to the rights of dissent, is the distinction between right and wrong, and true and false, to be made?

How in the face of competition to capture a large popular audience are the media to be prevented from appealing to and inflaming the less admirable tendencies in human nature? How can one avoid the concentration of the power to communicate in too few hands so that any real dialogue is killed? How can one avoid allowing communications made indirectly and through machinery to weaken direct human contact - especially when these communications take the form of pictures and images? When the media invite men to escape into fantasy, what can be done to bring them back to present reality? How can one stop the media encouraging mental idleness and passivity? And how can one be certain that the incessant appeal to emotion does not sap reason?

22. It is obvious that there has been a decline in moral standards in many areas of life today and this decline is the cause of profound concern to all honest men. It is easy to find evidence of this decline in all the means of social communication. But how far these means must be blamed for the decline is open to question. Many responsible men hold that these means are only a reflection of what already exists in society. Others hold that they increase and spread those tendencies and that, by making them commonplace, lead to their gradual acceptance. And still others would put most of the blame squarely upon the means of social communication. What is certainly true is that the weakness lies in society itself and that the attempt to restore standards must involve the whole of society, its parents, teachers, pastors and all who care about the common good. In this attempt the means of social communication have no small part to play. It is however impossible to put the means of social communication into a quite separate category from that of the everyday life and attitudes of the people.

23. In order that the benefits offered to society by social communications can be better understood and used to the full and the incidental difficulties they present set aside, the chief aspects of the working of the media among men must be investigated.

24. The means of social communication are a public forum where every man may exchange ideas. The public expression and the confrontation of different opinions that occur within this dialogue influence and enrich the development of society and further its progress.

27. Communicators have, therefore, a most important part to play in forming public opinion. They have to gather up different views and compare them and transmit them so that people can understand and make a proper decision.

29. The process of promoting - in what is sometimes referred to as a "propaganda campaign"- with a view to influencing public opinion is justified only when it serves the truth and its objectives and methods accord with the dignity of man and when it promotes causes that are in the public interest. These causes may concern either individuals or groups, one's own country or the world at large.

30. Some types of propaganda are inadmissable. These include those that harm the public interest or allow of no public reply. Any propaganda that deliberately misrepresents the real situation, or that distorts men's minds with half-truths, selective reporting or serious omissions, that diminishes man's legitimate freedom of decision, this propaganda should be rejected. It is necessary to stress this because the power of propaganda is increasing. And its power is being augmented by the growth of behavioural sciences like that of psychology and of the technical resources at the disposal of the communications media.

31. Not every opinion that is given publicity should be taken as a true expression of that public opinion which is held by a significant number of people. A number of differing opinions can flourish at the same time in the same area, though, usually, one has a greater following than the others. The opinion of the majority, however, is not necessarily the best or the closest to the truth.

Public opinion, moreover, changes often. The same idea sometimes gains and sometimes loses hold of the public. Because of this, it is prudent to maintain a certain detachment toward the opinions currently in public vogue. There may well be good reasons that require one to oppose them.

32. However views openly and commonly expressed which reflect the aspirations of the people should always be carefully considered. This is especially binding on those in authority, whether civil or religious.

2. THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED AND TO INFORM

33. If public opinion is to be formed in a proper manner, it is necessary that, right from the start, the public be given free access both to the sources and channels of information and be allowed freely to express its own views. Freedom of opinion and the right to be informed go hand in hand. Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council have all stressed this right to information which today is essential for the individual and for society in general.

a) Access to the Sources and Channels of News

34. Modern man cannot do without information that is full, consistent, accurate and true. Without it, he cannot understand the perpetually changing world in which he lives nor be able to adapt himself to the real situation. This adaptation calls for frequent decisions that should be made with a full knowledge of events. Only in this way can he assume a responsible and active role in his community and be a part of its economic, political, cultural and religious life.

With the right to be informed goes the duty to seek information. Information does not simply occur; it has to be sought. On the other hand, in order to get it, the man who wants information must have access to the varied means of social communication. In this way he can freely choose whatever means best suit his needs both personal and social. It is futile to talk about the right to information if a variety of the sources for it are not made available.

35. Society, at all levels, requires information if it is to choose the right course. The community requires well-informed citizens. The right to information is not merely the prerogative of the individual, it is essential to the public interest.

36. Those whose job it is to give news have a most difficult and responsible role to play. They face formidable obstacles and these obstacles will sometimes include persons interested in concealing the truth. This is especially the case for reporters who give close-up impressions of the news and who, in order to do this, often travel to the four corners of the earth in order to witness events as they actually happen. At times they risk their lives and indeed a number of them have been killed in this line of duty. The safety of such correspondents should be ensured in every possible way because of the service they render to man's right to know about what is happening. This is particularly true in the case of wars which involve and concern the whole human race. So the Church utterly condemns the use of violence against newsmen or against anyone in any way involved in the passing on of news. For these persons vindicate and practice the right of finding out what is happening and of passing on this information to others.

37. It is hard for anyone to learn the whole truth and to pass this on to others, but newsmen face an additional problem. Of its nature, news is about what is new. So journalists deal with what has just happened and with what is of present interest. More than that, out of a mass of material, they must select what they judge to be the significant facts that will concern their audience. So it can happen that the news reported is only a part of the whole and does not convey what is of real importance.

38. Communicators must give news that is quick, complete and comprehensible. So more and more they have to seek out competent men for comments, background briefing and discussion. Often these comments are required immediately, sometimes even before the expected event has happened. Men of trust, especially when they are in a position of responsibility or authority, are rightly reluctant to make hasty or unprepared comments before they have had a chance to study a situation and its context. And so because the media are impelled to demand quick comment, the initiative often passes to men who are less responsible and less well-informed but who are more willing to oblige. Those acquainted with a given situation should try to prevent this happening. As far as they can, they should keep themselves up to date so that they themselves can reply and ensure that the public is properly informed.

39. Then there is another problem. Those who have to keep the public informed must give the news quickly if it is to appear fresh and interesting. Competition also obliges them to do this and speed is often won at the price of accuracy. The communicator has also to know the tastes and cultural level of his public and to take into account its known preferences. And when he comes to present the news, it is in the face of such hazards that a communicator must remain faithful to the truth.

40. But as well as these problems which are inherent in the nature of the news and communications media, there is another. Communicators must hold the wandering attention of a harried and hurried public by vivid reporting. And yet they must not give way to the temptation of making the news sensational in such a way that they risk distorting it by taking it out of context or by exaggerating it out of all proportion.

41.The recipients who piece together the news that comes to them in fragments may well end up with an unbalanced or distorted idea of the whole picture. To a certain extent, accuracy can be restored by the continuity of the flow from different sources, which must always be carefully assessed. The recipients of information should have a clear conception of the predicament of those that purvey information. They should not look for a superhuman perfection in the communicators. What they do have a right and duty to expect, however, is that a rapid and clear correction should follow any mistake or misrepresentation that has found its way into a report. They are to protest whenever omissions or distortions occur. They are to protest whenever events have been reported out of context or in a biased manner. They are to protest whenever the significance of events has been wildly exaggerated or underplayed. This right should be guaranteed for recipients by agreement among the communicators themselves and, if this cannot be got, then by national law or international convention.

43. The reporting of violence and brutality demands a special care and tact. There is no denying that human life is debased by violence and savagery and that such things happen in our own time and perhaps more now than ever before. It is possible to delineate all this violence and savagery so that men will recoil from it. But if these bloody events are too realistically described or too frequently dwelt upon, there is a danger of perverting the image of human life. It is also possible that such descriptions generate an attitude of mind and, according to many experts, a psychosis which escapes the control of the very forces that unleashed it. All this may leave violence and savagery as the accepted way of resolving conflict.

b) Freedom of communication

44. This right to information is inseparable from freedom of communication. Social life depends on a continual interchange, both individual and collective, between people. This is necessary for mutual understanding and for cooperative creativity. When social intercourse makes use of the mass media, a new dimension is added. Then vast numbers of people get the chance to share in the life and progress of the community.

45. Because man is social by nature, he feels the need to express himself freely and to compare his views with those of other people. This applies today more than ever before now that man's intellect and genius are often enough served more by teamwork than by individual effort. So the result is that when people follow their natural inclination to exchange ideas and declare their opinions, they are not merely making use of a right. They are also performing a social duty.

46. Those societies which tolerate diverse component groups and are called "pluralist", can well understand the importance of the free flow of information and opinion that enables the citizens to play an active part in the community. Laws have been passed in such countries to guard this freedom. Moreover, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has proclaimed this freedom to be fundamental and thereby implies that the same freedom is essential in the use of the means of social communication.

47. This freedom of communication also implies that individuals and groups must be free to seek out and spread information. It also means that they should have free access to the media. On the other hand, freedom of communication would be more to the benefit of those who communicate news rather than for the good of those who receive it, if this freedom existed without proper limits and without thought of those real and public needs upon which the right to information is based.

48. The means of social communication have an ever growing role to play in the vast field of human education. In many places audiovisual aids, the new video cassettes and the regular use of radio and television have become accepted teaching instruments. They make the work of experts in different fields accessible to more and more people. Elsewhere the means of social communication are used to complement the established ways of teaching. They also give opportunities for further education to adolescents and adults. In places where the educational facilities are inadequate, they can provide religious instruction and basic education and fight illiteracy. They are useful instruments for instructing people in agriculture, medicine, hygiene and many forms of community development. As far as possible, this use of the media for education should have a creative quality and elicit an active response. In this way, the pupil is not only led to knowledge but learns to express himself by using the media.

49. Moreover in a manner that is unique, the media, which are already a conspicuous element in daily life, bring artistic and cultural achievements within the orbit of a great part of the human race. And soon, perhaps, they will do the same for the whole of it. This is as authentic a mark of social progress as is the removal of economic and social inequality.

50. The media can deepen and enrich contemporary culture and communicators should recognize that everyone has a right to this enrichment. They should not hesitate therefore to take the chance offered by the so-called "mass media" to reach great numbers of people. The media also make it possible to cater for differing needs and interests since, in a professional and attractive manner, they can produce the fruits of every type of artistic expression.

People, then, will find no difficulty in using the media to deepen and refine their cultural life as long as they supplement this use with the exercise of personal reflection and an exchange of views with others.

51. An example of the cultural potential of the media can be found in their service to the traditional folk arts of countries where stories, plays, song and dance still express an ancient national inheritance. Because of their modern techniques, the media can make these achievements known more widely. They can record them so that they can be seen and heard again and again and make them accessible even in districts where the old traditions have vanished. In this way, the media help to impress on a nation a proper sense of its cultural identity and by expressing this, delight and enrich other cultures and countries as well.

Today, through the media, the noblest forms of artistic expression offer true recreation - in the fullest sense of that word - to more and more people. And there is more and more call for this in our complex society. Simple entertainment, too, has a value of its own. It lightens the burden of daily problems and it occupies men's leisure. The wide variety of productions that the media offer for these hours of leisure is in fact a remarkable service to mankind. But recipients should exercise self-control. They must not allow themselves to be so beguiled by the charms of the media's products or by the curiosity that these arouse that they neglect urgent duties or simply waste time.

53. The media are themselves new factors in contemporary culture, serving as they do large numbers of people at the same time. But as well as enriching culture, they can occasionally degrade it. They often play for the applause of the lowest cultural levels of their audience. And because they take so much of modern man's time, they can easily divert him from higher and more profitable cultural pursuits.

An unrelieved diet of productions geared to the lowest cultural level within a population would tend to debase the taste of those who have already attained a higher level. These dangers can be avoided if communicators really care about the well-being of culture and buttress their good intentions with a sound knowledge of the science of education. Moreover, it will be recalled that the media are perfectly capable of productions on the highest artistic level, and these are not necessarily the most difficult to follow and to enjoy for the great majority.

4. FORMS OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

54. The media of social communication do more than present the traditional forms of artistic expression; they themselves create new ones. And now that the media cover the whole earth and multiply the opportunities for international cultural cooperation, especially in co-productions using the talents of artists from many nations, it is only right that both communicators and recipients should seek to acquire a truly catholic taste, one that includes both the traditional and the latest forms of artistic expression, one that appreciates and understands the production of all nations, of all cultures and of all sub-cultures within the same areas of civilization.

58. Moral problems may at times arise in productions that deal with evil. For instance, these may occur when the audience is unable to grasp, as it should, the full implications of evil, either because its members are young or undeveloped or because their education is inadequate. The artist is faced with life in its entirety, with its good as well as its bad aspects. Good sense and judgement are therefore called for when a work is destined for a large audience with different backgrounds. This is especially true when the subject is man confronted by evil.

59. The importance of advertising is steadily on the increase in modern society. It makes its presence felt everywhere; its influence is unavoidable. It offers real social benefits. It tells buyers of the goods and services available. It thus encourages the widest distribution of products and, in doing this, it helps industry to develop and benefit the population. All this is to the good so long as there is respect for the buyer's liberty of choice, even though in trying to sell some particular objects appeal is made to a person's basic need. Advertising too must respect the truth, taking into account accepted advertising conventions.

60. If harmful or utterly useless goods are touted to the public, if false assertions are made about the goods for sale, if less admirable human tendencies are exploited, those responsible for such advertising harm society and forfeit their good name and credibility. More than this, unremitting pressure to buy articles of luxury can arouse false wants that hurt both individuals and families by making them ignore what they really need. And those forms of advertising which, without shame, exploit the sexual instincts simply to make money or which seek to penetrate into the subconscious recesses of the mind in a way that threatens the freedom of the individual, those forms of advertising must be shunned. It is therefore desirable that advertisers make definite rules for themselves lest their sales methods affront human dignity or harm the community.

61. It is true that a judicious use of advertising can stimulate developing countries to improve their standard of living. But serious harm can be done them if advertising and commercial pressure become so irresponsible that communities that seek to rise from poverty to a reasonable standard of living are persuaded to seek this progress by satisfying wants that have been created artificially. The result of this is that they waste their resources and neglect their real needs and genuine development falls behind.

62. In fact the vast sums of money spent in advertising threaten the very foundations of the mass media. People can get the impression that the instruments of communication exist solely to stimulate men's appetites so that these can be satisfied later by the acquisition of the things that have been advertised. Moreover, because of economic demands and pressures, the essential freedom of the media is at stake. Since advertising revenue is vital for these media, only those can ultimately survive which receive the greatest share of advertising outlays. Consequently, the door is open for monopolies to develop in the media which may impede the right to receive and give information and inhibit the exchange of views within the community. A variety of independent means of social communication must therefore be carefully safeguarded even if this requires legislative action. This will ensure that there is an equitable distribution of advertising revenue among the most deserving media of communication and prevent the lion's share from going to those that are already the most powerful.
THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR THEIR PROPER WORKING
63. If the media of social communication are to give their best service to mankind, the importance of the human element must be recognized. This element plays a more decisive role than the most marvellous electronic and mechanical instruments by themselves. For the proper functioning of the media in society does not occur of its own accord. Both communicators and recipients, each according to his own requirements, need a suitable grounding if full advantage is to be taken of the opportunities offered by these instruments. All should know what their particular role requires of them and then proceed to play it, both as individuals and members of society. Civil authorities, as well as religious leaders and educators, should play their part too in order that the rich promise of the media be effectively realized for the good of society.

64. A training that grounds a man in the basic principles governing the working of the media in human society, as explained above, is nowadays clearly necessary for all. The means of communication genuinely enrich men's minds if their character and function is understood. On the other hand, men who do not sufficiently appreciate their importance, may find their liberty diminished. Training should include a practical consideration of the special nature of each medium and of its status in the local community and how it can best be utilized. And this should be done with special reference to man and society.

65. Recipients need some basic training if they are to benefit to the full from what the instruments of social communication have to offer. This training is not merely for their personal advantage, but it should help them to make their contribution to the give and take of society as well as to the constructive work of the community. Such a training will also help them to discover the best way of achieving these ends. It will help them to play their part in the process of striving for justice among nations and for the elimination of glaring inequalities between the richer and poorer countries.

66. For this they require a knowledge of the media that will keep pace with their maturing. And the processs of education, which should be available to all, does not come to an end. It is to be supplemented continually by lectures and discussions, by special courses and study sessions that make use of the help of professionals in this field.

67. It is never too early to start encouraging in children artistic taste, a keen critical faculty and a sense of personal responsibility that is based on sound morality. They need all these so that they can use discrimination in choosing from the publications, films and broadcasts that are set before them. This is necessary because the young are naturally vulnerable, but this self-discipline acquired in childhood will richly serve the adult too. Generosity and idealism are admirable qualities in young people, so are their frankness and sincerity. But these qualities, along with self-discipline, will only survive if they are guarded and fostered from an early age. This is why parents and teachers should urge children to make their own choice even if the educators should reserve at times the final decision to themselves. And if they find themselves forced to disapprove of the way their children are using some aspect of the media, they must clearly explain the reasons for their objections. Persuasion works better than prohibition and this is especially true in education. Adults should realize that the psychology of children differs from that of adults. Because of this, programmes that seem meaningless to them may be useful to children and even to teenagers.

Young people can, without doubt, influence one another for the better when it comes to culture. Their very years serve as a passport to the new forms it takes and gives them an entrance to their own circle. There is ample evidence to prove how effective they can be.

68. It is useful for educators to take note of some of the broadcasts, films and publications that most interest the young in their care. They can then discuss them together and this helps to develop the child's critical powers. As for the more difficult or even controversial artistic productions, here the parent should, at the right moment, help his young to discover the human values in the production and to interpret its details within the context of the work as a whole.

69. This sort of training must be given a regular place in school curricula. It must be given, and systematically, at every stage of education. In this way, young people can be helped gradually to develop a new perception in their interpretation of what is offered them by the press, the other media and the literary publishing houses. All this should be taught in study courses planned to include special sessions where the teacher can call on the help of professional communicators for lectures and for practical exercises.

70. It is obvious that parents and other educators cannot meet these obligations unless they themselves are reasonably well grounded in an understanding of the media. Here it must be remembered that parents who have not grown up to be at home with the media often find it harder to comprehend the language used than do the young people of today. Often parents are disturbed by the frankness with which the media treat every question and these include the problems that face both the civil government and the Church. Naturally they wish their children to use the media in a proper manner. Nevertheless, let them trust the young because these have been born and have grown up in a different kind of society. Because of this, they are better forewarned and better forearmed to meet the pressures that come from every side.

71. Many are the communicators who handle well the tools of their profession, but lack a deep understanding of the art of communicating with all it implies. It is obvious that the communicators in the media who wish to excel, need a serious and specialized training in every aspect of their work. The growing trend to found faculties of social communication in institutions of higher learning, and these with authority to confer degrees, is a welcome development. For if communicators are to meet their professional obligations, they must have sound knowledge as well as experience.

72. In the training of a communicator human qualities as well as professional competence should be developed. Since the media of social comunication are for mankind, communicators should be consumed by the desire to serve men. They can only achieve this if they really do know and love their fellow man. The more communicators remember that beyond the lifeless instruments which pass on their words and images are countless men and women alive, the more satisfaction they will get from their work and the better they will help others. The more they get to know their audience, the more they understand it and appreciate it, the more they will suit what they communicate to those who receive it. If they do this, they help to make the process of communication a communion of the spirit.
2. OPPORTUNITIES AND OBLIGATIONS a) Of Communicators
73. Communicators breathe life into the dialogue that happens within the family of man. It is they who preside while the exchange proceeds around the vast "round table" that the media have made. Their vocation is nobly to promote the purpose of social communication. This purpose is to accelerate every sort of human progress and to increase cooperation among men until there exists a genuine communion among them.

74. When they come to choose the subjects for their productions, communicators will attempt to match all the needs of their public. They will be scrupulous in seeing that every relevant group is fairly represented. To do this, they have to try to foresee the kind of audience they serve. There should, accordingly, be close cooperation between communicators and recipients. Only in this way can these social communications set up a working and workable dialogue between free and adequately prepared people. And this dialogue must not ignore the age, culture and social background of the participants. The media of social communication are the right instruments for the propagation of this sort of interchange between men.

75. Pope Paul said of communicators that they are obliged to pay continual attention to and to carry on an uninterrupted observation of the external world: "You must continually stand at the window, open to the world; you are obliged to study the facts, the events, the opinions, the current interests, the thought of the surrounding environment". Because factual information provides a public service, not only must news reporting keep to the facts, and bear down upon the most important of these but the meaning of what it reports should be brought out by explanation. The real bearing of one item of news upon another should be pointed out especially when different items reach the recipient without evidence of any discernible pattern. In this way the recipient will be able to use this information as a basis for his judgement and decision in matters affecting the community.

76. Communicators should not allow themselves to forget that the nature of the mass media makes their audience a vast one. While they must keep faith with their artistic integrity, they will remember at the same time both their power and the grave responsibilities that it brings with it. For they have been given a rare chance to promote the happiness and progress of men. In their productions justice and integrity of judgement will impel artists to be concerned both with the needs of minorities as well as of larger and more numerous groups.And if some of the means of social communication, whether by law or local practice, in fact enjoy a monopoly, then a scrupulous impartiality must be sought since, in such a situation, the danger is that monologue may replace dialogue.

77. Communicators who debase their skills and their work for money or for easy popularity and passing acclaim are not only failing their public. In the end, they are demeaning their profession.

78. Critics have a commanding role in getting communicators to maintain the highest standards of integrity and service and continually to make progress. As they themselves are also communicators, they provide the self-criticism within the profession and in this way they are able to protect creative artists from external pressures. They must be convinced that integrity and incorruptibility are the essence of their profession. They will be inspired by fidelity to truth and a passion for justice. In a cool and objective way, they should try to display both the strength and the weakness of the work under review so that the public can make its own fair judgement. The importance of their own creative art should not be underrated, especially when through their wide knowledge and their penetrating judgement they are able to discover in works of art meaning and riches that may have escaped even the artists themselves. Yet they should not attract all attention to themselves at the expense of the work under study.

79. The founding of professional associations for communicators is most valuable. They are very useful as places where opinions and experiences can be exchanged. They form a basis for organized cooperation. They help in coping with the sort of difficulties that are inherent in the communicator's task. These associations can draw up codes of ethics on a basis of principle and experience. Through the guidance they offer, these codes can help in producing work that meets the needs of social communication. Fundamentally, the codes of these associations ought to be positive. They should not be wholly preoccupied with forbidding; rather they should concentrate on how to improve what can be done for the communicators' fellow men.

80. In order to survive and to expand, the means of social communication require reliable financial backing. It therefore happens that communicators must at times, either directly or indirectly, seek funds from public or private sources. The men who provide these funds can powerfully influence the quality of the product. But they must be discerning in choosing which enterprises to support and desire the good of mankind rather than financial advantage. As long as they bear in mind that the means of social communication are more than commercial enterprises, are, in fact, at one and the same time, cultural and social services, these investors will not exercise any undue pressure that might distort the proper liberty of the communicators, the artists or what we have called the recipients.

81. The recipients can do more to improve the quality of the media than is generally realized; so their responsibility to do this is all the greater. Whether or not the media can set up an authentic dialogue with society depends very largely upon these recipients. If they do not insist on expressing their views, if they are content with a merely passive role, all the efforts of the communicators to establish an uninhibited dialogue will be useless.

82. Recipients can be described as active when they know how to interpret communications accurately and can judge them in the light of their origin, background and total content. They will be active when they make their selection judiciously and critically, when they fill out incomplete information that comes their way with more news which they themselves have obtained from other sources, and finally, when they are ready to make their views heard in public, whether they agree, or partly agree or totally disagree.

83. There is the obvious objection that there is little a man can do alone at the receiving end. This is necessarily pessimistic. Recipients can find strength in unity. There exists no reason why they should not work closely together. They can band themselves into associations, just as communicators have been advised to do. Their organizations need not be set up with the single end of giving expression to what the man in the street feels about the products of the media. They could just as well avail themselves of organizations that already exist and which have a wider scope but compatible aims.

a) Citizens and the Civil Authorities

84. The media are there for the good of everyone and to serve everyone. So, at once, they concern both citizens and public authorities These authorities have the essential duty of maintaining freedom of speech and of seeing that the right conditions exist for it Every individual must have the chance of following his informed judgement. Human dignity must be fully respected. The good of the country and the interests of international cooperation must both be given due consideration.

85. The well-being of society requires absolutely that individuals and groups be free to exercise initiative. It also requires that citizens exercise responsibility and self-control both as communicators and as recipients. With this end in view, voluntary associations may not only be desirable, they may even be essential.

87. Therefore it is right that, in the light of these principles, freedom of communication and the right to be informed be established in law and guarded from excessive economic, political and ideological pressures that might weaken them. There should be legislation to guarantee to citizens the right to criticise the actual working of the communications media. This is particularly desirable where the media are conducted as a monopoly. This is all the more necessary if the monopoly is exercised by the civil authorities themselves.It is undoubtedly the task of the lawmakers to legislate about the media. In fact the media must have the support of law so that they can survive, and survive in a sufficient variety and independence in the face of the encroachment of economic interests that make for harmful concentration. Again, the good name of the private citizen and of minority groups needs the protection of the law. Cultural and human values require protection. Religious liberty in the use of the media should be guaranteed.

88. It is highly recommended that professionals in the media or their institutions set up councils on their own account. These will have their own statutes and will be concerned with all aspects of social communication. Representatives of the different sections of the populations should be invited to sit on these councils. This, it is hoped, will eliminate the wrong sort of interference from state or economic interests. It will strengthen cooperation and fellow feeling between communicators and that will be to the benefit of the whole community. In some cases, however, the state may have to intervene in order to set up these advisory boards to supervise the media. In these cases, the boards should be, by law, representative of all shades of opinion within the community.

89. As far as possible, the law should protect the young from what can do them permanent psychological or moral harm. It is the task of legislation in this field to give the necessary support to the family and the school in the task of educating the young.

90. Legislation should be encouraged to provide financial support to initiatives in the use of communications that clearly serve the general good. These would include organizations that provide information, specialist educational publications, films and broadcasts, particularly when these are made for children. This support is more desirable when the initiatives have little hope of financial success. This encouragement also applies to feature films of high artistic quality and to publications and performances which are destined for a restricted public and which are therefore unlikely to pay their way.

91. The responsibility of civil authorities over the means of social communication now covers the world, for they have to guarantee the development of social communication for the good of all mankind, and this without selection or discrimination. This development can be secured by the use of international agreements including those that touch on the use of space satellites. In this way, all nations will be guaranteed a fair place within the dialogue and interplay of mankind.

92. Those forms of aid which emerging nations need to develop their own means of social communication are of great importance among the many forms of international effort which the media demand. The lack of proper means of social communication is, in fact, a sign of slow development in a community, as well as being one of the causes of it. Without the use of modern techniques of social communication no country can provide its citizens with necessary information or proper education. This inability endangers political, social and economic progress.

94. It goes without saying that the aid given to developing countries can never be at the expense of their own cherished traditions, of their culture and art forms, for these are rich in human significance. Cultural cooperation is not the giving of alms. It is an exchange that is mutually advantageous.

95. In developing countries, particularly in those where illiteracy hinders progress, audiovisual means are very effective in spreading knowledge. These means can help to improve agriculture, industry, commerce, hygiene and public health. They can serve to develop the individual's personality, to strengthen family life, social relations and civic responsibility. It is virtually impossible to do such works at a profit. It is therefore necessary to appeal to the generosity of private citizens and of private organizations in the richer countries as well as to the support of international bodies.

c) All Christians, all believers and all Men of Good Will

98. When their faith gives them real inspiration, people of different religions can render notable service to social communications. This will do more than further human progress both social and cultural. It can under Divine Providence institute a universal dialogue on the highest level that can lead man to cherish and foster in his daily life his common brotherhood under the One Eternal God, the Father of All.

99. There is almost no end to the opportunities for such collaboration. Some are obvious: joint programmes on radio and television; educational projects and services especially for parents and young people; meetings and discussions between professionals that may be on an international level; recognition of achievement in these fields by annual awards; cooperation in research in the media, especially in professional training and education. All these can help towards the fair and equal advancement of all peoples.

100. To make practical the possibilities that are inherent in the media there should be a joint programme of action. Resources will have to be made available for this. As a practical step the Vatican Council suggested the establishment of World Communications Day. Every man who believes in God is invited to spend one particular day every year to pray and think about the future and the problems of the media. They are also invited to friendly meetings with the different sorts of professionals. In this way it should be possible to explore what projects can be started and what initiatives encouraged whereby the media can be used to further the progress of mankind. The people of God (both pastors and laymen) commits itself, in the fulfilment of these duties, to give support to the initiatives of men of good will everywhere so that the means of social communication may be used for justice, peace, freedom and human progress.

THE COMMITMENT OF CATHOLICS IN THE MEDIA

101. Catholics have been asked by the Second Vatican Council to consider still more carefully and in the light of the Faith what new work and responsibility the modern means of social communication place upon them. In the first part of this Instruction, we have suggested how the history of salvation implied a vital role for social communications in God's creative and redeeming work among men. In interpreting her responsibilities in this, the Church tries to give a coherent vision that will embrace both the faith and the practical working of social communication. It is in this light that she will fulfill her divine mission, which is the object of all her pastoral activity and which has the dual aspects of helping men and of announcing the Good News. The aspect of human progress by the media has been generally discussed in the second part of this document. The specifically Christian and Catholic contribution to human advancement will be dealt with briefly in the following chapter of this third part which is concerned with the role of the media in the life of Catholics.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF CATHOLICS TO SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
102. If Catholics are to be of service to the means of social communication and to act so that these may serve humanity's ends, it goes without saying that it is in the spiritual sphere that the Church can best help. The Church hopes that, as a result of her spiritual contribution, the basic nature of social communication will be more clearly appreciated. The Church hopes, too, that the dignity of the human person, both communicator and recipient, will be better understood and respected. In this way this social interplay that makes neighbours of men can lead to true communion.

103. Therefore the active cooperation of Christians who are professionally competent in this field is a major service to social communication. The excellence which they bring to their professional duty is itself a powerful testimony to Christianity. Moreover, as members of companies or organizations without religious affiliations, they will bring to the fore a Christian point of view on all questions that exercise men in society. They can help news editors and newscasters not to overlook news items about religious life which will interest their audience. They can give the religious dimension to human life. It goes without saying that they are not at this work in order to dominate the media with their viewpoint. Rather they aim to give a service which will earn the sympathy of their colleagues simply by its quality.

104. It is a source of strength for Catholic commumicators that they receive from the Church spiritual help to meet the needs of their important and difficult role.

105. Fully aware of the importance of their profession and of the special difficulties it involves, the Church is very willing to undertake a dialogue with all communicators of every religious persuasion. She would do this so that she may contribute to a common effort to solve the problems inherent in their task and do what is best for the benefit of man.

106. As representatives of the Church, bishops, priests, religious and laity are increasingly asked to write in the press or appear on radio and television or to collaborate in filming. They are warmly urged to undertake this work, which has consequences that are far more important than is usually imagined. But the complexity of the media requires a sound knowledge of their work, of their impact and of the best way to use them. It is therefore the task of the national centres and of the specialized organizations to make certain that those who have to use the media receive sufficient and timely training.

107. The Church considers it to be one of her most urgent tasks to provide the means for training recipients in Christian principles. This also is a service to social communication. The well-trained recipient will be able to take part in the dialogue promoted by the media and will demand high quality in communications. Catholic schools and organizations cannot ignore the urgent duty they have in this field. These schools and institutions will take care to teach young people not only to be good Christians when they are recipients but also to be active in using all the aids to communication that lie within the media, now called the "total language". So, young people will be true citizens of that age of social communication which has already begun.

108. The whole question of social communications deserves attention from theologians particularly in the areas of moral and pastoral theology. Religious education too, ought to include instruction on the modern media and their principal implications. This will be more readily achieved when theologians have studied the suggestions in the First Part of this Instruction and enriched them with their research and insight.

109. Parents, educators, priests and Christian organizations should encourage young people with the right qualities to take up a career in social communication. To do this and to provide properly trained candidates, funds are necessary. In developing areas, the national hierarchies should get financial help for the training of local candidates both in theory and practice.

110. Bishops, priests, religious and laity, all in their own ways, have a clear duty to contribute to Christian education in this field. They must make this contribution with the social teaching of the Church in mind. They will of their own accord keep in touch with the latest developments in communications so as to be well informed themselves. Otherwise they will lack that familiarity with the media which their actual use requires. Working with professional communicators, they will be wise to go more deeply into the problems presented by communicating through the media and to exchange their experiences and ideas.

112. Reviews of radio and television broadcasts, of films and illustrated magazines can be of help in cultural and religious education. They will also help those who wish to make a wise choice of what the media have to offer, particularly for the family. In this connection, particular attention should be paid to reviews that have real competence. These include assessment of the worth, the morality and the Christian value of films, broadcasts and writings issued under the pastoral care of bishops in different regions by specially appointed boards.

113. Catholic universities and educational institutions should be more assiduous in the promotion of scientific studies and research on social communications. They will try to collate all the findings of research, themselves play a part in this research, and make all of it available to the service of Christian education. While they will need financial help from others for these projects, they too will readily cooperate with other institutions.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TO CATHOLICS

114. The Church looks for ways of multiplying and strengthening the bonds of union between her members. For this reason, communication and dialogue among Catholics are indispensable. The Church lives her life in the midst of the whole community of man. She must therefore maintain contacts and lines of communication in order to keep a relationship with the whole human race. This is done both by giving information and by listening carefully to public opinion inside and outside the Church. Finally, by holding a continuous discussion with the contemporary world, she tries to help in solving the problems that men face at the present time.

a) Dialogue within the Church

116. Catholics should be fully aware of the real freedom to speak their minds which stems from a "feeling for the faith" and from love. It stems from that feeling for the faith which is aroused and nourished by the spirit of truth in order that, under the guidance of the teaching Church which they accept with reverence, the People of God may cling unswervingly to the faith given to the early Church, with true judgement penetrate its meaning more deeply, and apply it more fully in their lives. This freedom also stems from love. For it is with love that the liberty of the People of God are raised to an intimate sharing in the freedom of Christ Himself, who cleansed us from our sins, in order that we might be able freely to make judgements in accordance with the will of God. Those who exercise authority in the Church will take care to ensure that there is responsible exchange of freely held and expressed opinion among the People of God. More that this, they will set up norms and conditions for this to take place.

117. There is an enormous area where members of the Church can express their views on domestic issues. It must be taken that the truths of the faith express the essence of the Church and therefore do not leave room for arbitrary interpretations. Nonetheless, the Church moves with the movement of man. She therefore has to adapt herself to the special circumstances that arise out of time and place. She has to consider how the truths of the faith may be explained in different times and cultures. She has to reach a multitude of decisions while adjusting her actions to the changes around her. While the individual Catholic follows the Magisterium, he can and should engage in free research so that he may better understand revealed truths or explain them to a society subject to incessant change.

118. For this reason, distinction must be born in mind between, on the one hand, the area that is devoted to scientific investigation and and on the other the area that concerns the teaching of the faithful. In the first, experts enjoy the freedom required by their work and are free to comunicate to others in books and commentaries the fruits of their research. In the second, only those doctrines may be attributed to the Church which are declared to be such by her authentic Magisterium. These last, obviously, can be aired in public without fear of giving scandal. It sometimes happens, however, because of the very nature of social communication that new opinions circulating among theologians, at times, circulate too soon and in the wrong places. Such opinions, which must not be confused with the authentic doctrine of the Church, should be examined critically. It must also be remembered that the real significance of such theories is often badly distorted by popularization and by the style of presentation used in the media..

119. Since the development of public opinion within the Church is essential, individual Catholics have the right to all the information they need to play their active role in the life of the Church. In practice this means that communications media must be available for the task. These should not only exist in sufficient number but also reach all the People of God. Where necessary, they may even be owned by the Church as long as they truly fulfil their purpose.

120. The normal flow of life and the smooth functioning of government within the Church require a steady two-way flow of information between the ecclesiastical authorities at all levels and the faithful as individuals and as organized groups. This applies to the whole world. To make this possible various institutions are required. These might include news agencies, official spokesmen, meeting facilities, pastoral councils, all properly financed.

121. On those occasions when the affairs of the Church require secrecy, the rules normal in civil affairs equally apply. On the other hand, the spiritual riches which are an essential attribute of the Church demand that the news she gives out of her intentions as well as of her works be distinguished by integrity, truth and openness. When ecclesiastical authorities are unwilling to give information or are unable to do so, then rumour is unloosed and rumour is not a bearer of the truth but carries dangerous half-truths. Secrecy should therefore be restricted to matters that involve the good name of individuals or that touch upon the rights of people whether singly or collectively.

b) Dialogue between the Church and the World

123. It is the mission of those with responsible positions in the Church to announce without fail or pause the full truth by the means of social communication, so as to give a true picture of the Church and her life. Since the media are often the only channels of information that exist between the Church and the world, a failure to use them amounts to "burying the talent given by God". The Church naturally expects of the news agencies that they give religious news, with all the care and attention that the subject demands. On her part, the Church is consequently bound in duty to give complete and ertirely accurate information to the news agencies so that they, in their turn, can carry out their task.

125. The means of social communication help Catholics in three ways. They help the Church reveal herself to the modern world. They foster dialogue within the Church. They make clear to the Church contemporary opinions and attitudes. For the Church has been ordered by God to give men the message of salvation in a language they can understand and to concern herself with the concerns of man.

2. THE USE OF THE MEDIA FOR GIVING THE GOOD NEWS

126. Christ commanded the Apostles and their successors to "teach all nations" , to be "the light of the world" and to announce the Good News in all places at all times. During His life on earth, Christ showed himself to be the perfect Communicator, while the Apostles used what means of social communication were available in their time. It is now necessary that the same message be carried by the means of social communication that are available today. Indeed it would be difficult to suggest that Christ's command was being obeyed unless all the opportunities offered by the modern media to extend to vast numbers of people the announcement of his Good News were being used. Therefore the Second Vatican Council invited the people of God "to use effectively and at once the means of social communication, zealously availing themselves of them for apostolic purposes".

127. The necessity for doing this is quite obvious once it is realized that modern men are immersed in the tide of social communication when they are forming their profound convictions and adopting their attitudes. This is as true of religious convictions and attitudes as it is of any other sort.

128. The modern media offer new ways of confronting people with the message of the Gospel, of allowing Christians even when they are far away to share in sacred rites, worship and ecclesiastical functions. In this way they can bind the Christian community closer together and invite everyone to participate in the intimate life of the Church. Of course the mode of presentation has to suit the special nature of the medium being used. The media are not the same as a church pulpit. It cannot be overstressed that the standard of such presentations must at least equal in quality the other productions of the media.

129. The media are invaluable helps for Christian education. They can call on the services of the greatest specialists in religious teaching as well as of experts on all the questions that arise. The media have at their command all the technical facilities required for attractive and contemporary presentation. They can back up most effectively the personal work of the daily teacher. Their resources make possible the radical changes that are required in the whole style of religious instruction today.

Since the instruments of social communication are the usual channels for giving the news and voicing contemporary man's attitudes and views, they offer marvellous opportunities to all for considering the deeper implications of their religious convictions through the discussion of events and problems of the day. The Christian can then apply these deepened convictions to his daily life.

130. People today have grown so used to the entertaining style and skilful presentation of communications by the media that they are intolerant of what is obviously inferior in any public presentation. It makes no difference if this be a religious occasion, such as, for example, a liturgical ceremony, a sermon or religious instruction.

131. In order to make the teaching of Christianity more interesting and effective the media should be used as much as possible. Every effort should be made to use the most appropriate technique and style in fitting a communication to its medium.

132. The Church can use means of communication that are not under her control but which, under agreed conditions, are offered for her use. Where it is necessary, she may also herself own and administer means of communication. No hard and fast rules can here be laid down; the situation varies from place to place. Religious authorities will advise those who are involved in this apostolate what to do within the differing conditions of different countries. They should give this advice when they have consulted the local experts and, if it should be necessary, after seeking international advice.

134. In view of the mounting importance of the means of social communication - to the life of mankind in general and of the Church in particular - the media should receive a great deal more emphasis than they presently get in the overall plans for pastoral action made by episcopal conferences. These plans should make the necessary funds available for use in the areas under their jurisdiction. Funds should also be made available for international cooperation.
CHAPTER III
THE ACTIVE COMMITMENT OF CATHOLICS IN THE DIFFERENT MEDIA

136. The Press, of its power and nature, is of towering importance. Because of its adaptability, because of its variety and of the number of its publications, it can go into detail when reporting the news. It can also comment on the news and, without boring the reader, interpret it in a way that makes him think for himself. It is a most useful complement to the audio-visual means of communication. It is a most effective means of stimulating men's critical faculties and of helping them form their own opinions. Since it is able to deal with such a variety of material and since it can so admirably encourage men to think, it has prime place in the promotion of social dialogue.

Moreover, today all the classics of religious literature are available to everybody in the form of paperbacks, booklets and every sort of leaflet. So also are the accepted masterpieces of every nation, scientific works and every sort of light reading that can provide pleasant relaxation. "Comics" and illustrated stories are not to be despised. They can for instance be used to illustrate the Sacred Scriptures and the lives of the saints. All these productions of the printing press deserve our interest and support.

137. The Catholic press - and this includes reviews, magazines and periodicals - can be marvellously effective in bringing a knowledge of the Church to the world and a knowledge of the world to the Church. It does this by imparting information and by stimulating those processes by which public opinion is formed. There is, however, no advantage in founding new publications if quantity is achieved at the cost of quality and if the new injure the old.

138. That part of the Catholic press which is of general interest publishes news and opinions and background articles about all the facets and problems and worries of modern life. This it does in the light of Christian principles. It is the task of the Catholic press to balance, to complete and, if necessary, to correct the news and comments about religion and the Christian life. At one and the same time it will be a glass that reflects the world and a light to show it the way. It will be a forum, a meeting place for the exchange of views. This press needs talented men and funds if its professional competence is to be above dispute.

139. The Catholic press must be able to acquire suitable offices and the proper facilities for obtaining news reports and features. Otherwise, a Catholic-run press cannot effectively promote dialogue inside the Church and between the Church and the outside world. It must also achieve professional standards in printing up-to-date, accurate and comprehensive news about the life of the Church. In the collecting, collating and passing on of the news throughout the world there is need for cooperation at the international level.

140. Catholics are encouraged to read Catholic publications regularly. Naturally these must deserve the name of being Catholic. It is hard to see how people can keep in touch with what is happening in the Church without the Catholic press. Neither can people keep a Catholic attitude towards what happens in the world without the help of commentaries on the news written in the light of Christian principles. This is certainly not intended as an interference in the individual's right to read what he chooses. Still less is it intended as an interference with the freedom of expression of writers with different convictions nor is it intended to discourage diversity, ordinarily taken for granted in a particular area. It is self-evident that Catholic writers must earn their popularity and following by the high standard of their work.

142. The Cinema is part of contemparary life. It exerts a strong influence on education, knowledge, culture and leisure. The artist finds in film a very effective means for expressing his interpretation of life and one that well suits his times. The improvement of techniques that increase audience participation and the general availability at low cost of filming and projecting equipment, presage an even wider use of films in the future. Because of all this, it is possible to derive a deeper appreciation and a richer cultural dividend from the film and filming.

143. These developments should be carefully studied in pastoral planning, for there are many openings for a greater use of this medium in pastoral action. There has been a growth of international cooperation in this field. And it is easier now to produce films that are completely adapted to various needs and circumstances and to project these, not only in large cinemas, but also in small halls and even in homes.

144. Many films have compellingly treated subjects that concern human progress or spiritual values. Such works deserve everyone's praise and support. The Catholic organizations specializing in films should be among the first to support them. They should also promote these films in an organized manner. In this connection, it will be recalled that among films which have been widely accepted as classics, many have dealt with specifically religious themes. This not only proves that the cinema is a proper vehicle for such noble themes, but it is a strong encouragement to produce films of this kind.

145. Catholic organizations for the cinema will collaborate with their counterparts in the other media in endeavours to plan, produce, distribute and exhibit films imbued with religious principles. With discrimination they should also use for religious teaching all the new developments in this field which make inexpensive productions possible. These include gramophone records, audio and video tape recorders, videocassettes and all the machines that record and playback either sound or static or moving images.

146. In regions where there is illiteracy films can make a very effective contribution to the provision of basic education. The illiterate are profoundly affected by images and can readily grasp the facts and ideas presented through them. The media should be used effectively in the effort to promote human and religious progress. But, of course, the films chosen for use must be suited to the cultural traditions of the local population.

147. Since professional film-makers have to face many difficulties in the course of their creative work, all Catholics, but especially Catholic film organizations, should be ready and anxious to engage in dialogue with them. Based, as they will be, on a shared belief in the good that the cinema can do for man, these contacts will bear witness to the nobility of the vocation of those involved in film production.

148. Radio and television have given society new patterns of communication. They have changed ways of life. Broadcasting stretches out, further and further, towards every corner of the earth. Instantaneous transmissions break through political and cultural barriers. What they have to say reaches men in their own homes. Broadcasters have access to the minds and hearts of everyone. Rapid technological advances, especially those that involve satellite transmissions and the recording and storage of programmes, have done still more to free the media from the restrictions of time and space and these promise still more effectiveness and influence. For the listener and viewer, radio and television open up the whole world of events, of culture and of entertainment. Television, especially, brings individuals and events before the general public, as though the viewers were actually present. And besides the established forms of artistic expression, broadcasters have created art forms of their own which can affect man in new ways.

149. The religious aspects of human life will find a place in daily broadcasting, both on radio and television.

150. Religious programmes that utilize all the resources of radio and television enrich people's religious life and create new bonds between the faithful. They help in religious education and in the Church's active commitment in the world. They are bonds of union for those who cannot share physically in the life of the Church because of their sickness or old age. In addition they create new relationships between the faithful and those people - and today they are legion - who have no affiliation with any Church and yet subconsciouly seek spiritual nourishment. They carry the message of the Gospel to countries where the Church is not. The Church cannot afford to ignore such opportunities. On the contrary, she will make the fullest use of any fresh opportunities that the improvement of those instruments may disclose.

151. The transmission of the Mass and of other sacred rites is to be included in religious broadcasting. Both in their technical and in their religious aspects, such transmissions must be carefully prepared in advance. The vastness of the audience must be considered and, if transmissions cross national frontiers, so too must the religious sensitivities and conditions of other nations. How often such programmes are transmitted and how long they should last must be decided upon in the light of the popular demand.

152. Sermons and homilies must be adapted to the nature of the medium that is used. Those who are given the task of preaching in this way, should, therefore, be carefully chosen from among those who have a sound practical knowledge of the technique of broadcasting.

153. Religious broadcasts, such as newscasts, commentaries, reports and discussions, can contribute a great deal towards education and dialogue. What has already been said about the Catholic commitment in the Press, applies here too. And here, also, the general rules for giving a fair hearing to different points of view are equally valid, especially when the medium in question enjoys, in practice, a monopoly in a given region.

154. Well known Catholics who go on the air, whether they are clerical or lay, are automatically regarded as spokesmen of the Church. They must keep this in mind and try to avoid any confusion arising therefrom. Even so they will be conscious of their responsibility when they express their views, when they decide on the style of their broadcast and, indeed, on their whole manner of behaviour. If they can do so in time, they will consult with competent ecclesiastical authorities for whatever counsel and advice they feel they need.

155. Listeners and viewers will contribute to the betterment of religious programmes by making their reactions known.

156. If the active presence of the Church in general in religious programmes is to be ensured, then a close collaboration based on mutual trust must be established between the responsible Catholic authorities and the broadcasting companies.

157. In those countries where the Church is forbidden the use of the media of social communication, listening to foreign religious broadcasts may be the only way the faithful can learn about the life of the Universal Church and hear the Word of God. In the name of Christian solidarity, such a situation puts a grave obligation upon the Catholics of other countries. It is necessary to organize religious broadcasts that are specially suited to the needs of fellow Christians who suffer this sort of deprivation.

158. The theatre is one of the most ancient and lively forms of human expression and communication. Still, today, it commands a large audience, not only of those who go to plays, but also of those who follow drama on radio and television. Moreover, many plays have been adapted for films.

159. The partnership of the theatre with the mass media of communication has brought about forms of dramatic expression that, aptly, have been called "multi-media", adding something of their own to the traditional theatre. These, using their different resources, have created a kind of synthesis of the potentials of each of the media of communication.

160. Finally and most significantly, the contemporary theatre is, without doubt, an experimental workshop for the expression of new, daring and challenging ideas about modern man and his predicament. The impact of all this goes far beyond the audience attending a particular play, which may be quite small. Ultimately it extends to all the media of communication.

161. The Church has always shown considerable interest in the theatre which, in its origins, was closely connected with manifestations of religion. This ancient interest in the theatre should be maintained by Christians today and full use be made of its possibilities. Playwrights should be encouraged and helped to set man's religious preoccupation on the platform of the public stage. This is often the first step in a much wider diffusion made possible by the communications media.
EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
162. The place of the instruments of social communication in human destiny, the opportunities and the problems that they set before the Christian conscience: all this makes it essential that a way be found for a pastoral approach to this field. Trained and experienced men must be found for this work. The proper pastoral structures, with all the necessary funding, rights and resources should also be set up. Finally, special organizations should be devoted to the apostolate of each of the media.

163. This modern mission of the Church will mean a great deal to the faithful. They will offer their prayers and support so that she will be adequately equipped to fulfill it. The latest media of social communication are indispensable means for evangelization, and enlightening the minds and heart of men. They also contribute towards cooperation in furthering human progress by a Christian leavening of the social order.

164. The official Catholic organizations and enterprises that work in social communications with a pastoral end in view, should be able to call upon trained personnel. The training of laymen, priests and religious is to be given a high priority by those responsible for this work in the Church.

165. A careful appraisal of the entire range of the communications media, a prudent and well-informed planning for pastoral work and in every apostolic enterprise, all this is the rightful province of the ecclesiastical authorities. They, in their turn, should depend upon the advice of experienced experts in the different branches of communication. According to the ground rules laid down in Inter Mirifica this duty devolves upon every Bishops in every diocese, upon a special commission of Bishops or a Bishop-Delegate in each country and, for the Universal Church, upon the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications.

168. The local hierarchies will take a keen interest in the apostolate of social communications. They will seek the advice of their priests and laity. Wherever possible, diocesan, or at least, interdiocesan offices will be set up. One of the chief tasks of these is to organize this pastoral apostolate within the diocese, penetrating right down to parish level. Another task is to prepare for the celebration of World Communications Day mentioned above within the diocese.

170. It is the mission of the national and diocesan offices to stimulate, promote and harmonize Catholic activities in the field of social communications. They will take particular pains about the training of the faithful, clerical and lay, by means of organized courses, conferences, study sessions and critical assessments prepared by their experts. So, the public will be enabled to make wise decisions. The Offices will also be ready to give advice to producers engaged on films, performance or broadcasts that concern religious subjects.

172. The national espiscopal commission for social communications or the delegated bishop are in charge of the direction of all the activities of the national offices. They are to lay down general guidelines for the development of the apostolate of social communications on the national level. They will keep in touch with the other national episcopal commissions and collaborate with the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications. The status of this Commission is described in the Conciliar Decree, Inter Mirifica and in the Apostolic Letter, In Fructibus multis.

173. On continents or in regions where an episcopal conference exists that embraces several countries, this episcopal conference will have an office for social communications under the overall direction of a bishop or a number of bishops.

174. Every bishop, all episcopal conferences or bishops' assemblies and the Holy See itself should each have their own official and permanent spokesman or press officer to issue the news and give clear explanations of the documents of the Church so that people can grasp precisely what is intended. These spokesmen will give, in full and without delay, information on the life and work of the Church in that area for which they are responsible. It is highly recommended that individual dioceses and the more weighty Catholic organizations also have their own permanent spokesmen with the sort of duties explained above. All these officials and, indeed, all those who are identified with the Church in the mind of the public, should take into account the principles of public relations. They should consider the sort of audience they are, at various times, addressing and establish a relationship that is based on mutual trust and understanding. This can only be maintained as long as people have a genuine regard and consideration for one another and a scrupulous respect for the truth.

176. To make sure of an effective dialogue, both within the Church and with the outside world, on the subject of recent events and their religious significance, official news bulletins are indispensable. These will publicize relevant news items as quickly as possible. The public, in this way, will get their information in good time. Needless to say, all the necessary means are to be used to make these bulletins absolutely accurate and so avoid the necessity for subsequent corrections. News flashes, telex, all the latest techniques will be used to convey precise meanings in the most dependable way.

177. Religious orders and congregations will give thought to the many pressing tasks of the Church in the field of social communications and consider what they themselves can do to fulfill them under their constitutions. Their own specialized institutions for social communications will collaborate with one another and they will keep abreast of the overall pastoral planning of the diocesan offices, and of the national, continental or regional offices since these are, usually, the competent bodies for the aspostolate of social communications.

178. The national offices and the corresponding central offices of the religious congregations will cooperate with the international organizations for the press, (U.C.I.P.), for motion pictures, (O.C.I.C.), and for radio and television, (UNDA). This will be done in accord with the statutes of these international organizations as approved by the Holy See.

179. These international Catholic organizations for social communications - each in its own sphere and in a way that fits its statutes - will help professionals and the national professional bodies of Catholics who have given themselves to these tasks. The way to do this is to keep abreast of research and development in the media. They will foster mutual aid and international cooperation. They will keep themselves informed on Catholic activity in the field. They will prepare the coordination of international programmes and projects. They will continually seek advice on the best ways to help developing countries. They will encourage fresh initiatives. They will produce and distribute films and recorded broadcasts and every sort of audiovisual material, including the printed word. They will do all this for the advancement of social progress and for the betterment of Catholic life. These international Catholic organizations are exhorted to undertake and to coordinate research for the solution of their common problems.

180. The episcopal conferences, through their specialized offices, and the Catholic professional associations, will assure for the international catholic organization the funds necessary for doing this work.

181. The question is posed whether we are on the threshold of an utterly new sort of era in social communications or whether we face merely a change in degree and not in kind. There is no easy answer to this question and it continually increases in complexity. What is certain is that soon, due to the latest technical developments, especially those that concern communication satellites, sounds, images and the messages that they bear will soon be reaching men, simultaneously, all over the world. It will be possible to record these and play them back at will - either for entertainment or instruction. So it will be possible for all peoples to learn more of each other as a result of this real dialogue. They can then work together for the unity of mankind and the establishment of peace.

182. Suddenly and in proportion with these changes, the responsibilities of the People of God will enormously increase. Never before will they have been offered such opportunities. It will be possible to ensure that the media promote the advance of the whole human race and the development of those countries in what is called the " third world". It will be possible to strengthen the brotherhood of man. And then the Good News can be given everywhere, bearing witness to Christ, the Saviour.

183. This Pastoral Instruction lays down some guidelines chosen after considering the general situation that prevails in social communications. As things stand at present, it would not be reasonable to try be more precise and detailed. The Christian outlook is based on certain immutable principles that are founded on that message of love which is the Gospel's Good News and upon the dignity of man who has been called to be an adopted son of God. It is obvious that directions and practical applications, as well as pastoral guidelines, will have to be adapted to the different conditions that obtain in different places - depending on their degree of technical progress and their social situation. They will change too with the changing conditions of the media and of their inherent laws, and the future is certain to bring changes in this area of social communications. In so fluid a situation, it is clear that those who are responsible for pastoral planning must stay flexible and be always willing to try to keep pace with new discoveries in this field.

184. Even today there is a great deal that must still be learnt about the present media and how the fullest use can be made of them, in education particularly and indeed at every level. There is room for study, in much greater depth, of the effects of social communications on different cultural environments and on different types of people.In order to be able to understand the functioning of the media of social communication within the family of man, and to comprehend both their potential and present performance, to reach a better assessment of their varying psychological and cultural effects, it is necessary to concentrate on a rigorous programme of scientific research. Indeed, a much greater effort than that now being made is required of all the concerned parties in furthering this research.

Universities, whether of new or ancient foundation, have an open field before them. The problems they face are not only urgent, they are also fully consonant with the dignity of the traditional disciplines. For her part, the Church wishes to let researchers know how eager she is to learn from their work in all these areas and to follow out its practical conclusions. Thus she herself may the better serve the process of social communication and use its means to the best advantage of all men.

185. In this connection, it appears necessary to discover through scientific research the true effectiveness of the Church in the field of social communications. It will then be possible to deploy her resources so that they suit the importance of the tasks she faces throughout the world. Catholics will then find it easier to start new projects that match the ever growing importance of the media.

186. In the meantime, faced by the most urgent need for making closer contact with the professional world of social communication, for engaging these men in dialogue, for making her contribution in this field and for urging all men to use the media to serve both the progress of man and the glory of God, the Church could no longer delay this Pastoral Instruction. The Pontifical Commission for Social Communications issues this Instruction in accordance with the mandate from the Second Vatican Council but only after intensive consultations on a worldwide basis. It is hoped that this publication marks not so much the end of a phase as the start of a new one.

187. The People of God walk in history. As they, who are, essentially, both communicators and recipients, advance with their times, they look forward with confidence and even with enthusiasm to whatever the development of communications in a space age may have to offer.

His Holiness, Pope Paul VI has graciously approved in its entirety this Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social Communication, and confirmed it with His authority. He ordered it to be published so that it can be put into effect by all concerned, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Given in Rome on the twenty-third day of May, in the year of the Lord nineteen seventy-one, being the Fifth World Communications Day.

MARTIN J. O CONNOR, Tit. Archbishop of Laodicea in Syria, President

AUGUSTINE FERRARI-TONIOLO, Tit. Bishop of Tarasa in Byzacena, Pro-President

The "Common Good" is defined in the Encylical by Pope John XXIII, Mater et Magistra as the "sum of those conditions of social life by which men can attain their perfection more fully and with greater ease". A.A.S., LIII (1961), p. 417. See also Pacem in Terris, A.A.S., LV (1963), pp. 272-274; Dignitatis Humanae, 6; Gaudium et Spes, 26 and 74.

In hisAllocution to Catholic Journalists on February 17, 195O. A.A.S., XLII (l950), p. 251. See also Gaudium et Spes, 59; Pacem in Terris, A.A.S., LV (1963), p. 283.

"The manner of the [communication] should be honorable and appropriate, namely, one which keeps sacred the laws of morality and the legitimate rights and dignity of man in reporting the news". Inter Mirifica, 5.

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PASTORAL INSTRUCTION "COMMUNIO ET PROGRESSIO" ON THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION WRITTEN BY ORDER OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL 1. THE UNITY AND ADVANCEMENT of men living in society: these are the chief aims of social communication and of all the means it uses. These means include the press, the cinema, radio and television.

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COVID and Congregations: An Analysis of Religious Messages on Facebook during the Coronavirus Crisis | Semantic Scholar

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Abstract Religious organizations are critical in post-crisis renewal. Less is known about how effective these organizations are during other stages of a crisis. Furthermore, religious organizations' crisis messages, especially those sent out via social media channels, are understudied in the larger crisis communication literature.

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Social media and religion: Missiological perspective on the link between Facebook and the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa

Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa, South Africa

Recent works on social media and religion have paid particular attention to the role of social media in the development of religious values, improvement of social values and gratification of faith-based content by using various methodologies. A missiological perspective or approach to social media and religion will assist in exploring the role of Facebook in the emergence of prophetic churches. The background of prophetic churches is discussed here to demonstrate the growth of these churches and how such growth is linked to the use of Facebook. The shortcomings of the use of Facebook are highlighted and recommendations are made on how such shortcomings can be addressed in future.
INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS: The article demonstrates the link between social media and religion on one hand and a link between Facebook and the emergence of prophetic churches on the other.

One of the characteristics of prophetic churches, according to Faimau and Behrens (2016:68), is the use of media and, in particular, social media. The use of media among prophetic churches clearly assists to spread the Gospel to different people. Faimau and Behrens continue to say that prophetic churches have fully embraced the use of media technology to spread the Gospel faster and wider. This includes the use and appropriation of radio, television, the Internet, e-mail, mobile phones and various forms of print media. This article presents a missiological perspective on the use of Facebook and its impact on the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa. The shortcomings of the use of Facebook are highlighted and recommendations are made on how such shortcomings can be addressed in future.

Religion and social media

The link between social media and religion has attracted the interest of many scholars in the last decade. Lim and Putnam (2010:914), in their article 'Religion, social networks, and life satisfaction', state that social networks offer strong evidence for social and participatory mechanisms shaping religion's impact on life satisfaction. Although the rise of online social networking appears to represent a new challenge to religious individuals and institutions, Verschoor-Kirss (2012:1) opines that it is wrong to assume that the interaction between religion and technology is always adversarial. Generally, technology can enhance religious practices through the expansion and creation of religious communities.

Verschoor-Kirss (2012:9) continues to say that it would appear, therefore, that to unilaterally set up religion and technology as incompatible fails to take into account the complex ways in which both support and erode the other. Technology can be beneficial to religion when it enhances the communal aspects of religion, and detrimental to religion when it degrades these communal aspects. While there are certainly other aspects of religion that technology might influence, it would appear that community represents the most important one. Given the fact that online social networks generally appear to enhance notions of community, it is perhaps inevitable that religious organisations and individuals will turn to them in ever-increasing numbers. Whether this turn towards digital communities might inadvertently erode physical communities is unclear, though certainly possible (Verschoor-Kirss 2012:9).

Religion is also related to self-disclosures. Bobkowski and Pearce (2011), in their article 'Baring their souls in online profiles or not? Religious self-disclosure in social media', examined personal attributes associated with religious identification as well as the overall quantity of religious self-disclosures. Zviadadze (2014:164) suggests that increased religiosity is manifested not only in a traditional form of piety (church attendances, observance of rituals) but also in expression of religion in new media (clerics preaching on YouTube, a church bell as a ringtone on a mobile phone and a picture of a church as a desktop photo). Everton (2015:1) adds that social networks are crucial for the recruitment and retention of members of churches, the diffusion of religious ideas and practices, motivating individuals to volunteer in church work and become politically active, the health and well-being of people of faith.

The relationship between religion and social media has been discussed most recently. Faimau and Behrens (2016:66), for example, analysed the ways in which certain linguistic strategies and religious discourses used in Facebook posts, reviews and comments on a religion-based Facebook page create and shape the narratives of religious authority, religious identity and religious community. Brubaker and Haigh (2017:1) explored why Christians use Facebook for religious purposes and the need for engaging with religious content on Facebook. Coman and Coman (2017:129) show that in a post-secular society, the religious imagery is not only a 'canopy' inherited and kept because of convenience, but a cultural frame of the significant public sphere.

However, social networks do not offer only positive results; at times, it is a source of destruction. In fact, the use of social networks in religion has both advantages and disadvantages. Miller, Mundey and Hill (2013:227) mention sacred and secular influences on social networks' involvement and social behaviours, such as being in school and participating in organisations that are more non-religious.

It is pivotal therefore, instead of completely shutting down the use of social media, to outline what the advantages and disadvantages of such usage are in order to address them. In order to address the disadvantages of social media in religion, Al-Mosa (2015:126) highlighted the value aspect of social media by studying the problems that hinder the activation of the role of social networks regarding youth values. This article will reflect on these recent works on social media and religion by using a missiological approach or perspective. It will pay particular attention to the role of Facebook in the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa.

Missiological perspective

Missiology, according to Bosch (1991:9), as a branch of the discipline of Christian theology, is not a disinterested or neutral enterprise; rather it seeks to look at the world from the perspective of commitment to the Christian faith. Kritzinger (2013:5) adds that a missiological approach allows researchers to use insights from various academic disciplines (other theological subjects, anthropology, economics, communication science, linguistics, etc.) in pursuing their research. One feature of a missiological approach is therefore the way it combines approaches from different social sciences and integrates them into a coherent theological design. Missiology is therefore by its very nature interdisciplinary. In this article, the interdisciplinary nature of missiology assists in linking social media with prophetic churches in southern Africa.

Kravtsev (2012:3) concurs that missiology is an interdisciplinary discipline which, through research, writing and teaching, furthers acquisition, development and transition of theologically informed, contextually grounded and ministry-oriented knowledge and understanding, with the goal of helping and correcting Christians, and Christian institutions, involved in Christian mission. Kravtsev goes further to say that missiology is an academic discipline aimed at understanding and explaining the specifics of the church's missionary calling in light of the Missio Dei. Being biblically based, it is historically informed, theologically balanced and grounded in particular cultural contexts with the ultimate purpose of directing the practice of the Christian mission in its specific settings.

Missiological method according to Kritzinger (2008:769) has two tasks: (1) Christians do not speak alone, but in interaction with people of another faith, thus nurturing mutuality; (2) not only doctrinal or 'universal' dimensions of the religious traditions are included but all the factors that shape religious identity and interreligious encounter, thus nurturing reflexivity and contextuality. In addition, the missiological approach wishes to achieve in response to the challenge of other religions an informed and respectful faith-to-faith encounter that happens 'uncushioned', face-to-face (Kritzinger 2008:770). The missiological perspective is explained by Botha (2009:2) as a kind of theological approach where some issues which people or the church or theology are grappling with in the 21st century become the lens through which theology is studied and taught. Therefore two-pronged issues: creating meaning and finding meaning.

Kritzinger (2013:5) continues to say that a missiological approach will express itself, among others, as the following:

'a sensitivity for the unique shape of mission practised by the community that is being researched

a stance of commitment to the Christian faith (rather than rational scientism), matched by a fearless and self-critical scientific honesty

an interest in the interrelations between God, Christian community and society, and not merely an interest in doctrinal descriptions of God, Christian community and the world

an awareness that it is not only isolated aspects of people's lives and of the Christian faith that are missionary, but all of human life and society, coherently and holistically'.

Missiological perspective or approach in this context will help us to look at not only social media but also apply it to the context of prophetic churches in southern Africa. The methodology will assist us to link the emergence of prophetic churches with social media. In this article, a missiological perspective will be used to assess any loopholes in the use of social media and make recommendations.

The emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa

Prophetic churches were appropriated by Africans to establish a charismatic spirituality that would define African response to the Gospel: at once conservative, evangelical, with emphasis on the centrality of the Bible, interpreted without Western intellectual gymnastics, but with simplicity and immediacy. It is a Christianity with a vibrant liturgy with songs, music, dance and orality; under indigenous leadership; eschewing philosophical aridity; addressing problems raised within the interior of the primal worldview; negative about indigenous religions yet emphasising miracles, vision, dreams and healing (Kalu 2013:307). In these churches, there is an intense religious experience, a vision and a dream that may issue in prophetic speaking and actions, healing and community building (Kalu 2013:283).

Prophetic churches, in the words of Kustenbauder (2008:1), have not dominated the landscape in western Africa to the same extent as they have in eastern and southern Africa. The church in Africa, according to Kangwa (2016:5), is growing in leaps and bounds - unprecedented in the history of Christianity since its introduction on the continent in the 19th century. This growth and development, however, is taking place mainly in the new religious movements, particularly the prophetic churches, because of their emphasis on the prophetic ministry characterised by performance of healing miracles and predicting the future.

Prophetic churches, according to Shoko (2006:3), represent one of the most popular fastest growing movements in the African church. A quarter of the two billion Christians is said to be part of the movement. These churches are founded by a powerful charismatic leader, a prophet. The prophetic churches, according to Mpofu (2014:25), seek to determine lifestyle choices based on religious discourses as propagated by the founder leader. The spiritual life of the members is determined by the voice and message of the prophet; in addition, his or her voice and message is perceived by followers to be the voice and message of God.

The emergence of the prophetic churches in southern Africa came about because of many pastors breaking away from their traditional churches. Other pastors rose as founders of their own churches without being linked to a former traditional church. Under their own prophetic churches, these pastors have autonomy and freedom to practice religion at their own peril. In the words of Kalu (2013):

some operated as solo prophets whose charisma drew people to a new understanding of the power of the gospel; others formed new faith communities; still others operated as movements with inchoate leadership, but each affected the interior of Christianity just when colonial ideology colluded with missionary control and triumphalism. (p. 283)

Mpofu (2014:24) adds that there seems to be an identity reconstruction in the spirit of the charismatic religious movement as is clearly manifested through the manoeuvrings of Christians from the traditional churches to the newer prophetic churches associated with power and prosperity.

One of the appeals of the prophetic churches in southern Africa is its ability to respond to the existential and pragmatic needs faced by the modern urban congregations, including domestic and socioeconomic problems. Their emergence in most parts of Africa occurred under conditions of economic, political and social hardship, which were accompanied by economic reforms, low wages and quality of life, the absence of social services and the withdrawals of the welfare frontiers of the state (Chitando & Biri 2016:75). The prophetic ministries attract people from different social classes, gender and age groups, including the top cadres in politics and the arts. The membership of these younger Pentecostal prophetic churches and/or ministries is not yet quite stable and there is constant movement within the sector as many seek miracles, healing and deliverance. In addition, most Christians who constitute the bulk of those patronising the services have been 'fished' from other Pentecostal denominations and other mainline and/or more established churches (Chitando & Biri 2016:76).

The growth of these churches poses major missiological challenges for mainline churches, according to Mashau (2013:2), evangelical reformed denominations included. Whereas some evangelical reformed churches are experiencing a nosedive in terms of church growth, new Pentecostal churches are planted and growing in numbers on a daily basis in the same context. They have in some instances managed to pull substantial numbers from mainline churches, while other believers choose to embrace charismatic practices without leaving their churches. Mashau mentions factors like spontaneity and dynamism in worship, which includes contemporary music and dance as reasons that have managed to attract many young people from mainline churches to prophetic churches. What is missing in these reasons is the factor of social media that has also contributed to the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa.

Participation in Facebook is increasing dramatically around the globe. According to Miller et al. (2013):

the use of Facebook is especially high among younger adults: 86% of 18-29-year-olds use Facebook, 31% of 18-22-year-old Facebook users post status updates daily or more frequently compared with 3% of users over 49, 18-29-year-old Facebook users have substantially more online 'friends'. Usage is particularly high during university or college when a majority of students report daily use in order to communicate with friends they already know offline. Facebook use may also lead to increased social engagement: 82% of Facebook users belong to a voluntary group or organization compared with 75% of all adults and 56% of non-Internet users. (p. 228)

The latest local figures for the biggest social media platforms in South Africa for 2017, as part of the latest SA Social Media Landscape Report for 2018, show that Facebook remains the most popular platform in the country, with almost 30% of the population now connected. South Africa has about 16 million users of Facebook, 14 million of which access the site from mobile devices. Johannesburg has the most activity, with five million users. There is a misconception that younger people are leaving Facebook; however, a demographic breakdown of the local user data shows that it is just a case of the younger Facebook users getting older - simply put, they are not teenagers anymore (Businesstech 2017).

Facebook is playing a major role in the propagation of prophetic churches in southern Africa at least in four ways. Firstly, Facebook provides easy access to these churches and their spiritual services. This is because spiritual services at these churches can be watched on Facebook via smart phones that many people in southern Africa own. Prophetic churches' founders have a Facebook account where they can easily post the churches' services and even update their followers on the progress in their private lives. However, their following on Twitter is not as strong as that on Facebook. Twitter is more of a celebrity social media platform that even the most famous prophets would struggle to get a great following.

Secondly, Facebook serves as a great platform for the prophets to show their talents. Most Facebook users have the luxury of watching their favourite prophet on their smart phones. This further encourages the users to actually attend the services and be part of what is happening. The viewers who missed the daily services have an opportunity to watch them on Facebook. Users can watch the video numerous times as long as they have data on their cell phones. Users can also share videos with different people, including international viewers. Furthermore, users have an option to leave comments as to why they like or do not like a specific video.

Thirdly, Facebook serves as an advertising platform, whereby the upcoming events will be advertised on the church Facebook page. Hence, the attendance at many events of the prophetic churches is excellent. It is because Facebook serves as free medium for advertisement for these churches. While the content of the Facebook postings on the pages of these prophetic churches vary, the postings, according to Faimau and Berhens (2016:69), generally include biblical verses, well-formulated religious messages, words from the prophet or prophetess, blogging of religious services, postings of pictures or videos, testimonies and postings of religious products.

Lastly, Facebook offers the advantage of a space where interactions between members can take place. Faimau and Berhens continue to say that Facebook posts and posted comments therefore create spaces for the discovery of a 'shared identity' among Facebook users. Facebook users who commented on specific testimonial narratives posted on the Facebook page immediately aligned themselves with the autobiographical narrative of the one who shared the testimony. For a religious Facebook user, the religious identity of the person should be provided (Faimau & Berhens 2016:82).

Facebook use by individuals and organisations and its popularity make it imperative for the church to also take advantage of this phenomenon to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Facebook analogically serves as a stethoscope, magnifying one's ability to listen to your congregation and community, and a megaphone, magnifying the individual's ability to proclaim God's Word to your community. The primary purpose of using social media is to establish and maintain relationships; to connect with and stay connected with members of the congregation (White, Tella & Ampofo 2016:3).

According to Coman and Coman (2017:131), interactions between and among believers, and between believers and non-believers can be easily observed in their spontaneous forms and unmediated by other institutions. Everton (2015:21) adds that Facebook is crucial for the diffusion of religious ideas and practices, as well as motivating individuals to volunteer and become civically engaged. Faith community networks also vary in terms of their composition, reflecting not only their tension with the surrounding society but also their socioeconomic class. Facebook also appears to play a key role in the health and subjective well-being of people of faith because believers can share scriptures on the platform. Facebook is considered a very important means to get societies closer to each other. It is useful in developing some values that the youth can use to behave accordingly with others (Al-Mosa 2015:126).

Facebook allows users to create a simple, digital extension of their personal relationships and friendships. Indeed, Facebook describes itself as (Mashable 2010):

a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and co-workers. The company develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of people's real-world social connections. (p. 1)

From simple beginnings, Facebook has grown into the largest online social network and is a daily staple of high school and college students as well as a growing number of older adults. Religious groups have confronted this new technology in two main ways: creating their own versions of social network sites that are religion-centric and somewhat exclusive, and using the functions of larger social networks such as Facebook to their advantage (Verschoor-Kirss 2012:5).

Considering the rapid adoption of Facebook, it is not surprising that individuals, religious leaders and congregations have used these networks to bolster religious participation. The use of social media for religious communication has brought growth in many religious groups and individual worshippers (Brubaker & Haigh 2017:1). The current findings suggest Facebook is an expressive medium where users can both give and receive spiritual support, expressing beliefs and informing others about religious practices and perspectives while at the same time receiving spiritual guidance, religious resources and entertainment for themselves. Facebook provides an outlet through which religious needs and desires are expressed and fulfilled online (Brubaker & Haigh 2017:7).

Shortcomings of Facebook

The first shortcoming is the authenticity of Facebook users. So many Facebook users do not use their real names but pseudonyms; for example, if somebody's real name is Tumelo Makgate, the person might prefer to be called Tumza McGate on Facebook. As a result, it cannot be verified that the more than two million likes that one prophet has on Facebook are actually real likes or even more than two million followers are real followers.

This brings us to the second shortcoming, namely the multiplicity of Facebook usage. Most people in Facebook have multiple accounts. This is easy because all that one needs to have a Facebook account is an e-mail address. Equally, one person can have many different e-mail accounts.

The third shortcoming is the publication of false information on Facebook. The prophetic churches in southern Africa, according to Mochechane (2016:14), has been criticised for staged miracles, fake prophecies, etc. Hameno (2014:1) adds that the prophetic activities that are reported on Facebook range from the bizarre to the outrageous and sometimes immoral or even criminal. Hameno continues to say that bizarre claims of being able to make a person pregnant and deliver a baby in three days or being able to produce miracle money which appears from nowhere and is found in one's pocket or bank account are the order of the day. Outrageous and perhaps irresponsible claims abound.

The fourth shortcoming is the duplicity of information. There is a sense of exaggeration on Facebook, whereby one testimony can be manipulated as if it is a great testimony or many testimonies. Other issues on Facebook are more pronounced than what has actually happened in reality. These factors can lead to social disruption and disadvantages in Pentecostal prophetic churches. It can cause non-believers to dislike prophetic churches, especially non-believers who are middle class with a certain level of education. When things do not make sense to them, they cannot believe in them.

The final shortcoming is negative publicity. As much as Facebook can help the church to promote her work among believers and non-believers, there is a disadvantage when it comes to negative publicity. The same users who used to promote the pastor will be the ones to demote him when they face challenges in life. Coman and Coman (2017:137) say that several negative comments cause the pastor to be perceived negatively and the integrity of Christian church in general is compromised. The commentators seem to point out an awareness that in modernity the Church and religion was confronted with a prestige loss and therefore any inadequate behaviour of a religious leader worsens the situation.

Prophetic churches need to authenticate their Facebook users to try to deal with users who use pseudonyms. This will also prevent users from duplicating their accounts because they will be authentic users. These churches need to post real miracles to earn credibility, especially with the middle class and the rich people. They need to avoid at all cost exaggerating testimonies or advertising staged miracles on Facebook. Prophetic churches can benefit more from Facebook and other social networks if they approach Facebook from an ethical point of view. The church has an ability to attract more non-church-goers or non-believers by offering the real message of the Gospel instead of grandstanding on Facebook and other media.

With the above concerns on the shortcomings of social media, White et al. (2016:6) suggest that it is very important that Christians approach social media in a discerning manner. It is therefore essential to understand the impact our status, photos, comments or blog posts may have now and in future. We should also bear in mind the ramifications of any statement made on social media as everything written is permanent and viewable by everyone. Furthermore, while maintaining relationships is important and healthy, addiction is not. Facebook is a good medium for advertising but not so effective in creating and maintaining relationships. Limiting the amount of time we devote to these social networking sites is both healthy and wise. Most of our time should be devoted to prayer and meditation.

This article has been a study on a missiological approach to the role of Facebook in the emergence of the prophetic churches in southern Africa. The article discussed the emergence of the prophetic churches and demonstrated their growth. The shortcomings of Facebook are highlighted in the article. It is recommended here that the prophetic churches should authenticate their own followers on Facebook. Prophetic churches must post real testimonies to avoid falsified information and negative publicity.

The author is thankful to the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology for its contributions to the study.

The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.

Kravtsev, A., 2012, 'What is missiology?', A paper submitted for partial fulfilment of the requirements for the course ME 9050 Prolegomena: Missiology as a Discipline at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL. [ Links ]

Kritzinger, J.N.J., 2013, Tutorial letter for the research proposal module in the structured Master of Theology in Missiology, University of South Africa, Pretoria. [ Links ]

Mochechane, S., 2016, 'Dealing with Fear and Anxiety in Pentecostalism: The Bushiri-Phenomenon in Pretoria', A CHSSA paper presented at the Third Conference of Academic Societies in the Fields of Religion and Theology, pp. 1-16, University of Pretoria, 11-15 July, 2016, Pretoria. [ Links ]

Mpofu, S., 2014, 'The "Third Wave" religious right movement and the growth of Zimbabwean Christianity: Faith or economic response?', Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria. [ Links ]

Correspondence:
Mookgo S. Kgatle
kgatles@yahoo.com

Received: 22 Feb. 2018
Accepted: 09 May 2018
Published: 05 July 2018

1 . This is the biggest social media network on the Internet, both in terms of total number of users and name recognition. Founded on 04 February 2004, Facebook has within 12 years managed to accumulate more than 1.59 billion monthly active users which automatically makes it one of the best mediums for connecting people from all over the world with your business. It is estimated that more than 1 million small and medium-sized businesses use the platform to advertise their business.
2 . Twitter has more than 320 million active monthly users who make use of the 140-character limit to pass on information. Businesses can use Twitter to interact with prospective clients, answer questions, release latest news and at the same time use the targeted ads with specific audiences. Twitter was founded on 21 March 2006 and has its headquarters in San Francisco, California.

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Social media and religion: Missiological perspective on the link between Facebook and the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa

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Social media and religion: Missiological perspective on the link between Facebook and the emergence of prophetic churches in southern Africa Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa, South Africa Recent works on social media and religion have paid particular attention to the role of social media in the development of religious values, improvement of social values and gratification of faith-based content by using various methodologies.

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https://climatevisuals.org/evidence/

David:
Speaking about communication is speaking about something that continues changing. For me Climate Visuals make a beautiful job speaking to photographers and videographers about how to communicate climate change. Is not an "ended" document, but a continuous conversation of something that is relevant and constantly changing"

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Climate Visuals evidence base

Grounded in research

Climate Visuals' practice, insights and our image library are based on international social research and evidence to catalyse imagery that is not just illustrative but truly impactful.

Visual media is vital to connect with audiences, but environmental imagery is often ineffective, inaccessible or absent. Communicators and editors resort to using the same familiar metaphors, poorly representing people's experiences and connecting with a very limited sector of the world's population - missing a vital opportunity for real and lasting public engagement.

We are grateful for the wider resources, evidence and studies upon which the Climate Visuals project draws. Photography ethics and research is a growing field but we acknowledge there remains substantial disparity and gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.

Linked and summarised below are reports and resources that Climate Visuals has contributed to the field as lead author, partner or commissioner.

The first Climate Visuals report ' Climate Visuals: Seven principles for visual climate change communication (based on international social research)' remains the pillar of our research base and public engagement.

The research combined two different methods. Four structured discussion groups (with a total of 32 citizens) were held: two in London, and two in Berlin. Participants responded to dozens of climate images, engaging in detailed discussions about what they saw. Following this in-depth research, an international online survey of over 3,000 people was conducted, with participants split equally between the UK, Germany and the US. The survey allowed us to test a smaller number of images with a much larger number of people. Full details of our the methodology can be found on our Climate Outreach programme page.

1. Show 'real people' not staged photo-ops

A person expressing an identifiable emotion is powerful. But our discussion groups favoured 'authentic' images over staged photographs, which they saw as gimmicky or even manipulative. Politicians - notoriously low on credibility and authenticity - attracted some of the lowest scores (in all three nations) in our survey.

2. Tell new stories

Images that participants could quickly and easily understand - such as smokestacks, deforestation, and polar bears on melting ice - tended to be positively rated in our online survey (which captured rapid responses to images, rather than deeper debate). Familiar, 'classic' images may be especially useful for audiences with limited knowledge or interest in climate change, but they also prompted cynicism and fatigue in our discussion groups. They are effective ways of communicating to an audience that 'this story is about climate change'. But is it a story they want to hear? Less familiar (and more thought-provoking) images can help tell a new story about climate change, and remake the visual representation of climate change in the public mind.

3. Show climate causes at scale

We found that people do not necessarily understand the links between climate change and their daily lives. Individual causes of climate change (such as meat-eating) may not be recognised as such, and if they are, may provoke defensive reactions. If communicating the links between 'problematic' behaviours and climate change, it is best to show these behaviours at scale - e.g. a congested highway, rather than a single driver.

4. Climate impacts are emotionally powerful

Survey participants in all three nations were moved more by climate impacts - e.g. floods, and the destruction wrought by extreme weather - than by causes or solutions. Images of climate impacts can prompt a desire to respond, but because they are emotionally powerful, they can also be overwhelming. Coupling images of climate impacts with a concrete behavioural action for people to take can help overcome this.

5. Understand your audience

Unsurprisingly, levels of concern/scepticism about climate change determined how people reacted to the images we tested. But other differences emerged too - images of 'distant' climate impacts produced much flatter emotional responses among those on the political right. Images depicting solutions to climate change generated mostly positive emotions - for those on the political right, as well as those on the left.

6. Show local (but serious) climate impacts

When images of localised climate impacts show an individual person or group of people, with identifiable emotions, they are likely to be most powerful. But there is a balance to be struck (as in verbal and written communication) between localising climate change (so that people realise the issue is relevant to them) and trivialising the issue (by not making clear enough links to the bigger picture).

7. Be very careful with protest imagery

Images depicting protests (or protesters) attracted widespread cynicism and some of the lowest ratings in our survey. In our discussion groups, images of (what people described as) 'typical environmentalists' only really resonated with the small number of people who already considered themselves as activists and campaigners. Most people do not feel an affinity with climate change protesters, so images of protests may reinforce the idea that climate change is for 'them' rather than 'us'. Protest images involving people directly affected by climate impacts were seen as more authentic and therefore more compelling.

Additional Climate Visuals co-authored papers

We have also co-authored two academic articles related to the Climate Visuals project:

Chapman, A., Corner, A., Webster, R. and Markowitz E. (2016): Climate visuals: A mixed methods investigation of public perceptions of climate images in three countries, Global Environmental Change. 41, pp.172-182

Wang, S., Corner, A., Chapman, A., Markowitz, E. (2018): Public engagement with climate imagery in a changing digital landscape, Wires Climate Change

Climate Visuals and Communications Inc developed the photography brief for our Ocean Visuals photography open call based on evidence of people's responses to imagery, published research, known content gaps and industry best practice.

The Ocean Visuals open call for photography aimed to create a new evidence-based collection of impactful and truly diverse ocean and coastal climate imagery - all equitably accessible to the media, non-profit and education sector.

93 photographs were licensed for a $1000 fee per photograph, with the resulting collection being released in the run up to COP27.

The eight point photography brief:

1. Show people in ocean and coastal regions with authenticity

Always choose real images and people - never staged or manipulated photos

Authentic images have more impact, especially with an identifiable emotion, familiar scene, geography or concept

Depict a variety of ocean and coastal regions with authentic activities

Share stories promoting the work of specific people and communities

Foster a real sense of place - avoid just showing a location

2. Visualise the diversity of people-and-ocean connections

Document diverse representations of people - not tokenism

Avoid abstract photographs of marine life without people, their activities or relationships

Avoid generic, distant, ocean imagery

Show the multitude of ways that people connect with or rely on the ocean

Showcase how people, their values, beliefs and identity are tied to the ocean

3. Tell new stories

Less familiar, more thought-provoking images and narratives can remake and improve the visual representation of the environment

Familiar, 'classic' images - such as polar bears, melting ice or plastic pollution - can cause cynicism and fatigue as they are overused and stereotyped

Focus on stories of urgency and potency with a depth of feeling and vision

Visualise connections to the high seas and deep ocean.

4. Find ocean and climate causes, impacts and solutions at scale

People can't always see the links between the ocean, climate change and their daily lives

Individual causes of climate change or harm - such as eating fish - may provoke defensive reactions

When showing 'problematic' behaviours, show subjects at scale e.g. a trawler vessel, rather than a single fisher-person

Showing positive solutions at scale conveys the potential to effectively tackle ocean and climate issues and helps overcome present day fears

5. Pair emotionally powerful impacts with positive actions

Climate impacts can be emotionally powerful and promote a response

People are moved more by images of impacts - e.g. floods and destruction from extreme weather - than by causes or solutions

However, climate impacts - because they are so emotionally powerful - can also be overwhelming and leave people feeling hopeless

Therefore coupling or showing images of climate impacts with a concrete and attainable positive solution for people is very effective

6. Develop ideas to invite curiosity and foster engagement

7. Prioritise ethics, safety, wellbeing and prevention of harm

Honouring people who fight or campaign for the environment is vital but anonymity of people, places and informed consent is necessary to reduce risks

Develop informed consent - collaborate, co-create and participate - so communities can take decisions collectively and positively

Self-interested photography is a serious problem when working in many cultural contexts, Indigenous Territories, marginalised or vulnerable communities

Strive to show utmost respect, friendship and appreciation for the support received

Be mindful of how you portray people and respect the people you work with or photograph, ensuring you deal with everyone as your collaborator and active participant

Do not cause or normalise harming or disturbing wildlife and habitats

8. Be aware of problem narratives

Go beyond visual cliches, overused icons and familiar underwater imagery

Be cautious with protest imagery as the images may only resonate with people who already consider themselves activists, campaigners or environmentalists

However, protest images clearly involving people directly affected by climate impacts, especially seeking climate justice, are seen as more authentic and therefore more compelling

Recognise the problems of a saviour complex and instead focus on images that empower communities.

Don't misrepresent heatwaves as 'fun in the sun'

Be careful illustrating the ocean as 'vast and otherworldly' as it can undermine its real vulnerability and the risks of negative change

Read the Ocean Visuals country specific evidence base.

Photos of the natural environment do not reflect the social, ethnic or geographic diversity of the country, which may create barriers to some people enjoying and feeling a sense of belonging in nature. How can we build a better, more inclusive visual language?

Images matter. As people, we need to see ourselves in images relating to the natural environment so we connect with them and see the relevance of them to our lives. The photos we see of natural spaces need to be inclusive, authentic and show people from diverse backgrounds in diverse outdoor spaces. This is also important for connecting people with messages around our big challenges including climate change and biodiversity loss. Experiencing natural spaces in all kinds of ways helps to provide that connection and we know that for some, this is not currently part of their lives.

This matters for climate change too. Spending time in nature is a proven way to engage people with the climate crisis and a lack of inclusive imagery makes it harder to build a diverse climate movement.

Natural England commissioned Climate Outreach to speak with conservation organisations, community groups, online influencers and nature enthusiasts to explore how we can diversify the images of people and nature, resulting in a practical, evidence-based report. Below we highlight its set of six principles, developed to help guide the production of images that showcase the variety of ways that people can connect with and benefit from nature.

1. Use images to tell positive, identifiable stories

Visuals can capture attention, promote interest and motivate engagement. Showing diverse individuals doing fulfilling activities in natural spaces will enhance feelings of inclusion and belonging. These positive representations are critical for reaching out to people who are left out of traditional outdoor narratives

2. Create authentic representation, not tokenism

Authenticity is critical to telling an empowering, inclusive story that audiences will connect with. Stock imagery and staged portraits provide a veneer of representation but are not empowering and may backfire if they are perceived as fake or tokenistic. Display real images of diverse individuals enjoying a variety of natural spaces in ways that can connect with them on a personal level.

3. Depict diverse activities in diverse landscapes

The cultural narrative of what it means to enjoy the outdoors is dominated by a narrow subset of landscapes, activities and people. Expand representation to break through harmful stereotypes and embrace new and different visual narratives of spaces, people and activities.

4. Connect people to the wonderful diversity of natural places, from urban parks to national landscapes

Most people live in towns and cities and most outdoor experiences occur in urban areas. Yet imagery of natural spaces focuses on the countryside. We need to show more urban green areas and tell visual stories about people enjoying nature in their everyday, as well as on holidays. This could be walking a tree-lined urban avenue or walking a national trail, a day trip to a city park or to a national park.

5. Include more real people in images

Images of idyllic countryside tend to dominate the visual story, but they do not fully represent the many reasons people enjoy the outdoors. Broaden the visual narrative and connect natural spaces to peoples' everyday lives by capturing the many ways people use the outdoors to connect with friends and family, as well as with nature.

6. Diversify who is behind the camera and the message

Fixing the 'who', 'what', and 'where' of outdoor imagery is only part of the solution. We also need to diversify who is behind the camera and designing the wider communications, in order to provide greater authenticity and empowerment to those being photographed.

A diverse group of individuals are already harnessing the power of social media to shift the outdoor narrative by documenting their own experiences. Learn from these people and work with them to create new visuals.

Download the full report here.

This research investigates how climate change and climate action are seen in Germany and which images resonate with people with different views in society.

The research formed part of the larger Germany Talks Climate study conducted in February and March 2022 examining attitudes towards climate change and climate action in Germany. 'Übers Klima reden' (in English: 'Germany Talks Climate') is a joint project by Climate Outreach, More in Common Germany and klimafakten.de, funded by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.

These results on imagery form the first image research update in Germany since the original Climate Visuals study in 2016. The underlying research was developed in collaboration with More in Common and uses their values-based segmentation approach for the first time in visual research with German society.

Based on the Seven Climate Visuals principles, 17 images were selected and tested with six focus groups in Germany as well as through a representative survey with a sample of the German population.

1. Images of flooding in Germany are powerful and connect across society.

2. Imagery can be used to tell new stories about heatwaves.

3. Images of families and children can help people relate to climate change impacts.

4. Climate solutions imagery can effectively depict success stories but needs to be contextualised.

5. Images of activists generate mixed and often negative reactions.

6. Images depicting a range of renewables to represent Germany's energy future are more likely to appeal across society.

7. Images portraying visions of the future have potential, but by definition appear distant.

8. Polar bears are iconic, but not sufficiently compelling.

Read a summary in English and the full range of insights, including an overview of all the images that were tested, in German.

Indigenous media presence refers to the Indigenous demand to be seen, heard and known by the international community using both local and global media platforms. It also concerns the communication of cultural, linguistic, political, spiritual and environmental priorities and sensibilities of Indigenous Peoples, particularly regarding the fast-changing conditions of life within Indigenous Territories.

There is a rapidly growing appetite for narratives and images of the climate crisis related to endangered forests and Indigenous communities. However, inconsiderate media publication risks simplifying and sensationalising a complex story narrative while also isolating and burdening these communities with a responsibility to protect primary forests. Well-meaning but uncritical production and consumption of imagery in this context presents enormous risks and is also a lost opportunity for self-determination and lasting climate solutions.

If the media economy fully engages and connects with Indigenous communities and adopts these principles, it can help tell stories of climate action in a way that is both effective and transformational. The global media has a real opportunity to empower people living in primary forests who are fighting for climate solutions and preserving nature.

Climate Visuals was commissioned by the Climate and Land Use Alliance to create recommendations of best visual practice for content producers, editors, distributors, agencies and publishers who wish to work with, for, or who are from, the Indigenous and forest communities of Central and South America. It is an openly accessible, English, Spanish and Portuguese translated report to catalyse positive change and connections towards imagery that is transformative, sustainable and impactful around the issues of land use, conservation and climate solutions.

Hosted on Climate Outreach's website it also contains a detailed research report and literature review which draws richly on new conversations held with Indigenous leaders and photographers, media stakeholders and NGOs in 10 different countries. The online resource details and illustrates eight new principles prepared by a team of researchers, with inputs from Climate Visuals, If Not Us Then Who, Nicolas Salazar Sutil, Jaye Renold and Leah Rangi.

Eight principles for Indigenous media presence:

View the full resource here.

In January 2020, Climate Visuals and Saffron O'Neill, Associate Professor in Geography at Exeter University, organised the 'Visualising Climate Change 2020 Hackathon' to critically update and expand the evidence base for how to effectively communicate climate change through imagery.

Over a dozen academics, all specialising in climate change imagery, as well as industry professionals from both Getty Images and the World Press Photo Foundation were convened. The original 7 Climate Visuals principles were critically tested and scrutinised but reassuringly, came away unscathed as an accessible and robust guide to editing and commissioning Climate imagery for 2020.

Getty Images has partnered with the Climate Visuals programme to launch guidelines helping brands and businesses use visuals which incite change. The guidelines are linked to curated imagery of example content and give brands and businesses practical recommendations on how to find and use fresh and relevant visual content to communicate their commitment to sustainability and inspire their audiences to action.

How imagery of air pollution can communicate the health impacts of climate change.

We conducted new survey research - the first of its kind - to reveal how the UK public engages with imagery communicating the health impacts of climate change (and the health benefits of low carbon measures). We found that images showing air pollution (compared to images of floods, heat stress, and infectious disease) were found to be more effective for visually communicating the health impacts of climate change: the health consequences of climate impacts other than air pollution are not yet visually salient in the public mind. Visual communication on the health impacts of climate change should therefore build on the salience of air pollution as an issue with links to climate change to create a visual narrative of climate impacts that is people-focused and relatable and which introduces the link between health and other climate impacts. Combine these health-impact images with solutions-focused photos that build a sense of 'efficacy', and highlight positive social norms (around people taking relevant climate actions). This research was conducted pre-Covid and that subsequently the wearing of a personal mask now no longer simply signifies air pollution.

Read the full report

The second and third Climate Visuals reports contain an analysis of the key visual themes from the landmark UN climate conference in 2015 in Paris (COP21), and a comparison with the visual language of the following conference in Marrakech (COP22). Both reports provide concrete, tangible and practical suggestions for telling more compelling visual stories on climate change at the UN climate conferences and beyond.

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Climate Visuals' practice, insights and our image library are based on international social research and evidence to catalyse imagery that is not just illustrative but truly impactful. Visual media is vital to connect with audiences, but environmental imagery is often ineffective, inaccessible or absent.

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https://www.catholic.org.au/acbc-media/media-centre/social-networking-policy/file

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https://toronto.oapce.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CSPC-Social-Media-Guidelines.pdf

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https://www.tcdsb.org/Board/Policies/Documents/social-media-guidelines.pdf

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Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, U.S. 301, Wilson, Caroline du Nord, États-Unis

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Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, U.S. 301, Wilson, Caroline du Nord, États-Unis

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Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, U.S. 301, Wilson, Caroline du Nord, États-Unis

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https://dioceseofraleigh.org/communications-office/social-media-guidelines

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Guidelines for the Use of Websites and Social Media for All Personnel and Volunteers Within the Diocese of Raleigh
Download these social media guidelines as a PDF file.
Video Briefs

Table of Contents

1. Purpose and Application

2. Official Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts

1. Establishing a Diocese Entity Website or Social Media Account

2. Diocese Entity Account Management

3. Standards for Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts

4. Commenting Policy and Disclaimer for Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts

5. Transparency of Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts

3. Proper Relationships and Online Communication

4. Guidelines for Personal Websites and Social Media Accounts

5. Definitions

Note: Some words and phrases used throughout the Guidelines correlate with definitions listed at the end of the document.
I. Purpose and Application

These guidelines are designed to aid all Diocesan entities in ensuring that personnel adhere to appropriate usage, boundaries, and best practices related to, and to define specific standards of conduct for the use of, websites and social media services including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn, Tumblr etc. These guidelines are offered by the Diocese of Raleigh as a resource for all Diocesan entities. Parish pastors/administrators, school principals, and similar management personnel may develop directives particular to their Diocesan entity's mission and operation that provide additional guidance to personnel in the use and management of web media. No such directive should contradict the contents of these guidelines.

II. Official Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts
A. Establishing a Diocese Entity Website or Social Media Account
A website or social media Account that will be officially associated with any Diocesan entity, or through which content will be otherwise published on behalf of any Diocesan entity, shall not be established without the written approval of the parish's pastor/administrator. A website or social media account that will be associated with a Catholic school may be established with the principal's written approval, unless the pastor/administrator determines that the website or social media account should not be established or should be deleted after it has been created.
B. Diocese Entity Account Management
A Diocesan entity must ensure that it establishes and maintains control over any website or social media account associated with that Diocesan entity. Additionally, with respect to any website associated with a Diocesan entity, the Diocese of Raleigh or an appropriate legal entity controlled by the Diocese of Raleigh must be the registered owner of the domain. Note: In some cases, it may not be possible to obtain ownership over a website, such as a Diocesan entity's Facebook page because some social media organizations will insist on retaining ownership rights.

The Diocesan entity's head (pastors, pastoral administrators, school principals, catholic charities executive director, ministry/outreach director, etc.) may choose to delegate in writing the role of "account manager" for a website or social media account to a person who will manage and monitor day-to-day operations, including comment moderation where appropriate. To be considered an account manager, this individual must be a level C personnel in the Diocese of Raleigh. Whenever practical this person should be an employee or clergy.

For example, a pastor/administrator might delegate the role of account manager to the parish youth director who will manage the parish's Facebook page.

Only Diocesan entity heads, appropriate information technology personnel, and account managers may have Administrative Access to a Diocesan entity website or social media account or access to Administrative Access login credentials. Diocesan entity heads must retain Administrative Access to their respective Diocesan entity's website(s) and social media account(s). Diocesan entity heads must ensure that, acting alone or through information technology personnel, they can terminate the Administrative Access of any designated account manager. Diocesan entity heads, information technology personnel, and account managers must ensure that login credentials are secured against unauthorized access, such as by storing them in an encrypted file.

Any email address used as a login credential to obtain Administrative Access to a Diocesan entity website or social media account should be generated through a corporately-owned domain that is controlled by the Diocese or the applicable Diocesan entity. For instance, the email address should not be a Gmail or Yahoo email address-rather, it should be through @raldioc.org or @[parishname].com.

For social media accounts, it is preferred that a tool such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck be utilized by account managers in order to avoid sharing the account's primary login credentials with the account manager. This makes the granting and terminating of Administrative Access rights a smooth process whenever it is necessary.
C. Standards for Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts
The Code of Conduct for Church Personnel of the Diocese of Raleigh applies to activity on social media and Diocesan entity websites. All content published on behalf of a Diocesan entity must be consistent with the teachings and tenets of the Roman Catholic Church, for which the Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh has responsibility and authority, and must not otherwise be inappropriate, create a risk of reputational harm to the Diocese or any Diocesan entity, or create legal exposure for the Diocese or any Diocesan entity. Examples of Diocesan entity-published content that would be prohibited under this standard include, but are not limited to, content that would reasonably be considered dishonest, derogatory, sexually suggestive, sexually explicit, defamatory, fraudulent, degrading, malicious, disrespectful, or threatening. Personnel must maintain an appropriate professional demeanor when communicating on or through a Diocesan website or social media account.

Individual site administrators are responsible for adequate monitoring and responding to content on their sites. Conflicts over posted content that are not resolved at the local ministry site are to be referred to the Diocese of Raleigh Communication Department for resolution.
D. Commenting Policy and Disclaimer for Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts
Every Diocesan entity website or social media account that offers the ability to "comment" should: 1) allow comments only with prior approval of the account manager or 2) be frequently checked to ensure that all comments are appropriate and in keeping with the standards for Diocese websites and social media accounts set forth in Section II. C above, including the teachings and tenets of the Catholic Church.

Additionally, whenever commenting is available, a clearly visible "Commenting Policy" should be displayed if possible.

Note: Displaying the policy, or the full policy, may not always be possible. In cases where it is possible to post a Commenting Policy, here is an example that could be used:

Readers and patrons of this site are welcome to comment. Discussion is encouraged, but proper etiquette must be in place. Obscenities, spam, bashing, bullying, verbal abuse, insults, link solicitations, repetitive or fraudulent comments, and comments irrelevant to the post under which they are written will be immediately removed. It may be decided that comments will require approval prior to publication.

Diocesan entity websites should clearly display a disclaimer that communicates, "Users of this website should have no expectation of privacy."

Diocesan entity blogs, social media websites, social networking sites, and similar websites or platforms that promote interactive dialogue that is not intended to represent the views of the Diocese or any Diocesan entity should clearly display an appropriate disclaimer that reads, "The opinions expressed are those of the author/commenter and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Diocese of Raleigh or its entities."
E. Transparency of Diocese Websites and Social Media Accounts
Websites and social media accounts should clearly display the contact information of the account manager. Diocesan entity websites and social media accounts should declare that they are an "Official" website or account of the Diocesan entity.

Any website or social media account operating under the guise of the Diocese of Raleigh or of one of its entities, without proper approval and refuses to remove the page/account, should be reported to the Diocesan Director of Communications immediately.

III. Proper Relationships and Online Communication

Parish personnel and volunteers must ensure that their use of web pages and social media accounts maintains a proper professional relationship, especially with minors, and does not create or give the appearance of an inappropriate relationship.

Appropriate boundaries must be maintained between adults and minors at all times. Excessive familiarity of a purely social relationship between adults and minors is not appropriate. Being "friendly" and being "friends" with children are very different, and should not be confused by Diocesan entity personnel or adult volunteers. As such, personnel and volunteers should not communicate one-on-one with minors through personal websites or social media accounts.

IV. Guidelines for Personal Websites and Social Media Accounts

These guidelines (Section IV) apply to personal websites, social media accounts, and online content (i.e., websites, social media accounts, and content owned, managed, and/or created by Diocesan entity personnel and volunteers other than on behalf of a Diocesan entity). Personnel and volunteers are solely responsible for content they post online, including, but not limited to, Facebook posts, comments on blog posts, tweets, and Facebook or Instagram "likes" (which may suggest approval of a post or other related Content). Before creating online content, Diocesan entity personnel and volunteers should consider the risks and rewards that are involved. They should keep in mind that any conduct, including failure to adhere to these guidelines, that adversely affects their job performance, the job performance of other personnel or volunteers, or otherwise adversely affects other persons, the legitimate interests of the Diocese of Raleigh, or any Diocesan entity, may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and/or their ability to serve as a volunteer.

Personal online postings should be in line with Catholic values, should not offend the faith, morals, and teachings of the Catholic Church, and should not be otherwise inappropriate. Efforts to adhere to this standard should include the following:

Personnel and volunteers should not post discriminatory remarks, harassment, or threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct.

Personnel and volunteers should always be fair and courteous to others, including clergy, personnel, volunteers, parishioners, and other persons associated with the Catholic Church. Personnel should keep in mind that they are more likely to resolve work-related complaints by speaking directly with their co-workers, rather than by posting complaints online. If personnel decide to post online content, they should avoid posting anything that reasonably could be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening, or intimidating, or that disparages clergy, personnel, volunteers, parishioners, or other persons associated with the Catholic Church. Examples of such conduct might include offensive posts meant to intentionally harm someone's reputation or posts that could contribute to a hostile work environment.

Personnel and volunteers should not post sensitive or confidential information obtained in connection with their employment or volunteer status, such as banking information, Social Security numbers, and, in most cases, contact information.

Personnel and volunteers should be honest and accurate when posting content online.

Personnel and volunteers should never represent themselves as a spokesperson for the Diocese or a Diocesan entity. If they post content related to their position with a Diocesan entity, they should make clear that their views do not represent those of the Diocese or any Diocesan entity, such as by including a disclaimer such as "Posts are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Diocese of Raleigh or [the relevant Diocese Entity, such as a school if appropriate]." Such a disclaim does not exempt personnel and volunteers from accountability and responsibility for what they communicate.

Furthermore, all personal websites must be in accord with all Diocese of Raleigh policies and Code of Conduct for Church Personnel of the Diocese of Raleigh. Parish websites and social media accounts should be careful when linking to a minor's website or social media account, and should be considerate of the wishes of the minor's parent(s).

Despite privacy setting options, all content posted or communicated via any website or social media account will be treated as though it is universally or publicly available.

V. Definitions

The term " Administrative Access " shall mean access to Website management tools or a Social Media Account/Profile that allows a person to modify, create, delete, or publish Content.

The term " Content " shall mean any digital information that communicates a message, including but not limited to text, photos, audio files, and video files.

The term " Diocesan Entity " shall mean any organization, department, office, ministry, outreach, Parish, school, agency, committee, task force, advisory board, or institution within the Diocese of Raleigh.

The terms "Diocese Entity Website," " Diocese Entity Social Media Account," and " Diocese Entity Website [and/or] Social Media Account " shall mean a Website and/or Social Media Account-depending on the context-that is owned or managed by or on behalf of the Diocese or a Diocese Entity. This term does not include Personal Websites or Social Media Accounts.

The term " Minor " shall mean any person under the age of eighteen, or over the age of 18 but still enrolled in high school.

The term " Personnel " shall mean the bishop, priests, deacons, seminarians, non-ordained religious, lay employees, and lay volunteers who are involved in work for the Diocese of Raleigh, its parishes and agencies and who represent the Church by virtue of office, designated position, employment or contract.

The term " Personal " shall mean, with respect to any Website, Social Media Account, or online Content, the Website, Social Media Account, or Content of an individual or external group that is not owned, managed, or published by or on behalf of the Diocese of Raleigh or a Diocese Entity. This term does not include Diocese Entity Websites or Social Media Accounts.

The term " Social Media " shall mean an account associated with a social media service including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Vine, etc.

The term " Website " shall mean any web presence, including any website that displays social media Content or features.

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Download these social media guidelines as a PDF file.

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John G - I would be remiss if I did not post the Synod Social Media Toolkit that our Synod team worked on!

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John G- I recently did a presentation for the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They do a phenomenal job on digital media, and asked that we gather via zoom to discuss digital media intentionality and best practices. I think this could be a helpful tool for us.

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John G - I work for the Diocese of Bridgeport, and these are resources that I have developed myself and distributed to parishes, schools, and ministries throughout the diocese and beyond. https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Social-Media-Toolkit_and_Best_Practices_for_Parishes_and_Schools.pdf

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Why Social Media?

The power, promise, and potential of social media can no longer be denied. Billions of people use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to communicate, interact, and share experiences. Corporations, institutions, and even governments are on social media, and when investing in it, are seeing immediate returns on their investments. Social media has become the front line of communications for any organization - to the point where many suspect an organization that does not have social media.

Social media wears many different hats: it can function as a communications platform for events and initiatives, a public relations tool to improve the public perception of your organization and can serve to market your goals and agenda. A well-functioning, constantly updated, dynamic social media presence is the very definition of a "quick win."

Its various "push" strategies advance diocesan messaging and news reporting, drive readers back to the website, and serve as a point-of-purchase resource to help promote special events. Social Media is a major new tool that offers unprecedented visibility, community and accountability in the communications mix.

Platform Basics

Facebook has shifted towards an older demographic, with a heavy population of men and women from Generation X and older. Youth and young adults are certainly on Facebook but treat it more like a "website" and are more likely to spend time on their own profile than their newsfeed. That said, Facebook is by far the most active medium, and easiest to grow on. Facebook ads are also the least expensive and the most effective.

Twitter is decidedly geared toward the younger crowd and for interacting with other Catholic organizations. Given its dynamic nature and newsfeed centered experience, it requires significant maintenance and upkeep. Given that the user experience with Twitter is geared primarily through the News Feed feature, and depending on how many accounts a user follows, the volume can be significant. As such, in evangelizing, marketing, or communicating on Twitter, you are competing for space on a News Feed. Despite this, Twitter can be used to great advantage due to its fast-paced nature.

Instagram has emerged as a worthy compliment to Twitter and Facebook and has been on the scene as a viable marketing tool for a few years now. What was once a niche social media platform is now the place to highlight your most important picture(s) or video of the day. It is also a very young medium, geared toward the millennial generation. As of now, Instagram requires the least amount of social media legwork to post, but the most to gain followers. Many schools and parishes are not on Instagram yet, but given their target demographics, a hard look at Instagram is highly recommended.

Posting Best Practices

Before discussing best practices, it is important to know that a one-size-fits-all posting strategy does not work for everyone. These guidelines are meant to give you the basic information required to craft a personalized posting strategy, unique to your account, demographics, and the platform you are posting on.

Before Getting Started
Keep your posts relevant to your organization ONLY. Parish or school specific news, pictures, videos, and events should compose 95% of your social media posts. Notable exceptions would be sharing something from the Bishop, Diocese, or Holy Father (highly encouraged!) or something related to catholic education (for schools) or parish life (for parishes).

Politics are off limits for Diocesan social media accounts. You should refrain from endorsing candidates, endorsing political positions, and posting about divisive issues. Any account that posts about divisive or controversial topics will not be featured by the Diocese of Bridgeport's accounts.

Refrain from posting irrelevant or redundant material. Do not use the organization's account to promote something of your own, or content from other organizations.

Your goal is to get people to engage with your postings. Post content that others might be interested in commenting on or sharing with their friends. Post uplifting content that helps spiritually nourish those who view it!

What should you post?
A good social media content strategy features a mix of graphics, pictures, and videos with captivating and interactive captions. Though this may sound intimidating, videos and graphics are significantly easier to create with software like Canva (free, web based graphic creation), and iMovie (free Mac based software for videos).

In order to create compelling content that will incentivize your audience to come back to your page each day, it is recommend that you create weekly "segments" that are posted at the same day and time each week. For example, creating a weekly video series with the Pastor of your Parish, or posting a relevant quote from a Saint as a graphic every Wednesday. Get creative!
When should you post?
Facebook
Frequency

Minimum 1 post per day

Maximum 2 posts per day evenly spaced

Space out posts by AT LEAST 6 hours. Otherwise, you are cannibalizing your reach

Times

A healthy posting schedule would be 9:00am and 8:30pm. Times are flexible

Highest traffic online peaks between 7:30pm and 9:15pm at night

Lowest traffic online (besides early morning hours) is 10:30am- 12:00pm, and 1:00pm-3:00pm

Dates

Highest traffic is generally on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday

Lowest traffic days are Tuesday and Wednesday

Friday evening is a surprisingly busy online time, but not for video. Use this for a graphic or picture with a short caption

Twitter
Frequency

5-7 Tweets per day minimum. No maximum

Live tweeting can get annoying, be strategic and space your tweets out

Times Dates

Twitter is active all 7 days of the week but is the least active medium for businesses during the weekend. You can either follow this trend or use the lack of other accounts tweeting to your advantage

Instagram
Frequency Times Dates

The weekend and Mondays see more traffic than any other period of time

Activity decreases throughout the week from Tuesday to Friday, increases Saturday and peaks Sunday and Monday

How should you post it?
Style: The style of any social media post should be positive, warm, upbeat, and informal. You want to "let your hair down," so to speak. Posting a press release would be a bad practice. Instead, synthesize what you want to say to no more than a short paragraph. Personalize your tone. Give the organization a "persona." Social media allows organizations to have a personality and to speak for themselves.

Formatting: One sentence to one paragraph for Facebook and Instagram. 280 characters for Twitter. Tag relevant accounts, register the location of the event, and include relevant hashtags! Try to avoid hashtags on Facebook. Use full sentences and words on Facebook, do not abbreviate. Abbreviations (used sporadically), are okay on Twitter.

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Why Social Media? Platform Basics Posting Best Practices Why Social Media? The power, promise, and potential of social media can no longer be denied. Billions of people use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to communicate, interact, and share experiences. Corporations, institutions, and

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An overview of the necessity of digital communication and best practices for engaging online.