Christian - Media - World

"Since the very evangelization of modern culture depends to a large extent on the influence of media, it is not enough simply to spread the Christian message and the Church's authentic teaching. It is necessary to integrate that message into the "new culture" created by modern communications"

Vatican Report

	Journalists Have Duty to Serve Truth (Zenit) Vatican Aide Comments on Message for Media Day.  "Those working in the media have a moral duty to disseminate the truth, according to a Vatican spokesman."
	Benedict XVI: Media Overstepping the Mark (Zenit) Urges Communicators to Seek and Present Truth "Rather than reporting on reality, mass media sometimes create reality, thus wielding tremendous power over all dimensions of human life, Benedict XVI says."
	Giving Globalization a Positive Spin (Zenit) Vatican Aide Outlines Challenges for Christian Media "We need to 'defend the variety and identity of all peoples, of various nations, and make people understand that this cultural wealth should be shared with everyone.'...Another theme of our communication 'is that of charity and hope,' Father Lombardi said. 'We live in a world in which bad news is abundant,' but 'there are also many more good things around us that at first sight we don't see.'"
	A Secret for Communicators: Love Christ (Zenit) Interview With Father Raniero Cantalamessa "In short, modern communication media convey sadness. The media place far more stress on the evil and tragic side of the world than on the good and positive aspects."
	Media Council Focuses on Role of the Laity (Zenit) "Forming Catholics as media and communications professionals is one of the priorities for the Church, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications...this is one of the top five priorities for the Church in communications."
	Keep Media Clean for the Kids, Says Prelate (Zenit) "The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop John Foley at the opening of the 5th World Summit on Media for Children, being held in Johannesburg through Wednesday; told media professionals that entertainment, especially that aimed at children, should be neither self-serving nor exploitative."
	Evangelizing a Digital World (Zenit) How Churches Can Communicate With Youth Today By Father John Flynn, LC "Passing on the faith to the next generation is harder than ever in a world that is more and more secularized. A recent book offers recommendations on how to get the message across to a new mentality strongly influenced by changes in media technology."
	On Ecclesial Movements and New Communities (Zenit) The greatest challenge facing the Church at the beginning of the new millennium is the task which has always been entrusted to her: evangelization. The Church is called in every epoch, and therefore in our own, to embrace anew the missionary mandate of the Risen Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20).
	Papal Address on 75th Anniversary of Vatican Radio (Zenit) "Do not forget, however, that in order to carry out the mission entrusted to you, a proper technical and professional training is of course necessary; above all, though, you must ceaselessly cultivate within you a spirit of prayer and faithful adherence to the teachings of Christ and his Church. May the Virgin Mary, Star of the new evangelization, help and protect you always!"
	The Right to Offend? (Zenit) First Amendment Scholar Richard Garnett on the Limits of Free Speech "Notre Dame law professor and free speech expert Richard Garnett argues that freedom of speech does include the right to say things that others may find offensive, and that hearers of such speech are accountable for their responses in light of this principle. He shared with ZENIT why the dangers of punishing 'offensive' speech may be worse than the results of tolerating such speech."
	Common Good Before Profit in Media, Says Pope (Zenit) "Benedict XVI highlighted 'the challenge to encourage the social communications and entertainment industries to be protagonists of truth and promoters of peace. As you well know,' the Pope continued, 'such a commitment demands principled courage and resolve, on the part of those who own and work within the hugely influential media industry, to ensure that promotion of the common good is never sacrificed to a self-serving quest for profit or an ideological agenda with little public accountability.'"
	Pope's Address to Members of Council for Social Communications (Zenit) "In my first Message for World Communications Day I chose to reflect on the media as a network which facilitates communication, communion and cooperation. I did so recalling that the decree of the Second Vatican Council, "Inter Mirifica," had already recognized the enormous power of the media to inform the minds of individuals and to shape their thinking. Forty years later we realize, more than ever, the pressing need to harness that power for the benefit of all humanity.
	Pope's Address on Vatican Radio - "A Great Family Which Has No Borders" (Zenit) "It is a great joy for me to be here. We are conscious that 75 years ago, Pope Pius XI inaugurated Vatican Radio, thus giving a voice to the Holy See, beyond that, to the Church and to the Lord -- a voice with which to truly apply the Lord's commandment: 'Proclaim the Gospel to all creatures to the ends of the earth.'"
	Vatican Radio a Voice Serving Truth, Says Pope (Zenit) "In the media world, as we know," he said, "there is no lack of opposing voices. It is, therefore, particularly important that this voice exist, which really wishes to be at the service of truth, of Christ, and in this way, at the service of peace and reconciliation in the world."
	Unbelief and Bad Belief - Vatican Document Weighs How to Evangelize Culture (Zenit) "The document starts by noting the loss of faith in today's world. 'There is a rupture in the handing on the faith, intimately linked to the process of abandonment of a popular culture long attached to and impregnated by Christianity,' the introduction states. The weakening of this popular religious culture brings with it serious consequences in terms of how people think, behave and judge." This article lists the causes of unbelief and how to evangelize culture.
	Four Keys for Media are Spelled Out - Archbishop John P. Foley (Zenit.org) "Archbishop Foley Addresses Gathering of Peace Communications Network. To be truthful, to contribute to justice, to serve freedom and to transmit a 'superabundance of love' are the keys for the media to foster peace, a vatican official says."
	Archbishop Foley's Address to Communicators (Zenit.org) "Here is the text of an address Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, prepared for a presentation today to a joint meeting of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy of Communications Arts Professionals."
	Spiritual Olympics - Archbishop John P. Foley (Knights of Columbus) "The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications recounts the spiritual and material benefits that result from a Eucharistic Congress."
	Intervention By Archbishop John P. Foley President, Pontifical Council for Social Communications, International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP), Jubilee Celebration, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Friday, December 6, 2002 (Agenzia Fides)
	Homily of Archbishop John P. Foley, President, Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Mass at Congress of New Evangelization of America (NEA), Dallas, Texas, February 1, 2003 (Agenzia Fides)
	Pastoral Instruction "Aetatis Novae" on Social Communication - John P. Foley (Mediamatic) "There can be no doubt that the Roman Catholic Church is going through a crisis. The energy Pope John Paul II displayed in visiting the most remote archdioceses contrasts sharply with the Church of Rome's sluggishness in making use of the media revolution. For good reason, the recent pastoral brief about 'means of social communication' opens with the statement that today, people everywhere feel the strong influence of the media on religious and moral attitudes, political and social systems and education. But one certainly need not be a catholic to add that it is not the catholic media which are producing this effect."
	UCIP's Diamond Jubilee and 75th Anniversary Celebrations Rome, Italy, 6 December 2002 - Archbishop John P. Foley (UCIP) "Thank you for having come to Rome for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the International Catholic Union of the Press. It is a gesture much appreciated by our Holy Father and by all of us here in Rome who wish to see UCIP grow and prosper in service to journalists and indeed to the universal Church."
	To World Federation of Advertisers (EWTN) "In Brussels, Belgium, for celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the World Federation of Advertisers, Archbishop John P. Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, delivered the following intervention on 28 October 2003. The speech was voted best of the Conference."
	Editor's Desk: "Common Organ" Michael F. Flach Herald Editor (Arlington Catholic Herald) "Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, traveled from Rome to Charleston last week to take part in the 175th anniversary celebration of the Catholic press in the United States. The celebration was part of the Catholic Press Association's southern regional convention."
	Pope John Paul II: Over 25 Years of Recollections. For a world hungry for truth, the light of the Gospel shines through this Pope - Archbishop John P. Foley (Our Sunday Visitor) "What Catholic will ever be able to forget Oct. 16, 1978 - the election to the papacy of the "man from a far country!" Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of Cracow? I first met the Archbishop of Cracow in Rome in June 1967. He had just been named a cardinal in the same consistory with the Archbishop of Philadelphia, John J. Krol, whom I was accompanying for the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard and Times, and as a media assistant to help other journalists and television commentators who were also accompanying Philadelphia's newly named cardinal."
	"Boredom" Greatest Sin in Media - Archbishop John P. Foley (Zenit) The president of the Vatican dicastery for communications reminded students studying mass communication that "you have the delicate task to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to announce it to the largest possible public, but never in a threatening or coercive manner."
	The Church Should Use the Internet to Evangelize - Archbishop John P. Foley (Zenit) "The Internet can be a new path to God, a call to the Church to question itself on the opportunities offered by the new media to inform, educate, pray and evangelize, to take the Word of God everywhere, to reach also those who live in solitude and who perhaps would never open the door to their home."

What Does The Media Say About Itself?

	New Media Apostolate Was Inspired By Late Jesuit  ( Matt Abbott) “After Fr. Hardon’s death, there was a slow, relaxed time, but that soon came to an end,” said Gruss.  “I began to remember Father’s voice reminding me of the many needs of the Church.  He would often state a need, and you knew he wanted you to do something.  He believed every Catholic should give his or her time and work, and should sacrifice for the Church.”
	Catholics, the Media and the American Public Square (Catholic Educator's Research Center) "The following is an edited transcript of speeches given by: Rod Dreher Senior Writer, National Review J. Bottum Books and Arts Editor, The Weekly Standard Philip F. Lawler Editor, Catholic World Report and Robert Lockwood Director of Communications, Diocese of Pittsburg. These papers were given at a conference on Catholics and the Media held at the National Press Club on March 13-14, 2002." (Faith and Reason Institute)
	How Reporting on the Church Is Distorted (Zenit) "One of the greatest distortions when it comes to reporting on the Catholic Church lies in 'favoring reactions over and above what is said,' says a professor of communications. Diego Contreras, professor of information analysis and practice at the School of Communication of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, offered that opinion in his opening address to the Assembly of Media Delegates, which met here recently."
	Be Not Afraid of Media, Urges Editor (Zenit) "'Although the sacred must be preserved, in all else the Church has nothing to hide,' explained Franz-Oliver Giesbert, editor of the French weekly Le Point. 'It must be very present in the media, but without ingenuousness or lack of professionalism, always choosing its field of intervention well,' he advised."
	Anchors Away - Sterling Rome (Catholic Educator's Research Center) "Bias in broadcast news anchors is inevitable when the profitability of entertainment is placed ahead of the integrity of information." CNSNews.com (April 2, 2001).
	About Catholic News Service (Catholic News Service) "The mission of Catholic News Service is the mission of the Church itself -- to spread the Gospel through contemporary means of communication...Our mission is to perform this task by reporting the news which affects Catholics in their everyday lives...Some of that news is good and some is bad, but it is what readers need to know in order to work for salvation. They need to know that there are saints in the making in the Church today and they need to know that there are sinners too."

Use of the Media for Evangelization

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	Impact of Mass Media on the Church, According to Marshall McLuhan Interview With Father Dariusz Gronowski "The Church sees the means of communication as if they were "instruments" and not as "agents." For this reason, the discussion over the media in the Church is centered on two aspects: the way in which they can be used for our goals, for evangelization; and on an ethical level, that is to say, the way in which the world of mass media should act."
	Pope Benedict XVI Meets With Journalists (FindLaw) - Victor L. Simpson "(AP) - VATICAN CITY- The new pope, reading prepared remarks in four languages, thanked journalists for their coverage of the "historically important" events during the papal transition, urged them to remember their ethical responsibilities and said he hoped to continue his predecessor's tradition of openness with the media."
	Use of Media Urged in Evangelization (Zenit) "'To evangelize through the media is not something merely optional but an imperative,' said Father Gerardo Pastor, when addressing a congress on 'The Church and the Media: An Unlimited Future. . . .The press services of many dioceses are poorly organized, if they exist at all, compared to those of important enterprises,' the priest continued."
	Church and Media Seen as Colleagues, Not Foes (Zenit) "Archbishop Wilton Gregory, now head of the Atlanta Archdiocese, said Friday that 'given the extraordinary scope of the media in today's world, the Church herself must be engaged in working collaboratively with this powerful source of information and influence.' In his address entitled 'What Does the Church Expect from the Media?' the archbishop said: 'While there may well be moments of tension, misunderstanding and differing perspectives with a particular component of the media, the Church cannot choose to ignore or fail to employ the services of so powerful an institution of public benefit.'"
	Media Urged to Be Committed to Truth and Human Dignity - Bishops of the Americas Hold Conference in Columbia (Zenit) "However, 'the media must also demonstrate its commitment to truth,' given the profound influence it exercises, as for many people, 'the search for truth is linked to what they see in the media,' they said. 'When the media's commitment to truth is defective, then people's judgments and conduct are likewise defective. For this reason, the Church feels especially committed to seeing that the media defends ethical imperatives,' explained the prelates."
	The Media as Wondrous Gifts of God, Given for Our Santification - Fr. Bob (Bernard R.) Bonnot, S.T.L., Ph.D. (Daughters of St. Paul) Part One:   Vatican II and its Impact on our Lives Part Two:   Communication for Communion Part Three:   The Media and God's Call to Holiness Part Four:   The Media as Gifts of God Part Five:   Using the Media for Our Sanctification
	Where Have You Gone Fulton Sheen? - Raymond Cleaveland "During the 1952 American Presidential campaign, Eisenhower ran commercials in selected cities across the country. His opponent, Adlai Stevenson, did not employ television in his campaign strategy. He underestimated its power. TV was just making its debut in America's living rooms, but it made the difference for Ike. It has for every politician in every country ever since..."
	William Donohue - Media Savvy Catholic - Raymond Cleaveland "Last month, when Planned Parenthood protested the federal government decision to allow its employees in 27 Illinois counties to choose a Catholic health plan run by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Dr. William Donohue made his voice heard..."
	Book Review by Dorothy Amorella Parental Guide - Children and the Media A Landscape with Dragons by Michael O'Brien "Films, videos, and commercial television have come close to replacing the Church, the arts, and the university as the primary shaper of the modern sense of reality. Most children drink from polluted wells which seem uncleanable and unaccountable to anyone except the money-makers."
	The Great Communicator - By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP (Tidings) During an April 3 interview on "Meet the Press," Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, recalled something Pope John Paul II said to Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore when he asked the Holy Father if it was okay if a television camera could be there for a presentation he was making to the pope.
	EWTN "Media" Document Library (EWTN) An index of all files in the EWTN "Media" Document Library as of 2/28/2005 sorted by library and title.