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After the World Congress on catholic Television held in 2006 at Madrid, and that on Catholic Radio in 2008 in the Vatican, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has arranged this third Congress to encourage reflection by professionals in the field on “the Catholic Press in the digital era.”
“In is necessary to recognise that we living at an historic moment in which the lay Press is questioning itself about its future” Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said in his message at the opening of the Congress. “But it is also true,” he said, “that the Catholic Press is facing a number of challenges connected with its own specific nature. I think that in this situation we all have to ask ourselves what really is its identity and its mission.”
On the first working day there was a wide-ranging discussion of the current challenges facing the Press In the morning some lay editors of well-known newspapers gave their opinions and in the afternoon the focus was more on the Catholic Press with contributions among others from Marco Tarquinio, Editor of “Avvenire”, and Dominique Quinio, Editor of “La Croix”.
On Tuesday 5 October the focus was on the contribution the Catholic Press can make from its own standpoint to the political and cultural life of its own country. In the afternoon the relationship between a news service and a pastoral service was considered with a reflection on the subject “Ecclesial Communion and controversies. Freedom of expression and the truth of the Church.”
The final part of the work was devoted to an examination of the contribution of the blogger, the theologian, the sociologist and the journalist, and some of the issues related to the new media such as the question of the “digital divide”, but also of the opportunities offered by communication on-line. A round table discussion then followed at which were discussed the ways of using the new media by Catholic communicators with an analysis of some diocesan and parochial sites, diocesan newsletters, and services on-line.
Today, the final day of the Congress, the work of the continental groups will be brought together and the plenary session will reach its conclusions. The Congress will end with an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
Published 07/10/2010
