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“New Technologies, New Relationships.

Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship” Benedict XVI’S Message for Media Day Dear Brothers and Sisters, In anticipation of the forthcoming World Communications Day, I would like to address to you some reflections on the theme chosen for this year -- "New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship." The new digital technologies are, indeed, bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships. These changes are particularly evident among those young people who have grown up with the new technologies and are at home in a digital world that often seems quite foreign to those of us who, as adults, have had to learn to understand and appreciate the opportunities it has to offer for communications. In this year’s message, I am conscious of those who constitute the socalled digital generation and I would like to share with them, in particular, some ideas concerning the extraordinary potential of the new technologies, if they are used to promote human understanding and solidarity. These technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavour to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable.

The accessibility of mobile telephones and computers, combined with the global reach and penetration of the internet, has opened up a range of means of communication that permit the almost instantaneous communication of words and images across enormous distances and to some of the most isolated corners of the world; something that would have been unthinkable for previo us

generations. Young people, in particular, have grasped the enormous capacity of the new media to foster connectedness, communication and understanding between individuals and communities, and they are turning to them as means of communicating with existing friends, of meeting new friends, of forming communities and networks, of seeking information and news, and of sharing their ideas and opinions. Many benefits flow from this new culture of communication: families are able to maintain contact across great distances; students and researchers have more immediate and easier access to documents, sources and scientific discoveries, hence they can work collaboratively from different locations; moreover, the interactive nature of many of the new media facilitates more dynamic forms of learning and communication, thereby contributing to social progress.

While the speed with which the new technologies have evolved in terms of their efficiency and reliability is rightly a source of wonder, their popularity with users should not surprise us, as they respond to a fundamental desire of people to communicate and to relate to each other. This desire for communication and friendship is rooted in our very nature as human beings and cannot be adequately understood as a response to technical innovations. In the light of the biblical message, it should be seen primarily as a reflection of our participation in the communicative and unifying Love of God, who desires to make of all humanity one family. When we find ourselves drawn towards other people, when we want to know more about them and make ourselves known to them, we are responding to God’s call – a call that is imprinted in our nature as beings created in the image and likeness of God, the God of communication and communion.

The desire for connectedness and the instinct for communication that are so obvious in contemporary culture are best understood as modern manifestations of the basic and enduring propensity of humans to reach beyond themselves and to seek communion with others. In reality, when we open ourselves to others, we are fulfilling our deepest need and becoming more fully human. Loving is, in fact, what we are designed for by our Creator. Naturally, I am not talking about fleeting, shallow relationships, I am talking about the real love that is at the very heart of Jesus’ moral teaching: "You must love the Lord

your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" and "You must love your neighbour as yourself" (cf. Mk 12:30-31). In this light, reflecting on the significance of the new technologies, it is important to focus not just on their undoubted capacity to foster contact between people, but on the quality of the content that is put into circulation using these means. I would encourage all people of good will who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.

Those who are active in the production and dissemination of new media content, therefore, should strive to respect the dignity and worth of the human person. If the new technologies are to serve the good of individuals and of society, all users will avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable.

The new technologies have also opened the way for dialogue between people from different countries, cultures and religions. The new digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows them to encounter and to know each other’s traditions and values. Such encounters, if they are to be fruitful, require honest and appropriate forms of expression together with attentive and respectful listening. The dialogue must be rooted in a genuine and mutual searching for truth if it is to realize its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance. Life is not just a succession of events or experiences: it is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who see us merely as consumers in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.

The concept of friendship has enjoyed a renewed prominence in the vocabulary of the new digital social networks that have emerged in the last few years. The concept is one of the noblest achievements of human culture. It is in and through our friendships that we grow and develop as humans. For this reason, true friendship has always been seen as one of the greatest goods any human person can experience. We should be careful, therefore, never to trivialize the concept or the experience of friendship. It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our

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neighbours and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development.

permit the sharing of knowledge and information in a more rapid and effective manner, were not made accessible to those who are already economically and socially marginalized, or if it should contribute only to increasing the gap separating the poor from the new networks that are developing at the service of human socialization and information.

Friendship is a great human good, but it would be emptied of its ultimate value if it were to be understood as an end in itself. Friends should support and encourage each other in developing their gifts and talents and in putting them at the service of the human community. In this context, it is gratifying to note the emergence of new digital networks that seek to promote human solidarity, peace and justice, human rights and respect for human life and the good of creation. These networks can facilitate forms of co-operation between people from different geographical and cultural contexts that enable them to deepen their common humanity and their sense of shared responsibility for the good of all. We must, therefore, strive to ensure that the digital world, where such networks can be established, is a world that is truly open to all.

It would be a tragedy for the future of humanity if the new instruments of communication, which

I would like to conclude this message by addressing myself, in particular, to young Catholic believers: to encourage them to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives. In the early life of the Church, the great Apostles and their disciples brought the Good News of Jesus to the Greek and Roman world. Just as, at that time, a fruitful evangelization required that careful attention be given to understanding the culture and customs of those pagan peoples so that the truth of the gospel would touch their hearts and minds, so also today, the proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission

adequately. 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. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds! The Pope accompanies you with his prayers and his blessing.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2009 BENEDICTUS PP. XVI © Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

"Addressed Primarily, Although Not Exclusively, to the Digital Generation” Press Statement on The Pope’s Media Message

Monsignor Paul Tighe | secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, gave today at the press conference that released Benedict XVI's message for the 43rd World Communications Day. The theme for the day is "New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship." *** This year's message is addressed primarily, although not exclusively, to the digital generation. The digital generation refers in general to those who have grown up with the new ICTs and who use them spontaneously and almost intuitively. Some commentators have used the terms "digital natives" or "born digital" to refer to this cohort and to distinguish them from other users of digital technologies, sometimes called "digital immigrants", who use the new technologies with varying degrees of competence and enthusiasm but whose basic communication skills were developed with an analogical paradigm.

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The digital generation has come of age in the world of computers, mobile telephones, text and instant messaging, blogging, platforms for video content, internet chat rooms and on-line social networks. It would be a mistake, however, to see these changes as merely technological; they have also revolutionized the culture of communications. They have changed the ways people communicate, the ways they associate and form communities, the ways by which they learn about the world, the ways in which they engage with political and commercial organizations. Whereas in the past, we tended to see the reader, listener or watcher of media as a passive spectator of centrally generated content, it is clear that today we must understand the audience as more selectively and interactively engaging with a wider range of media. The logic of communications has been radically changed – the focus on the media has been replaced by a concentration on the audience which is increasingly autonomous and deliberative in its consumption of media.

That is why this year's message invites all those who engage with the new media to be attentive to the content they are generating, sharing or drawing to the attention of others. It is inviting them to avoid the creation or distribution of words or images that are abusive or lacking in respect for the dignity or worth of other people.

We are all aware of the risks of new forms of cyber-bullying and abusive postings that have emerged in recent years. It is also important that users of the new media are prudent in terms of words or images they distribute concerning themselves – material posted electronically is not easily removed and no one wants to live with a permanent reminder of youthful excesses or ill-advised utterances.

The message is attentive to the reality that the new means of digital communication can be much more invasive and demanding than the traditional means. The message points out the

irony of the situation, if the sense of obligation to maintain virtual connectedness were to isolate people from more immediate forms of social interaction with family, friends and colleagues. It also recognizes that the pervasive nature of modern communications practices could be disruptive of the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for our well-being.

Building on the biblical concept of all people being created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore being pre-disposed for relationship with others, the message concentrates on the theme of friendship as a point of contact between all people of good will. It celebrates the capacity of the new technologies to foster and support good and healthy relationships and various forms of solidarity. It appeals to friendship as a motive to ensure that the new digital world is truly accessible to all. It finds in friendship a shared reference point with all of humanity that grounds the appeal of the message to promote a culture where there is respect for all and where all are invited to search for truth in dialogue.

In presenting the Pope's message this year, the Pontifical Council is also conscious of the practical implications of the new culture of communications it seeks to understand and relate to as part of its mandate. For this reason, we are also launching the message electronically. The text of the message is being sent to thousands of young Catholics throughout the world and they are being invited to share it with their friends, especially with those friends with whom they are digitally networked. I would like to thank the various Communications Departments and Youth Ministry Departments of the Episcopal Conferences who are working with us on this project. © Innovative Media, Inc.

Byte-Sized Religion Churches Explore New Ways to Communicate used the Internet to look for religious and spiritual information than to download music, participate in online auctions or visit adult Web sites.

Walker uploads his recordings to a company called SermonAudio.com. More than 1 million sermons are accessed each month from the site, according to USA Today.

It’s not only sermons that are online. In Ireland one of the countries most popular novenas, held each year by the Redemptorists at their Mount St. Alphonsus monastery in Limerick, was streamed live for the first time this year.

The Web site, www.novena.ie, allowed the church to be viewed through a webcam 24 hours a day, reported CatholicIreland.net, on June 12.

following up some minor curiosities by searching on the Web for information about some philosophical questions. It was the interactivity of the Internet that started to undermine her atheism.

The comments on material published and the online debates opened Fulwiler to Christian views: “I thought I had some good questions for Christians, and I did. But it turned out that they had some good questions for me, too."

The openness and quick response times on the Internet are also features Fulwiler said will benefit religion. “The power of the elite to control information is gone,” she noted. “This means more ideas, more questions, and more rapid answers that are more finely tailored to each person's individual concerns."

Dangers and opportunities

A similar initiative last year for a novena at another Redemptorist Church, the Clonard monastery in Belfast, recorded over 50,000 visitors.

Another Irish community, the Augustinian Church in Cork, started this year to broadcast a novena, reported CatholicIreland.net on April 20.

By Father John Flynn, LC Video online ROME, NOV. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- During the synod of bishops it was suggested that Benedict XVI set up a blog to communicate online. It's an indication of how important the Internet is today when it comes to evangelization.

Just after that came the news that Naples Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe had set up a profile on the social networking site Facebook, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Oct. 28. ''I'm getting 200 new friends every day,'' the cardinal said. ''You have to go where the people are and if the people are on Facebook you go there too."

Cardinal Sepe’s observation about needing to go where young people are is backed up by data from a United States survey. In the group of young people born after 1984, only about 33% attend church on a typical weekend.

The information came from a 2006 survey by the Barna Research Group, cited in an article published by the New York Times on October 26. The article looked at how churches are using a variety of media techniques to appeal to young people. By comparison, 49% of baby boomers are likely to go to church on weekends.

The New York Times mentioned that some preachers are incorporating multimedia resources in their services or preaching, ranging from film clips, modern music and PowerPoint presentations.

Last year the church, which is the center of the Polish community in Cork, started to stream Masses and other ceremonies over the Internet.

“I heard about one woman in Poland who was delighted to see her husband at the ten o’clock Mass at Christmas, going up to receive communion,” said Father Pat Moran.

“We have had over 18,000 visitors from 32 countries since it began,” Father Pat Moran told the news agency.

Video clips are a popular way of communicating on the Internet and GodTube, the religious alternative to YouTube, received a big investment earlier this year.

A London-based hedge fund, GLG Partners, announced it was investing almost $30 million in GodTube, reported the British newspaper, the Guardian on May 13.

At the time the article was published since its launch in August last year GodTube has uploaded more than 100,000 videos, all with an overt religious theme. About 40 workers are employed in order to vet each video before it is posted.

GodTube also streams live sermons, and has a "prayer wall," where users post their petitions.

Sending prayers through the Web is popular, and earlier this year a site to send prayers to God was set up by Bill Tikos, based in Sydney, Australia, reported a local paper, the Sydney Morning Herald, April 20.

Networking Churches have also created profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace, as well as on Christian networking sites. Many churches now also have their own Internet pages, with video clips, podcasts and blogs.

One such church was examined in an April 9 article published by USA Today. The Rev. Bruce Walker preaches to a congregation of fewer than 100 people in Greenville, South Carolina, but his sermons are available via a podcast to people all over the world.

A savvy move, as according to the article a survey last year by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that more people

In the first week after the site, Dear-god.net, was launched, more than 63,000 people visited and hundreds commented on people's prayers.

Evangelization The possibilities of the Internet as a tool for evangelization were examined in an article published June 21 on the site InsideCatholic.com.

Jennifer Fulwiler described her conversion from atheism to Catholicism and argued that the Internet will allow people to discover the truth about religion much more readily than any other medium.

Her own conversion came about as a result of

The Internet, however, is a mix of opportunities and dangers. This was recognized in a letter published by Australia’s Catholic bishops, dated April 27. The bishops issued a pastoral letter on Internet Safety, accompanied by a video posted on YouTube.

The letter itself is directed primarily to parents, grandparents and teachers within the Church community, while the YouTube video talks directly to young people about safety on the Net. Thanks to the Internet, the letter noted, the message of Jesus Christ is conveyed to people around the world in ways that the first evangelists could not even dream of. The text warned, however, that we all have to carefully discern what we read and encounter on the Web. Citing a number of texts from both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI the letter observed that the Church viewed positively the opportunities for evangelization available through the Internet.

Nevertheless, while it offers an enormous range of information it can also disregard values and can degrade human dignity. There is also a great need to protect children and families from the dangerous and destructive content available.

“As Christians, we are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all,” the bishops commented. “Let us embrace the Internet with faith, enthusiasm, and wisdom, as we live our shared vocation in the cyber-age.”

This enthusiasm for the Internet’s possibilities is shared by the Vatican. In September, Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, announced the 2009 theme for World Day of Social Communications: "New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."

"Progress in means does not simply imply a step forward, but always brings new conditions and possibilities that humanity can use and invest for the common good and make into the basis for ample and widespread cultural growth," he explained.

Archbishop Celli also announced that a bishops' meeting is scheduled for March, to bring together prelates responsible for communication and media experts. Faith 2.0 is getting off to a flying start in the Third Millennium. © Innovative Media, Inc.

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Archbishop; God Has A Role In The “Mediasphere” Highlights New Catholic Media Networking Web Site 2 keys Archbishop Celli continued: "I would suggest that there are two dimensions to this required cultural attentiveness; in the first place, it is important for the communicator or evangelist to know the general culture of his or her intended audience -- to know their cares and concerns, their fears and their hopes; in the second place, he or she must be familiar with the specific culture challenges presented by the new media environment where significant changes in patterns of media consumption have been brought about by the changes in technologies."

He underlined his hopeful stance faced to the cultural context, based on fact that humans are created in the image and likeness of God whether they recognize it or not.

Communities and networks are formed through the internet, he observed, creating a "digital continent" where "almost one third of all humans" come together to "seek information, to express their views and to grow in understanding."

He added: "God and religion are not excluded from this mediasphere; quite the opposite, both have a new social role in it, and are subject of debate in a kind of global 'search for meaning.'

"The Church is part of this chorus, one voice among others, proclaiming the image of God which the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel."

Honing strategy

The prelate added: "Having been created in the image and likeness of God, it is rooted in our human nature that we should desire to be loved and to love. This insight gives me absolute confidence that the core message of the Gospel will continue to resonate in the hearts of humans."

DALLAS, Texas, FEB. 2, 2009 (Zenit.org).- God has a role in the media, and the Church should have a voice to evangelize souls through all modern means of communication, says the social communications council president.

Archbishop Claudio Celli affirmed this Friday at a conference that ran through Sunday, and was sponsored by the New Evangelization of America. His presentation was titled: "The Role of Mass Communications in Evangelization."

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications spoke of the interrelational nature of the Triune God as the theological basis for understanding the importance of communication.

He pointed out that "communication is not just another activity of the Church but is at the very essence of its life." He explained, "The communication of the good news of God's love for all people, as expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is what unifies and makes sense of all the other aspects of the life of the Church."

The prelate stated that without communication there is not evangelization, and that emerging mass media should be used to this end. He highlighted the importance of being both technically and culturally prepared for the task.

"Our mission," he said, "is to bring the good news of God's infinite love for all to our brothers and sisters as the greatest service we can give to them." He stated, "Our evangelization is never about building up our own numbers or about increasing our influence but is always concerned with liberating people from the false gods that can so easily and stealthily invade their existences."

Part of the chorus The pontifical council president underlined the need to "attend to the specific media culture that is coming into being in the context of the ongoing revolution in the technologies of communication."

He spoke of the Church's challenge, "to consider how it will seek to communicate its message in the context of a new emerging culture of communications."

He continued: "The logic of communications has been radically changed -- the focus on the media has been replaced by a concentration on the audience which is increasingly autonomous and deliberative in its consumption of media."

The archbishop underlined the need to study the new patterns of media use, their effect on the public, and the development of interactive or "dialogical forms of teaching and presentation."

Archbishop Celli recognized the presence of the Church on this "continent," through the Web sites of Catholic organizations and dioceses, the blogs of priests and religious, and various networking sites.

He asserted: "We need to develop a more strategic and integrated presence.

"We must move forward together to ensure a more efficient, articulated and cohesive presentation of the Good News. We must enhance communion between the thousands of initiatives that are already emerging.

"Each one has its own particular charism and rationale, but each one is called to reflect the universal mission of the Church."

The prelate highlighted a new project being developed with the pontifical council, a web database of Catholic radio and television broadcasters and producers: Intermirifica.net.

"The hope," he explained, "is also to expand the database to include listings of Catholic podcasting, news agencies, newspapers and the communications departments of Catholic universities."

He concluded by referring to the example of St. Paul, "whose commitment to proclaim the Good News to all people led him not just to travel tirelessly but also to strive selflessly to understand those he wished to evangelize."

"The commitment to reach out to others," he said, "requires that we are willing to change in order to be more eloquent and more authentic witnesses to the faith that we proclaim."

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Pontiff Encourages Vatican Presence on Net Television Center Marks 25 Years VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2008 (Zenit.org).Benedict XVI says he wants the life of the Church, and particularly of the Holy See, to be present in audio, text and video on the Internet.

he said. "The borders between one and another disappear and synergy increases. The instruments of social communication at the service of the Holy See naturally experience this development as well, and they have to integrate themselves consciously and actively."

This was the advice and encouragement the Pope gave to the directors and staff of the Vatican Television Center today, when he received them in audience together with their families to mark the 25th anniversary of the center's founding.

The Holy Father recognized that there has always been close collaboration between Vatican Television and Vatican Radio and "it has grown, since in transmissions, image cannot be separated from sound.”

"Today, 'convergence' between the various means of communication is rightly spoken of,"

In fact, both the television and radio services, as well as the Vatican press office, currently

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have the same director: Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.

Still, the Pontiff said, the "Internet today calls for an even greater integration of written, audio and visual communication, and raises the challenge of increasing and intensifying the methods of collaboration between means of communication that are at the service of the Holy See." In this context, Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of a "positive relationship" with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, marked by initiatives and fruitful

developments.

world, either directly or pre-recorded, depending on the situation."

Behind the scenes During Father Lombardi's address to the Pope for the occasion, the Jesuit explained that Vatican Television "is a small reality, but with a great mission."

The center, he clarified, is not "a television station with its own programming, but a production center that records the images of the activity of the Holy Father and makes them available to television [stations] about the

In this way, Father Lombardi said, when an image of the Pope in the Vatican appears on screens in so many houses, "almost in every case, we are at the origin [of these images], even though this is hardly ever mentioned."

Each year, the Vatican Television Center directly transmits some 230 events and archives about 2,000 hours of recordings.

willingness to be the subject of so much film: "Our eye is not indiscreet," he assured. "The image that we spread wants to always be at the coherent service of your message, to respond to the expectations of countless people who want to hear you and see you move, [see] the paternal, intense and gentlemanly expression of your face, as you pray and as you address us. People who ask to be confirmed in their faith, motivated in their journey." © Innovative Media, Inc.

Father Lombardi thanked the Pontiff for his

Father Lombardi; “Blessed” Be The Internet Urges Online Evangelization for the Digital Generation be attentive to the direction in which communications are moving nor can we allow ourselves to fall out of touch with the latest advancements in the world of communications."

Drawing on his experience as a Vatican spokesperson, he recalled recent criticisms by the media against the Pope, including his "Regensburg discourse, the bishop Williamson affair, or the controversy over [his] statements regarding condoms and the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa."

"It is a mistake to think that we ought to avoid debate," he stated. "We must always seek to conduct debate in a way that leads to a better understanding of the Church's position -- and we must never get discouraged."

Presence Father Lombardi referenced recent changes in social communications, noting that the Internet has multiplied the number of voices spreading information. In this environment, he said, it is important to "maintain sound points of reference in the flow of communications in the world."

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The director of the Vatican press office is affirming the importance of the Internet as a tool for delivering the Gospel message to people in many different situations.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi stated this Monday at the Westminster diocesan seminary in an address to media professionals on the occasion of World Communications Day, which will be celebrated Sunday.

The priest underlined Benedict XVI's call to reach out to the "digital generation," a press release from the bishops' conference of England and Wales reported today.

In the address, published on the Web site of the Catholic Communications Network, Father Lombardi noted the importance of using "traditional technologies and forms of communication" that are "still necessary to serve a large part of humanity."

"At the same time," he added, "we cannot but

He highlighted the Pontiff's message for World Communications Day, stating: "The Pope knows that the Church will be an efficacious presence in the world that is taking shape only to the extent that she succeeds in keeping the truths of the faith in close touch with the emerging culture and the younger, growing generations.

This is why he puts such emphasis on relationships."

The challenge in keeping a strong presence in the culture, the press office director noted, is focusing not only on content distribution, but "greater and greater interactivity."

He challenged the media professionals, saying: "In our service to the Church, we need to be constantly asking ourselves whether the limits and defects of our own communications skills in any given moment are making it more difficult for others to understand the Church's message, so that they reject it, or whether the message itself is being rejected, even though it has been understood -- or precisely because it has been understood."

The Jesuit continued: "We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that a perfect communications strategy could ever make it possible for us to communicate every message the Church has to offer in a way that avoids contradiction and conflict.

"Truth be told, success in this sense would be a bad sign -- at the very least, it would indicate ambiguity or compromise, rather than authentic communication."

Communion The goal, Father Lombardi said, is to "further the construction of a culture of respect, of dialogue and friendship, and to place the immense potential of contemporary communications in the service of communion in the Church and of the unity of the whole human family."

The priest closed with a memory of a moment in which he worked to televise a youth gathering with Pope John Paul II, so that other European cities could take part through twoway satellite links.

After the Pontiff exchanged greetings with the young people in other cities, he exclaimed: "What a marvelous thing is this television! I can see and speak with my young people in Krakow as though they were right here.

Blessed be television!"

Father Lombardi affirmed that despite "all the terrible, awful things that television does," it can be used for good, to create communion, and "it can truly be blessed."

This is our vocation, he stated, "to make sure that the press, the radio and television are tools and paths toward blessedness."

The priest challenged his listeners to work harder "so that we might be able to say with greater and greater conviction: the Internet is truly blessed!"

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Bishop Study Facebook, Web Networks Consider Church's Pastoral Presence on the Net

By Jesús Colina VATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican called bishops and priests of 82 countries to Rome in order to study the challenges and possibilities posed to evangelization by new digital media.

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications, headed by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, began a five-day conference today with a reflection on the Internet's evolution in recent years: Web pages, blogs and social

networks -- including Facebook, YouTube, Fliker and Twitter.

Nicoletta Vittadini, communication sciences professor of the Catholic University of Milan, led an internet "surfing" session, in which

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bishops from all over the world discovered or rediscovered these meeting sites, especially those created for young people and adolescents.

Subsequently, Francesco Casetti, director of the communications department of that same university, reflected with the bishops on the anthropological implications of these new realities.

Congress participants analyzed the message that Benedict XVI wrote for the 2009 World Day of Social Communications on the topic: "New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."

Digital culture At the start of the congress, Archbishop Celli explained: "We wonder what the position of the Church is, what the Church must do, because it is undeniable, it is increasingly seen, and it can be seen in the Pope's message, that the new technologies are not just instruments but that these instruments create a new culture, the digital culture."

He added: "The great problem for our congress will be to see how the Church is present in this new culture, offering her own contribution. It is

an extremely delicate topic."

people, they have to learn it.

For this reason, the archbishop stated, the congress hopes to offer guidelines for the Church's pastoral ministry in the world, which will be made concrete in a new Vatican document.

A young bishop from Nigeria acknowledged that in this sense, bishops must learn from young people, something they are not used to doing.

Internet presence

He continued: "The document on which our action is based is Vatican Council II's 'Inter Mirifica.' Later, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications published a very important document, 'Aetatis Nova,' in 1992. We think that much water has gone under the bridge since then and that the new technologies pose new questions, new interests and new pastoral emergencies."

Archbishop Celli stressed the example Benedict XVI has given, by deciding to be present on YouTube with an official channel (http://www.youtube.com/vatican).

"The idea of this congress," explained the archbishop, "is to see together with the bishops, what the guidelines are for a new pastoral [program] of the Church in the field of the media." He said, "Then, the council, together with cardinals, bishops and consultors will work to write a new document."

In talks with congress participants, Archbishop Celli acknowledged that the great challenge for them is the fact they were not born in the digital era, which means that, unlike young

The prelate revealed that a journalist asked him how it is possible that a Pope "lowers" himself to be present in a reality such as this, in which all sorts of videos appear. The archbishop explained that Christ also "lowered" himself to assume human nature, and explained that Benedict XVI's intention is to be "where people meet."

Several cardinals are already present on Facebook, leading one congress participant to ask if the Pope will also enter this virtual community. Archbishop Celli's answered that no thought is being given to it, at least not immediately.

Spokesman; Catholic Media Must Be Ethical Model Urges Speaking to Unite, Not Divide MADRID, Spain, FEB. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).Church communication can be a model for secular media, by promoting peace, justice and a vision of the integral human person, noted a Vatican spokesman.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, affirmed this Monday, during a speech titled "Catholic Media: the Communicative Experience of the Holy See," at an annual meeting of the communications commission for the Spanish bishops' conference.

He spoke about an ethical model characterized by information that relates to man in his integrity, free of "worldly" interests, that seeks peace and reconciliation and that attends to the needs of the most disadvantaged, marginalized from global information systems.

The spokesman explained, "The primary mission of the Church is to communicate in proclaiming the Gospel with all the means at its disposal," thus communication to the world has "as much or more importance" than the internal communication within the Church.

This requires, he said, being attentive "to what is happening in the world today" in order to "give an answer."

Father Lombardi added: "We cannot think of a Catholic communication separate from secular communication, but rather try to see man and his problems from the perspective of the Gospel. We are not interested only in the life of the Church, but rather that of all mankind, with its problems of development, justice, peace, etc."

In this regard, he explained, "the Pope is for us the main commentator on the situation of the world today, in an indirect manner through his teachings and in a direct way through his calls and assessments in relation to the good of the person and of society."

True communication must offer "a vision of reality that does not exclude God," the priest said. He underlined the necessity of "not splitting information between the sacred and the profane." Rather, he said, we must "show that moral and religious motivations are an essential part of the world of life."

Father Lombardi continued: "In a world as chaotic as ours, one of the services that we are called to do is bring order in the way of seeing

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events, in distinguishing what is truly serious and important from that which is less so."

Forgotten battles One of the services that ecclesial communication carries out, said Father Lombardi, is drawing out news from the world reporting circuit regarding the poorest countries and the wars forgotten by global information systems.

He explained that in this way the media

understanding and dialogue."

Therefore, it is essential, the priest explained, "to know how to be patient with tension even at the risk of being criticized," using "with decision, respectful language at all times."

He continued: "Through my experience with Vatican Radio I have learned how important and at the same time difficult it is to help those that live conflicts in the first person, like in the Balkans, which personally involved many of our writers from various language teams."

The Catholic media, he said, "should not let themselves be pushed to give partial information of the governments involved, but rather they should always offer the voice of the Church that sets itself above parties, and continue urging dialogue, reconciliation and peace."

Father Lombardi affirmed: "The instruments of Catholic communication are essential for the construction of the Christian community, and the broader human community.

Communication for communion has become for me a persistent motto: To speak in order to unite and not to divide."

Always tell the truth Regarding the form of communicating ecclesial information, Father Lombardi emphasized the need "to use clear, simple and understandable language."

performs "a service to justice, responding to the existing imbalance between North and South in the information world," particularly "taking advantage of the possibility that the Church has of giving a more just vision of the problems due to their presence [and closeness] to the people."

According to the spokesman, a recent study in Italy showed that the information about the Third World offered by Vatican Radio "is by far greater than even the sum of all channels of Italian public television."

Moreover, he said, Christian communication "can do a great service to peace, promoting

"If we do not do this we cannot then complain [if others make] partial or erroneous interpretations of the Church's position," he said.

On the other hand, he asserted that in Church communication "the truth must always be told, even in the face of difficult questions." "The truth is an essential ingredient of the so-called crisis of communication when it is attacked by scandals or errors. When a question deserves an answer it must be given without waiting."

"The world today offers the Church many opportunities that must be faced with serenity and enthusiasm," he concluded. "It is true that there are great informative powers before which we feel small and poor, but it is also true that the Church has a great vitality and that it is close to the real life of people."

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"Communication for Communion" Father Lombardi’s Address On Catholic Media

MADRID, Spain, FEB. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).Here is a translation of the address Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, delivered today at an annual meeting of the communications commission for the Spanish bishops' conference.

The speech is titled "Catholic Media: the Communicative Experience of the Holy See," at an annual meeting of the communications commission for the Spanish bishops' conference. *** The Church has always been a communicator; proclamation is part of her very nature. For this reason, the heralds of the Gospel have always the means at their disposition to communicate the message of faith to others. At first the living Word, then the first writings and their multiplication through copies.

After many centuries, the press rapidly became the essential way for the proclamation. Finally, the last century marked the advent and massive diffusion of new instruments of communication: cinema, radio, television, electronic communication through the Internet, e-mails, etc. The Church has attempted to use these new ways to carry out her mission in her various realms.

The Vatican means of communication have also followed this historic development: Typography and 16th-century editions; L'Osservatore Romano, 1861; Vatican Radio, 1931; Vatican Television Center, 1983; the Internet office in the 90s.

A Positive View of Social Communications and Their Evolution The Church's magisterium has been conscious of the development of the instrument of social communications and has dedicated many interventions and documents to them, so that in a certain sense one can speak of a doctrine of the Church on social communications.

The Popes' documents are numerous. Vatican Council II dedicated a Decree to them ("Inter Mirifica"), which was followed by the Pastoral Instruction on Action ("Communio et Progressio," 1961). As an event, the council was a great occasion to stimulate communication between the Church and the world; from it were born the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and the Holy See Press Office as an "open door" between the Holy See and the world of social communications.

The Church's documents highlight with objectivity the problems related to social communications and the risks and ambiguities that their use implies. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that as a whole they reflect a positive point of view -- we can even say optimistic -on the development of social communications and the possibilities they offer to put the

Church's mission into practice. The documents' titles themselves sound attractive: "Miranda Prorsus" (Remarkable technical inventions), "Inter Mirifica" (Wonderful technological discoveries), "Communio et Progressio" (Unity and progress).

I believe we must share this attitude and try to cultivate it.

Hence, my advice is not to have a fearful attitude or one of negative prejudice towards social communications and their agents, but to do everything possible to take advantage of the apostolic possibilities in the use of the instruments of communication, in two main directions in order to serve them: --The proclamation of the Gospel and the message of the Church.

--The building of communion and of the ecclesial community.

We find an up dating of the reflection and teachings of the Church on social communications in the documents published in the course of time by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (for example: The Church and the Internet, Ethics in Social Communications, Ethics in Advertising, etc.).

Then the series of messages for the annual Day of Social Communications help to reflect in

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the speed of this evolution can make us fearful, we fear to lose contact with history, but we have with us many capable young people, who can help us: we must encourage them to live their time with confidence and we must listen to their proposals ------------------------------------greater depth every year on the specific points and problems of a moral, educational and pastoral character, thus contributing to the progress of a common conscience of the problems of the media in the universal Church.

This year's message on "new technologies and new relations" is one of the most effective among the most recent ones. I believe it is a very positive thing to launch these topics at the international level: It encourages the development and the exchange of experiences and initiatives of collaboration among the different countries, for example, what is being done in Spain and Italy on new technologies and new relations in the pastoral care of young people. How is the experience of Web xt3 faring, developed by the Australians to enrich World Youth Day, favoring contacts between young people of different parts of the world, and then continuing after the day in Sydney?

How is the preparation of the day in Madrid connecting with this experience?

This introduces a reflection, which it seems to me is important, on the relation between the traditional and new means in our ecclesial service.

We all know that today there is a great number of people who are not reached directly by the

message of the Church, but who can be reached through the media, so that it is our precise duty to try to use this way, even more so these ways -- because they are many and varied -- for the proclamation of the Gospel.

There is an intense evolution of the media, above all but not only, in the more developed societies and we must be attentive to perceive what new ways we must use to reach our interlocutors better. This attention must be accompanied by wise prudence. Often the new generations or specific groups try new ways of social communication, but others remain attached to their customs and we must not abandon them. The "traditional" media often retain their importance, and it would be absurd to put them aside, allowing oneself be carried away by the fascination of the new technologies, thus abandoning important segments of readers and listeners.

When I reflect on the service of Vatican Radio and try to be aware of the quantitative valuations of the audience, I see that in general, though the audience of the broadcasting stations that re-transmit to us is not very high, it is generally quite superior to the Web's number of visitors.

For example, the Czech Program has a muchvisited Web page in relation to the Czechspeaking world, with close 300,000 visits in one year, around 1,000 a day. But the radiophonic program is re-transmitted by a Catholic broadcasting station that has between 50,000 and 90,000 listeners a day. This means that we must be prudent and realistic when evaluating the actual weight of the various media.

But, of course, many young people today use several ways of communication, through the Internet, ipods or mobile phones, etc. And there are full tendencies and great development in this field. We must be able to tap them and find them in these new ways of communication, offering them signs of our presence and answers to their questions or needs. This year's message for the World Day of Social Communications is a strong encouragement in this direction. I will not pause too long on it, because it will be the topic of another of your sessions, however, I will present two observations.

The first: at times the speed of this evolution can make us fearful, we fear to lose contact with history, but we have with us many capable young people, who can help us: we must encourage them to live their time with confidence and we must listen to their proposals. I believe that in this way it is possible to move without agitation and with creativity in the world of the new media. In my case, the new media -- for example, starting the regular use of "podcasting," the production of "videonews" and its publication on YouTube - have always come to me through my collaborators, and not from myself or my superiors. Also the good flowering of the widespread presence of the Italian Church on the Net certainly comes from the creativity of the grass roots, encouraged and coordinated with suitable initiatives, more than by a strategy imposed from above.

The second observation: Personally, I try very hard to keep a continuity of evolution in communication and to give an image of integration of its services: from the most traditional media to the newest, but also from the newest to the most traditional. From the news of RV (Vatican Radio) and of the CTV (Vatican Television Center) we have tried to amplify our presence by using YouTube, but in the home page of the Vatican's channel on YouTube we have presented a link system that links the visitors in such a way that they have possibilities for more profound information,

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offered by the traditional media and their Web: more ample and complete news on the life of the Church and on the present times, full texts of the Pope's addresses and documents, accessing the official Web Site of the Vatican's documentation, and coordination between the media and the Holy See. Next time I will let you know if we have been able to obtain better results.

A Christian and Ecclesial View of Information Let us now reflect a bit on our mission, our task as people in charge of Catholic media and, specifically, of media and communication at the service of the Church, in her universal and local dimensions. It is important to see that, in our situation, it is not something that we ourselves have sought or that we have invented for ourselves, but a task that has been entrusted to us by the Church. Personally, it is something that I feel and live with great intensity; I believe it is the same for you.

At the same time, what we communicate by request of the Church is not an abstract message, removed from the real life of the people, of our brothers and sisters among whom and for whom we live. From this derives a certain "philosophy" of information that characterizes, for example, the international news of Vatican Radio and, it seems to me, now also with greater breadth, the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano. It is not we who have invented the contents of the mission but we receive it, read it in relation to the problems of the time, the expectations of the audience, translating and explaining and "inculturating" it.

We see the proclamation of the Church closely related with the reality of the world; we do not think of a Catholic communication separated from a "profane" communication, what interest us is man, the whole man and his problems seen from the perspective of the Gospel.

Naturally, we are interested in the life of the Church in her daily happenings, but also in the whole life of humanity with its problems of development, justice, peace, human moral and spiritual growth, and its risks and problems.

Vatican Radio's news tries not to be only ecclesial information but also integral information, and for us the Pope is the main commentator, even in what refers to the events of humanity today on which he usually intervenes indirectly with his teachings of a more general character, but also directly with his appeals and evaluations of social and political developments in relation to the good of people and society.

Naturally, in this activity we try to implement the fundamental criteria of the Christian view of information, valid for all the media, which we can briefly recall.

Service to truth and objectivity, placing ourselves in a Christian perspective, offering the facts of the problems and trying to help listeners to reflect on their causes, explaining the positions of the Church. Many listeners -- in different regions of the world -- tell us they appreciate information that is not guided by economic, political or ideological interests, and that is distinguished from other international broadcasting stations, dependent on strong political interests.

Service of a reality that does not exclude God. Benedict XVI insists on the need for a "realism" that does not reduce the realities of this world to a single subject, to the economy and technology. Because of this, it is important not to divide rigidly the information between the sacred and profane, the ecclesiastical and the mundane, but to demonstrate that the moral and religious dimensions are an essential and important part of the realm of life. Very significant from this point of view is the "hierarchy" of the news, the order in which it is given. In a world that is confused and disorients, one of the great services that we must give is to help the people of today to "put order" in the very way of seeing things and events, to distinguish what is more important and grave from what is less so.

Service to justice. We must pay special

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attention to the poorest areas and the forgotten wars, reacting in face of the great existing imbalance in world information between the "North and the South" -- be it on news, one of the possibilities to inform and to be informed --, valuing the great possibilities that the Church has of having a more just view of the problems, thanks to her capillary and close presence to people in so many places of the world (with her missionaries, aid activities, etc., that can become precious first hand points of information). I am proud that in recent research carried out in Italy on international information regarding news on the conflicts and "forgotten wars" in today's world, Vatican Radio was found to be the broadcasting station with the greatest number of news items, higher than RAI (Italian Radio and Television), including all the channels of RAI itself.

Service for peace. We must always try to favor understanding and dialogue between different positions and different peoples and not accentuate the oppositions. We must be able to "live" the tensions with patience, including the price of being criticized. We must always use with determination a respectful, balanced and non-aggressive language towards others, capable of inspiring serenity of judgment and mutual understanding. I have acquired much experience in Vatican Radio as to how difficult it would be, but at the same time how important it is, to help those who live personally in a conflict -- I am thinking of the Balkans and Africa, which have involved personally many of our writers of different linguistic groups -- not allowing themselves to be drawn and to give partial information or evaluation, as those proffered by the greater part of the organs of information of the countries in conflict, but to speak always as the voice of the Church, which places herself above the parties and continues, at any cost, to exhort to dialogue, reconciliation and peace.

In the ambit of information for peace, the information of the Holy See -- and I think yours as well -- has a very rich and up-to-date field in ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue (let us

think of our way of speaking of Islam, or of our way of speaking to countries where a good part of our audience or readers are not Catholic or even Christians, though also within our own European countries the number of Muslims today is very high). As we have experienced, it is often difficult, for example, in discussions after the Pope's address in Regensburg, but in the end positive results can also be obtained.

Attitude and Qualities of the Ecclesial Communicator The ecclesial communicator -- whether that of the bishop with whom you collaborate, or whether it is you yourselves in your capacity as his spokesmen or that of the diocese's -- is he who embodies in public communication from time in time the thought, judgments and choices of the community of the Church.

Because of this, to take care of her presence -or yours -- in the world of the media is not a luxury but a duty, which corresponds to the ecclesial mission, since for many -- as already recalled -- there is no direct contact with the Church, other than the one mediated by what is read, seen, or heard through the media.

Above all, one can never cease to insist on the use of clear, simple and comprehensible language, not to be abstract and complicated or specialized. It is true that at times the contents is complex and the addresses must be articulated, but in the end, if we want a message to "reach" and remain in the memory of those who listen to us, we must be able to indicate its central nucleus with simplicity and clarity. If we do not do so, we cannot complain later that partial or misleading presentations have been made. So, if we present a document, we must be able to present a synthesis, a brief communiquĂŠ, an inspiring phrase, though for its deeper understanding the reading of the complete document will always be required.

I will give you two recent examples of my work, especially the presentation in the press office of an important document of the Holy See. It was a document of several dozen pages. The presentation, in turn, had two profound but too lengthy and ample presentations; the journalists did not even have the possibility or the time to understand and synthesize in the time they had to publish speedily the first articles and interventions. If the presentations were unsatisfactory, the fault in this case was ours, not theirs.

Another example is that of the recent, tormented case connected with the "Lefebvrites." We have seen, once again, how difficult it is to make "excommunication" or the remission of excommunication understood. It seems to me that today the word "excommunication" is a bad word, which evokes ghosts of the Inquisition and strong emotions and which, therefore, must be presented with great care at the hour of using it.

Then, we must always be truthful and clear.

Perhaps it is superfluous to mention it, but I do not think so. The truth must always be told, also when faced by difficult questions.

Otherwise, sooner or later we fall into contradictions, which will be thrown back in our face mercilessly, and the harm will be that much greater. The peaceful conscience that derives from always telling the truth is the essential premise to address every situation serenely, no matter how difficult it is. This does not mean that everything must always to told: there can be good reasons for discretion and prudence, but everything that is said must be true, we must be able to assume the responsibility for what we have said. The truth is an essential principle, in the so-called "communication of crises," when we are attacked by scandals or errors. There is nothing worse than to think that the situation can be improved by denying the truth.

When we are presented with questions that deserve an answer, it must be given and we must not take too long to give it. It is good to

be willing and to respond -- personally or through a delegated person -- if we are contacted by telephone or e-mail. This generates credibility and confidence, while to slip away or to be reticent generates lack of confidence and suspicion. Timeliness is also important, so as not to make the waves of agitation grow, and not allow the ample diffusion of false or inexact information, which is later difficult to rectify. We must keep in mind that journalists must write news -- it is their job, they are often obliged to do so if there is a topic that is being talked about -- hence, if they do not receive answers that command attention, they naturally tend to develop hypotheses or conjectures, or give their own explanations. We must also realize that today information is a continuous live flow through the network and sites, and there is no time of day to respond, until tomorrow's newspapers are printed. Therefore, the sooner the answer or correct information is given the better. In general, it is best to channel or guide information by being the first to give it, and not have to run after information that is incorrect.

Of course, the quality and authority of the positions and interventions is important. To be willing does not mean to try to be omnipresent in the media, giving the impression of seeking notoriety. The media can be disloyal: it delighted to create its protagonists and then it rid itself of them in a short time, or in other cases turn them into slaves of the type of image that it has created. Hence, we must know well what it is that we wish to communicate and to do so in a measured way in important moments. The ideal is that we ourselves be the ones who are "firmly in command" of communication, creating propitious occasions and launching the messages that so compel us.

It is important "to be oneself" in communication. Each one has his own personality as communicator. Benedict XVI is different from John Paul II, but he also -- as we see increasingly -- is able to communicate with his style. Some are more agreeable, others more sober, etc., but what is important is that it be seen that the one who communicates is a sincere person, who "answers" for what he says, able to transmit convictions and emotions, beyond a cold, bureaucratic and "clerical" language in the negative sense of the term. We must remember that witness and lived experience are generally much more effective messages than conceptual reasoning or long speeches: it is good that our communication also has elements and aspects of this nature.

Finally, an observation: If there are things that are really reserved and that for good reasons must not be made public, they must not be told, in the end not even to friends. In the present-day world, discretion -- being reserved -- does not exist or is not considered a value, and we cannot lament if news circulates that we ourselves have given. I believe that to be good

communicators also implies being able to observe the limits of communication, to distinguish well between what must be communicated and the time in which it must be communicated, and what must not be communicated or what must not yet be communicated.

In addition to the contents, an aspect that I consider important to underline is the pastoral care of agents of communication, namely, the relationship with journalists and the personal quality of this relationship.

It is necessary to keep in mind that they are concrete persons, with their human and job problems, with the indications they receive from their directors and that, at times, strongly condition their liberty. To manifest care and understanding of them, to seek occasions to meet, including personally, to invite them to participate in common moments (feast of their patron St. Francis de Sales, World Day of Social Communications, the beginning and end of the

-------------------------------------today information is a continuous live flow through the network and sites, and there is no time of day to respond, until tomorrow's newspapers are printed.

Therefore, the sooner the answer or correct information is given the better ------------------------------------pastoral year), in certain very important or dramatic events, or thanking them for the attention shown in certain important events for the ecclesial community. All these are ways to create greater harmony to facilitate mutual confidence and understanding.

An observation that I consider important refers to the so-called "communication of crises," namely, of situations in which the Church is in difficulty because of grave scandals or accusations and is subjected to criticisms and attacks including in the media. Let us think of recent situations related to sexual abuses. It is necessary to be prepared for similar eventualities. The argument has been the object of further studies (for example Santiago de la Cerva, Communication of Crises in the Church, EDUSC). I believe it necessary to evoke it here and to recall some elementary counsels: The only truly effective measure is to anticipate the problems, to reduce the risks before they become a crisis and to prepare for the worst.

To determine, in the first place, what the message of the institution will be, to identify the public to which it is directed, to choose a

spokesman and the appropriate channels of communication.

Not to think only of the "external" public, but before anything else of the "internal" workings of the Church, to keep its confidence. To think of the victims: the public will judge how the people have been treated who --voluntarily or not -- have been harmed.

The perceptions of the public are important as is the truth of the events: the problem must be contemplated with the eyes of the public (there is a "tribunal of public opinion") and if the people think there is a crisis, the crisis already exists.

It is necessary to try to recover the initiative, to become a source of information, to collaborate with the authorities, and to respond to the media.

It is necessary to speak with one voice and to transmit consistent, clear, simple and repeated messages. Voices that contradict one another destroy the confidence of listeners.

The key word is "credibility," to always and only tell the truth. We must never lie, hide the truth or affirm things that are not confirmed.

Only one lie destroys credibility.

Bad news must be communicated soonest and at once (not little by little). If there have been errors, we must ask for pardon. Only thus can we think of being forgiven.

In regard to the section on "asking for pardon," attention must also be paid to the juridical implications, so that responsibilities are not attributed that do not exist. In the most critical cases, a legal consultation is important.

Communication at the Service of Ecclesial Communion at All Levels The instruments of Catholic social communication are essential instruments for the building of the Christian community and of the wider human community.

If there are communications of the diocesan press, radio or television, or of greater extent, they must be encouraged, also if it is necessary to evaluate their quality and usefulness and the means they require; at times it is necessary to give way to new initiatives. Today, for example, it is indispensable to guarantee an effective presence of the diocesan reality on the Web. However, it is necessary to recall always that communication -- above all in the Church -- is a value that requires energy and entails costs, but which rarely generates revenues. In this connection it is necessary to help our superiors to have a long view, to keep in mind that there are returns and results that are not monetary but important, so that it is worthwhile to invest and spend, otherwise they will not be obtained.

Often it is necessary to dedicate financial means or to seeks to have them help communication not only from the point of view of the availability of the material instruments, but also and even more so, for the formation of

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qualified and capable people.

As I said, communication, both as information and as circulation of other messages, testimonies, further reflection, etc. must be at the service of ecclesial communion.

"Communication for communion" has become for me in the course of time a persistent motto, which continually inspires all my work as communicator and which I regard essential to indicate to my collaborators inspiration and orientation in their work of ecclesial service as communicators. It is a more concrete motto than might seem at first glance: it guides the options of language, of the approach to listening and of benevolence to all the interlocutors, the pleasure of creating moments of dialogue and mutual understanding, also in the ecumenical and inter-religious field, etc. It is a decisive approach: I always want to speak only to unite, not to divide. I believe we must all realize that communication is the powerful and effective way to build ecclesial communion, this is the premise to make the concrete decision to support it and to promote it wholeheartedly.

The discourse of communication for communion is articulated, naturally, at several levels: in the diocese, but also beyond its borders, in order to be open to the horizons of the region, the country, the continent, and the universal Church. Indeed, it is precisely social communication that is the principal way to unite daily the faithful to the wider community of the Church, immersed in the world.

It is a theme that I have very much in mind, because I believe that to nourish the dimension of union of the universal Church through communication, building bridges between the local Churches and Rome, is, in fact, the principal mission of the means of the Holy See in which I have worked for 18 years.

I am ever more convinced that good communication in the Church needs the integration of the different levels of communication, each one of which is necessary, and they must be complementary among themselves: the local level (parochial or diocesan), the intermediary level (normally national) and the universal level. The Bishop, the Episcopal Conference, and the Pope must be present on the horizon of the Catholic community and of each faithful as member of the Church.

In the use of the instrument of radio communication: this has been realized increasingly in several countries. Sometimes in a positive and effective way, for example in France: there are diocesan radios that are united in a network at the national level (RCF, Radio ChrĂŠtiennes in France) and which receive and re-transmit Vatican Radio's programs in French, including them in their programming. It seems to me to be the most desirable and balanced solution, not only technically but also ecclesiologically.

I think one must seek, in the respective countries, the most effective ways of

collaboration in the field of social communications, to guarantee at the same time the vitality of the local communication and the wider dimension, which gives the sense of the universality and union of the universal Church.

This is the direction that has been given in many countries, and it is natural that it so be.

In this connection, the function of the Vatican means of communication must be seen as a service that attempts to integrate the indispensable communicative commitment of the local Churches. We do not consider ourselves absolutely able to embrace all communication in the Church, but we do consider ourselves as the central nucleus of a very great network spread out in a capillary way throughout the world.

I can speak more concretely about Vatican Radio, which, in fact, prepares programs in so many different languages, which are always more effectively placed in the programming of the Catholic radios that are growing in the

--------------------------------------We must not have a too centralized vision of the Church; we must balance universality with local creative capacity. We must be able to encourage local initiatives, know how to circulate positive experiences and exchange them, try to coordinate and integrate the contributions for communication at the different levels, always appreciating the informative and communicative value that the universal Church offers us.

------------------------------------whole world and that receive them regularly either through satellite or the Internet, while the direct diffusion on short waves serves above all for countries where there is, or cannot be, local Catholic radios.

Something similar is what we do in the Vatican Television Center, which make available to TV of all types, and also to Catholic TV -- as Popular TV -- the images of the Pope's activity, which constitutes a precious and important point of their programming. However, given that Web TV is developing rapidly -- as it costs less and is more flexible, we have taken the route of the production of brief video news on the daily activity of the Pope, and we collaborate with other Catholic television agencies to produce and spread information easily accessible in this way.

I think it is necessary to enumerate here in detail all the informative and documentation services made available from Rome. I recall only that, in addition to Vatican Radio and the

CTV (Vatican television Center) you can find L'Osservatore Romano in several languages (weekly editions) -- Web site www.vatican.va, rich in documentation and information (also the Bulletin of the Press Office with the complete texts of the Pope's addresses rapidly published, and the news of the Vatican Information Service ). Services carried out by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (worldvision for Christmas and Easter; the Digital Network of the Church in Latin America (RIIAL), etc.). (Other information can be provided in the time dedicated to questions and answers).

A Glance By Way of Conclusion To conclude, I will say that ours is a very dynamic period, which opens ecclesial communication to many possibilities and that must be lived with serenity and enthusiasm.

It is true that there are great informative powers before which we feel small and poor, but it is also true that the Church has great vitality and is close to the real life of people.

We must not have a too centralized vision of the Church; we must balance universality with local creative capacity. We must be able to encourage local initiatives, know how to circulate positive experiences and exchange them, try to coordinate and integrate the contributions for communication at the different levels, always appreciating the informative and communicative value that the universal Church offers us.

We must have confidence, the Spirit is working. I want to recall the words of the concluding paragraph of the last Apostolic Letter of John Paul II of 2005, dedicated precisely to the "Rapid Development of the Social Means of Communication": "To the agents of communication and, especially, to believers who work in this important realm of society, I renew the invitation that from the beginning of my ministry as Pastor of the universal Church I have wished to launch to the entire world: "Do not be afraid!"

Do not be afraid of the new technologies, as they are among the wonderful things!" -"Inter miriifica" -- which God has placed at our disposition to discover, use, and make the truth known, including the truth on our dignity and destiny as his children, heirs of the Eternal Kingdom.

Do not be afraid of the world's opposition!

Jesus has assured us "I have overcome the world."

Do not be afraid of your weakness and incapacity! The Divine Teacher has said: "I am with you all days until the end of the world."

Communicate the message of hope, of grace and of love of Christ, always maintaining alive, in this passing world, the eternal perspective of heaven" (No. 14).

[Translation by ZENIT]

Google to Team Up with Vatican VATICAN CITY, JAN. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).Google, a symbol of the seemingly endless possibilities of the Internet, will team up with the Vatican Television Center and Vatican Radio in a joint venture to give Benedict XVI his own YouTube channel.

According to the Vatican press office, texts and video footage of the Pope's speeches supplied by Vatican radio and television would be posted directly onto the videosharing Web site.

Details of the initiative will be announced Friday in conjunction with the publication of Benedict XVI's message for the 43rd World Communications Day. Saturday is the feast of

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St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.

The theme for the day, which will be celebrated May 31, is "New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."

Social Communications, Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the same council, and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of Vatican Radio, Vatican Television Center and the Vatican press office. Š Innovative Media, Inc.

Henrique de Castro, Managing Director Media Solutions for Google, will be present at the press conference to announce the initiative between the Internet company and the Vatican.

Also present will be Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for

Benedict XVI is Latest Youtube Star Pope Gives Thumbs Up to Vatican Initiative VATICAN CITY, JAN. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican launched today a channel on YouTube that will provide video news clips on the Pope's activities, currently in four languages, including English.

One or two video clips will be provided each day at www.youtube.com/vatic an.

According to Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, the Holy Father is the first supporter of the initiative.

"The Pope has been personally informed of our project and has approved it with his customary poise and warmth," he said. "For us, this is a great motivation."

The project has been under way for more than a year and a half, the Jesuit said, ever since Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center began to publish clips on their Web pages and make them available to TV stations and Web sites.

on the Catholic Church around the world."

Filling a gap Father Lombardi contended that all around the world, there are people "interested in the messages and proposals of a high level moral authority -- as the Pope is, and in general the Catholic Church -- regarding the great problems of the world today.

"That's why YouTube has been chosen as an adequate platform for being present on the Net, in one of the great Areopagus of communication in the world of today, and to be present regularly, to offer a reference point worthy of trust, and to continue beyond the many fragments of information about the Pope and the Vatican present on the Web in a rather more casual and sprawled-out way," he said.

In addition to the H2O link, the site also links to the Vatican's official site, as well as the site for Vatican City State, Vatican Radio and Vatican TV. The channel also offers the possibility of sending an e-mail to the Holy See, which will be received by Father Lombardi's staff.

"The launching of a canal such as this is obviously the beginning of the road," the spokesman said. "With the collaboration of Google [‌] we can foresee developments and improvements both in the content and in the technical area.

"We are convinced about making a beautiful and constructive offer for people of the Net and beginning this road with trust, with an attitude of friendship and dialogue with everyone, also ready to learn a lot ourselves."

--- --- — www.youtube.com/vatican www.youtube.com/h2onews

Father Lombardi said that the agency H2O News has offered important collaboration "in this spreading to the world of Catholic social communications."

The Vatican channel at YouTube has a link to H2O, under a tab offering "more videos

Benedict XVI Promotes Internet Friendships VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).Benedict XVI is encouraging a "positive" use of communication technologies so that friendships created through them can help make the world a better place.

The Pope said this today at the end of the general audience when he spoke in English about this Sunday's celebration of World Communications Day. Referring to his message for this year, he noted his invitation to "all those who make use of the new technologies of communication, especially the young, to utilize them in a positive way and to realize the great potential of these means to build up bonds of friendship and solidarity that can contribute to a better world."

The Holy Father recognized that "new technologies have brought about fundamental shifts in the ways in which news and information are disseminated and in how people

communicate and relate to each other."

Thus, he exhorted those who "access cyberspace" to take care to "maintain and promote a culture of respect, dialogue and authentic friendship where the values of truth, harmony and understanding can flourish."

His final exhortation was for youth: "Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world!

Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God's infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"

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Friend and Friendship, Virtually Interview on the Benefits and Dangers of Internet Relationships

By Carmen Elena Villa ROME, MAY 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Internet is spreading more than information, it is also spreading friendship.

But what are the consequences for a person's psychology and capacity to communicate when his or her primary hangouts with friends are merely virtual?

Salesian Sister MarĂ­a Antonia Chinello, a professor at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium, spoke with ZENIT about the changes that the Internet is bringing to the world of relationships.

Sister Chinello was one of the featured speakers at a conference organized last month by the Pontifical Lateran University on Benedict XVI's message for this Sunday's World Communication Day. Here, she talks with ZENIT about the benefits and dangers of virtual friendships and how to educate the "digital generation."

Q: In his new message for World Communications Day, the Pope refers extensively to online friendship. How do you think that these new technologies can modify the way of relating and communicating oneself?

Sister Chinello: The new technologies modify the shape of a relationship because they permit extending the face-to-face encounter. A person is always within reach of a mouse click. Every hour of the day, and also of the night, we can connect and be in contact with friends, chat, dialogue, exchange material, information, share music, images, videos. In this way, friendships can be maintained despite physical distances, geographical barriers and the limits of space.

In an educational key, Internet, the web, is a relational channel that gives professors, animators and educators the possibility of staying in contact with their students, dialoguing with them, outside of the daily environment that is sometimes filled with tensions and difficulties.

It has been proven that on the web, it is a bit easier to share troubles, hopes, fears, to speak of themes that might be embarrassing face to face because one fears the immediate reactions of the other.

But this can be a double-edged sword because in not seeing the other, one can express himself with greater liberty, but he could say things that are not true, thereby losing personal identity.

It's important to be aware of what we take of ourselves to the Net, our history, our hopes, our personal relationships.

Q: In his message, Benedict XVI particularly addresses the digital generation, that is, those for whom the Internet is nothing new, given that they've lived with the Net since they learned to write. What do see as risks for the communication of those who have grown up in the midst of these new technologies?

Sister Chinello: Within the digital generation that was born and grew up in the times of the Net, often there is no sense of the risk, above all when it comes to presenting oneself in the

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various realms of the Internet. Youth and kids are accustomed to speak, write or present themselves through texts, messages, images and video. Sometimes, they don't seem to be aware of what they write or post on the Net. Once published, it's visible to everyone and control can be lost over where this information can go or reach.

They don't always know that all the data they put on their profiles, like preferences and interests, is very important information for the market and for publicity. Youth can dictate the guidelines and be those indicators of the consumer balance, above all in what has to do with innovations. Colombo, a professor at the Catholic University of Milan, affirms that young generations are the molders of technology, because they adapt it to the uses and the consumption that is most advantageous to them.

One risk that all of us have is that of multiplying relationships, to have a lot of friends on line, but to forget the name of the person who is beside us, who we interact with every day.

Another risk is that of how time passes on the Net. The amount of time that youth, and also adults, spend on the Internet is increasing more and more. The digital world is more colorful than daily reality. School, family, relationships, debates with those who don't think the same as you, sometimes can drain a person, cause a feeling of being misunderstood. The world of the Net, on the other hand, is made of dreams, images, colors. From link to link, one can surf, discover, learn, read ‌ and also get lost.

Given that on the Internet there is almost everything, and one can find anything, there is a weakening of the capacity to be selective with information, to critique it and discuss it. And it becomes easier to "surf" among the links that the search engines propose whenever a word is included.

These risks are introducing a debate among psychologists, because the first cases of Internet dependency are coming up, pathologies, people -- also adults -- who can no longer live without being connected.

Q: You speak a lot about the importance of the person and his identity in online communication. What essential traits of this identity are lacking in virtual communication?

Sister Chinello: In online communication there is an absence of the nonverbal and paralinguistic communication codes, such as facial expressions and tone of voice. The people of the Net have since the beginning always tried to overcome this "absence" by introducing strategies, means to give color and friendship to web communication. We can think of the little faces, the emoticons, the possibility of choosing a text color, of adding images, of writing in all caps, of synthesizing words, of using abbreviations, of exclamation points and questions marks, of repeated letters ‌ This makes written communication draw very close to spoken. In communication, now we speak of "written-spoken" language.

For one who is accustomed to writing in a linear manner, it is difficult to understand the youth language of the Net. Professors are concerned because boys and girls in school no longer know how to write, they make spelling and grammar errors.

This contradiction of words and the possibility of expression has repercussions in the capacity to

express one's sentiments, to give space to one's interiority, to relate one's experiences.

Q: Concretely, something like Facebook, which gives the possibility of having on the same level friendships of the past and of the present, friendships made both physically and virtually - how do you think this will change the concept of friendship?

Sister Chinello: The Net, as I mentioned, extends relationships and amplifies the possibility of friendship, because there are no longer borders of space or time. By connecting, I can hear the voice of my friend who is waking up in the United States while I'm already in the afternoon in Italy. And together with friendship, grows learning and knowledge.

It is important to always ask oneself what relation these friendships have with real life.

The Pope in his message asks youth not to make friendship something banal, to respect each other and grow together with others.

There are a lot of Net environments; they depend on the length of the friendship, the maturity level of the communication: Youth are "nomads" and pass from one space to another, emigrate from one value to another, always in search of spaces where they can exchange information, communicate, relate, find themselves again. Younger ones might prefer Twitter, MySpace, Netlog. Older ones, Facebook. Later finding each other in their instant messaging, considering that as something more personal.

Q: For those of us who belong to the generation that has lived through this change in communication, how can we educate the digital generation to have a safe use of the Internet?

Sister Chinello: The first step is to understand that the Internet is one of the channels that is available today to communicate. It is one, but it is not the only one. To educate, therefore, in the "continuity" of communication: I can find my friends on the Net but I don't forget those from school, from this group, from my team, etc.

A second aspect, to educate relationships: Each interaction needs time to grow and mature, whether on the Net or outside of it.

Discovery of the other is not immediate. Each encounter needs time. Therefore, one should educate them to not escape from the toil of communication. Sometimes it's easier to enter into contact with a friend with a click of the mouse than to wait and have patience so that the other smiles at me, speaks to me, opens up to me.

In the end, it's a matter of not leaving youth and kids alone in these experiences online, but rather to be together with them and maybe surf together in the discovery of the Internet.

Some investigations made by the Catholic University of Milan show that younger ones use the Net to be together with their friends, to download music, videos, to play. For them the social dimension, the strength of the group, the relationship with companions is still very strong. Based on this reality, why not educate from the beginning in respect, in friendship, in dialogue with others?

[Translation by Kathleen Naab]

www.Pope2You.net to Appeal to Youth New Vatican Web Site Launches Thursday

By Mercedes de la Torre VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is set to unveil its newest Web page this week. Called Pope2You.net, the site aims to bring the words and messages of Benedict XVI to the youth.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Vatican Council for Social Communications, told ZENIT the project is a response to Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Social Communications, which was addressed to the "digital generation."

The president of the dicastery said the idea began with the aim of getting the youth to read the message the Pope addressed to them on the responsible use of new technologies.

He said the site allows young people to do many of the things they can do on other sites, but with a twist.

"Through this site," Archbishop Celli continued, "young people can send virtual cards to friends, cards with an attractive image of the Pope and a quote taken from one of his addresses."

"This is a way to spread the values that we believe in," the Italian prelate said. "We hope that the youth know how to take advantage of this means of communication so that the message of the Gospel is known by the youth of today's world. This is the reason for this site."

The prelate said the cards are sent by way of an application from Facebook, although he made it clear that the "Pope will not appear on Facebook with his own profile."

Another aspect of the page, continued Archbishop Celli, is that it offers a "wiki" on Benedict XVI's vision regarding new technologies.

He said the "wiki" was compiled by the office for social communications of the Italian bishops'

conference, and that it is a way to make the message of the Pope more accessible to youth.

The archbishop said a third aspect "is the employment of iPhone to receive images of the Pope and his words."

He noted that the page will also link to the Vatican's YouTube channel.

Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, told ZENIT that the Web page was created with youth in mind, especially with regard to interactivity and the aspect of sharing information.

He said the site looks "to create new forms to relate with young people," and to help the Pope "speak to young people to bring the message of hope and joy."

--- --- --On the Net: www.pope2you.net (launches Thursday)

Aide Notes Danger of Wasting Time with Technology Discusses Pope’s Message for World Day of Social Communication VATICAN CITY, MAY 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Church's challenge in the era of Facebook and Twitter consists in presenting the profound message of Jesus without being sidetracked by technology's superficial aspects, says the Vatican spokesperson.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, affirmed this today on the most recent episode of his weekly television program "Octava Dies."

In his remarks the priest referred to the "very beautiful message of the Pope for the World Day of Social Communications this year" that "touches a strategic and crucial point in the reality of the world of communication in rapid development: 'New technologies, new relations; Promoting a culture of respect, of dialogue, of friendship.'"

"Benedict XVI -- or better, BXVI, as he is often called in this particular world -- is first of all addressing young people, the so-called 'digital generation,'" Father Lombardi explained, "challenging them to live their human and

spiritual growth and commitment also in the communicative dimension of the new technologies, which has such a big place in the course of their days."

He added, "Here too, in fact, the Christian faith must be 'inculturated,' present as a proclamation and lifestyle and style of relationships."

"But it is not easy," the spokesperson added.

"The dangers of limiting oneself to play, of wasting time, of flight from reality and remaining on the surface of things, are there."

He continued: "For his part BXVI, when he speaks to young people, for example at the World Youth Days, insists on wanting to communicate solid, consistent and articulated content to them, which demands a commitment to be assimilated before it can be translated into life.

"So transmitting the substantial through the virtual is a wonderful challenge. Will we succeed with our young people? Will we succeed in accompanying them in this adventure?"

"Let us hope so," the priest affirmed.

He added, "But we must not be victims of the fascination with the extraordinary technological successes, we must continue to distinguish possibilities and limits, and at the same time continue to seek in profundity that solid soil of the vital relationship with God and others, [a place] to really build a culture of respect, of dialogue and of friendship." Š Innovative Media, Inc.

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