Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - Pastoral of communications, formation of priests, religious and laity involved in the media workers and the need to guarantee correct use of the means of communications from a point of view of pastoral care is the theme of a book by Father Claudio Pighin, PIME, head of the communications department of Urban University. Father Pighin was kind enough to tell Fides about his book.
What does communications mean in our society today?
Today more than ever the Word must be given all its power and its 'corporeity'. "God said: let there be light. And there was light" we read in the first lines of the Bible. Here we have the creating word, the source of life, the fundamental element of Christian faith. In recent decades the media have grown and spread in quantity but not in quality. In many cases indeed the media has lost in quality because of the inevitable inexperience of the operators as well as audiences and the impressive flood of information and stimulus coming from the media every day.
In the ecclesial field therefore the challenge is to become familiar with the instruments and process of communication and to achieve a perfect balance of press, audio, video and digital in order to render ever more effective and lively witness to the Gospel.
What do you mean when you say that pastoral of communications today is pastoral of salvation?
Here it is necessary to underline that pastoral of communications is not just another pastoral. Although it demands specific studies it is in fact the fundamental basis for all pastoral activity. Starting from the presupposition that without communication there cannot be life, we can say that pastoral cannot live without communication. Communication is an inseparable part of pastoral, a means for making God’s presence in daily life ever more felt.
If we realise that this sort of pastoral is not a "pastoral of means" but rather a pastoral of the process of communication, it becomes indispensable for every ecclesial structure and ecclesial community. This makes it easier to realise that it is a source of help, of salvation rather than an obstacle.
One has the impression that Catholic communications is lagging behind the present Pope, a great modern communicator...
The Holy Father is certainly an exceptional communicator: every one of his gestures and addresses reaches the audience powerfully strengthening evangelisation and the Church herself. Moreover in all his teaching communications has been the subject of in depth reflection. With regard to the use of the media it should be remembered that the Church as a structure is complex and articulated and has therefore need of time which must be respected.
In many areas the wishes and requests of Papal Teaching have been achieved but many others for various reasons are lagging behind. For example the "Guidelines for Formation of future Priests in the means of Social Communications” 1986 (followed by an Instruction on aspects of the use of the means of social communications 'for promoting the doctrine of the faith, 1992), stressed the need to introduce the study of communications in seminaries, but still today there are seminaries where this subject has not yet been included in the curriculum.
Cases such as this may give the impression that the Pope’s teaching does not reach everywhere, but instead, I hope, it is simply a question of ‘technical time’ '.
Is it possible to achieve a global process of communication?
In the present day situation complex and unorganised it is not easy to make comprehensive and long-term plans. Nevertheless it is precisely in Jesus that we find the best example of global communication: his words in fact have ‘crossed’ deserts, seas and oceans. In my opinion then in order to communicate better, besides increasing our competence in using the means we must follow more closely the example of the life and the person of the Messiah.
Look around! The 'evasion' of our young people, the proliferation of sects and new religious movements are the challenge for the Church. In my opinion these events are due to a lack of communication rather than a lack of contents. Only if we become masters of the means of communications, fully understanding their potential, can we revitalise the communication of our evangelisation. I believe this will enable us to reach people better and to fill those voids of meaning which are such a threat. This is why I say it is important, if we want to succeed in the mission of evangelisation entrusted to us by the Lord, to keep on improving our communication and that it is not only a question of instruments. (AP) (21/5/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:68; Parole:827)
