Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - The first World Congress of Catholic Television 10 -12 October opened today in Los Negrales, Madrid presided by Cardinal Antonio Mª Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, and Archbishop John P. Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. (see Fides 25/9/2006 and 10/3/2006). The theme of the Congress is “Rapid Development” the title of Pope John Paul II’s last Apostolic Letter (January 2005) on the subject of Social Communications. Some three hundred participants from 50 different countries will reflect on the Catholic identity of TV channels, the impact of new technology and the future of Church television channels. The programme includes conferences, workshops and group discussion and sharing in plenary sessions.
The Congress is expected to produce important fruits, including a Free Programme Bank for to foster exchange of audio-visual products among Catholic TVs especially for channels with little means, and coordination of future activity. There will be the presentation of a new information service for Catholic TVs. The activity of the Congress can be followed on the Congress web site.
Cardinal Rouco Varela presenting the Congress stressed the need to “focus on professional training of media operators to make them witnesses to the faith and to support those who are already witnesses working to form them to use new technology to spread the contents of the Gospel". The Cardinal underlined that pastoral work needs Catholic television: “we urgently need professional Catholic communicators in TVs, state run, or social or ecclesial undertakings - we need Church television channels…in a word we need Catholic television!”
Archbishop Foley gave the opening address underlining the importance of the event, of which the need has been felt for many years, to focus on practical aspect of collaboration among different Catholic initiatives in the field of television . “We cannot be isolated, each struggling alone, our backs turned on others. This weakens our voice making it more dispersive" the Archbishop said, recalling that “it is not enough to spread some Catholic contents, what is needed first and foremost is personal and collective life in keeping with the Gospel”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 10/10/2006; righe 30, parole 405)
