Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - The second day of the World Congress of Catholic Television in Madrid, 10 - 13 October being attended by representatives from about 50 different countries, started with an intervention by Prof. F. Casetti, of the Catholic University of Milan, on new technology in television, who said “we are entering a change in formats" created for the communications industry, with greater distinction between content producing companies which broadcasting companies. For Casetti, public television, particularly in Europe, is in crisis and therefore part of this activity must be assumed by Catholic TV as a service to citizenship, “attractive contents will be major challenge” he said recalling that one of the main duties of the Church in TV is responsible education of audiences.
Card. Bernard Agré, Archbishop emeritus of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, illustrated the situation and possibilities in this sector in Africa. Manuel Echanove, director general of Telefonica Internazionale spoke about ever greater complementarity, between the Internet and television: "the market is advancing towards a new means: Internet TV".
For his part Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV) said CTV is a "centre of TV production which produces images of the Pope and the Vatican for distribution to all TV channels”. After illustrating CTV activity, Fr. Lombardi said one of its main goals was to be "at the service of Catholic television channels". At the end of intervention, he spoke of CTV projects and proposals including the opening of a centre in Latin America to diffuse programmes in Spanish and have a wider presence in the Internet. He concluded underlining the importance of cooperation "essential and urgent to build the Church of our day ".
Following afternoon workshop activity the participants were given a guided tour of Escorial Monastery and then took part in Mass presided by Cardinal Antonio Mª Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, who said in his homily: " Catholics from all over the world have come to this Congress to discuss how to make Television a channel of evangelisation ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2006; righe 30, parole 404)
