Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – This June 3-5, the 11th Continental Meeting of the Information Network of the Church in Latin America (in Spanish, RIIAL) will be held in Bogota (Colombia). The event is organized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (PCCS) and the Latin American Bishops' Council (CELAM), in collaboration with the Colombian Bishops' Conference (CEC), whose headquarters is hosting the event.
The main objective is to try to offer as many efficient services as possible for the Continental Mission of the Church in this digital culture, with its variety of audience and users. They hope that the services will be coordinated in such a manner so as to avoid isolation or dispersion. Among the specific aims are the intent to promote the use of the network with RIIAL members and others, so that in working together the fruits will multiply; be familiar with what the Continental Mission is all about and how RIIAL can contribute through communications techniques; study the services already present in various countries, regions, etc.; promote a full awareness of the possibilities of the Pact signed with Telefonica.
The Continental Meeting will begin with a speech from the President of the PCCS, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, and the Bishops in charge of CELAM from the Department of Communications, Bishop Hector Gutierrez Pabon, and of RIIAL, Bishop Guillermo Ortiz Mondragon. There will also be representatives from the Bishops' Conferences from across the continent, as well as in Spain; the Informational Service of the Italian Bishops' Conference, and the Archdiocese of Madrid, as well as members of RIIAL's Executive Committee and the institutions for continental service that contribute to the progress of the network. There will also be representatives from the “Centro Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,” “Asociación de Servidoras,” “Trimilenio,” the website Catholic.net, “Instituto Superior de Catequesis Argentino” (ISCA), the Salesian Order, and others.
On June 1 and 2, CELAM will hold a study session for authorities of the PCCS and CELAM, to reflect on the demands of the digital culture and the role of RIIAL in the Mission that the Bishops of the continent launched in Aparecida.
The RIIAL, whose specific mission is to facilitate communication and communion within the Church and contribute to the evangelization effort through digital means, will dedicate this Meeting to determining services that could serve these two objectives, especially in support of the Bishops of the continent. They will also study the means to articulate the various initiatives that the Church has taken up in this area in a network format that, respecting the diversity of each initiative, facilitates the unity of them all. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 18/05/2009)
