ASIA/INDIA - COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE MEDIA IS A DUTY AND A CALLING FOR THE CHURCH: FINAL STATEMENT OF 26TH GENERAL BODY MEETING OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE

Trichur (Agenzia Fides) – The Church is called to communicate because God is a God of communication. Church personnel must be motivated to take an active part in the new opportunities created for spreading the good news and the Kingdom of God. This was the spirit of the Final Statement of the 26th General Body Meeting Of CBCI “Called To Be A Communicating Church” issued at the end of plenary assembly of the Indian Catholic Bishops in Trichur, Kerala, focussing on social communications, considered by the Bishops an all important aspect of modern life.
The statement reads: “India we realise is making great strides in the field of Information Technology. The press, radio, cinema, television and other Information Technologies have expanded tremendously in the last few years. These have enabled people to relate and communicate to each other even when separated by long distances, thus building a world-wide web. The media are exercising a great influence on the minds of the people and creating public opinion.”
The Bishops say that the media have helped to spread values of democracy and they express gratitude to the media for “contributing substantially to liberate our society from the dark forces of caste and communal hatred, corruption and crime. We salute those who have stood firm in a world of market forces, refusing to surrender to sensationalism, trivialization or to fan social hatred. They have demonstrated that media have a prophetic role, nay a vocation: to “speak out against the false gods and ideals of the day – materialism, hedonism, consumerism and narrow nationalism”
The media, the Bishops say are ‘gifts of God’ to humanity. They are in “accordance with his design to unite people in fellowship” and help them “to cooperate with his plan for their salvation” and work for the “unity and advancement of all peoples”
They also stress the urgent need to educate media users, especially children and young people to a critical use of the media, and “to motivate all our Church personnel to actively participate in the new opportunities created by media and the information technology to share the Good News and spread the Kingdom of God”.
The Church is called to communicate because “the Triune God is a God of communication” the Bishops recall and the disciples of Jesus have to task of “going to proclaim the Gospel to all nations”, so social communications have a significant role in evangelisation, the mission of the Church.
In view of participation in communication, the Bishops asked their Conference’s own Commission for Social Communications to elaborate a pastoral plan for communication. The plan should monitor existing centres, revitalise the activity of diocesan media centres. Every diocese – the Bishops say – should have a centre and a delegate for social communications to keep contact with other media.
“The mainstream media, both national and regional, play a vital role in informing the public and creating a public opinion. While upholding the legitimate rights of the media, the Church needs to network with the mainstream media to highlight people’s concerns and the Church’s point of view. It is necessary to cultivate good relations with media persons”
Recognising the annual Day for Social Communications as an excellent opportunity to increase media awareness, the Bishops choose the Sunday before the Feast of Christ the King as be communications day for the Church in India on which the Pope’s special message will be diffused.
The Bishops stress the importance of formation in communications for bishops, priests, religious and laity integrated with biblical and catechetical formation.
The statement ends: “ We are grateful to God the “giver of all good gifts” for the wonderful gifts of communications and for the creativity to use them imaginatively in His service and in the service of our country and of humanity. We pray for his continued guidance to all media persons and communicators so that they are able to foster a new culture of communications, leading to a human family of peace and harmony.”

(PA) (Fides Service 15/1/2004 lines 60 words 620)