VATICAN - John Paul II and the “Theology of Communication”

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - During the launch of a new book from Vatican publisher Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV), entitled “John Paul II: Development of a Theology of Communication,” retired papal theologian Georges Marie Martin Cardinal Cottier, OP asserted that during the course of his 26-year pontificate, John Paul II developed a “theology of communication.”
Joined by renowned journalist Joanna Bogle, the authors of the book - educator Sr. Marie Gannon, FMA, and author Dr. Christine A. Mugridge - discussed how this pedagogy had the potential to impact not only ecclesial communications, but communications in the media and beyond.
The participants agreed that while the seeds of such a theology have always existed throughout Church history, its development only began to bear fruit during Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, and that as the world becomes ever more secularized, expanding this development will be crucial if the Church is to succeed in its mission of evangelization. Cardinal Cottier noted that when it came to communication in any form, the late Holy Father was always very concerned to acknowledge the role of Jesus Christ, Who was not only the creator of words, but was Himself the Word.
While the Pope never called it such, a theology of communications clearly did develop over the course of his pontificate. “This was possible,” Prof. Marie Gannon said, “because parallel criteria for principles and methodology in both the ecclesial and the secular field were used for the analysis of material from both fields that are apropos for speaking of a theology of communication.”
It was announced at the event that Catholic Word, an American consortium of over a dozen publishers such as Ignatius Press and Ascension Press, will distribute “John Paul II: Development of a Theology of Communications” in the English-speaking world. This is the first work distributed by Catholic Word on behalf of LEV. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 6/2/2009)