Our upcoming panel discussion on Broadcasting the Now Church seems to be in line with Pope Benedict's remarks to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications headed by American Archbishop John P. Foley (Philadelphia native). The following is the article in Catholic News Network posted today.
Pope sees growing power of mass media
Vatican, Mar. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The mass media today have enormous power for good or ill, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) observed at a March 9 private audience with members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
The Holy Father issued an appeal to media executives “to advise producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.”
Speaking on the theme of this year’s plenary meeting for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications-- the role of the media in the formation of young people-- the Pontiff said that the media have a grave responsibility for the attitudes they foster among youth. The proper education of children, he said, can be enhanced by the mass media “only to the extent that they promote fundamental human dignity, the true value of marriage and family life, and the positive achievements and goals of humanity.”
During his Friday audience the Pope took note of the important changes in the media industry, including the rising power of the electronic media and the waning influence of print. He pointed to the concentration of media ownership as a matter for concern, and the spread of the internet which “has opened up a world of knowledge and learning that previously for many could only be accessed with difficulty, if at all."
Despite the enormous opportunities created by the new media, the Pope said, “it is also readily apparent that much of what is transmitted in various forms to the homes of millions of families around the world is destructive." He said that the duty of the Church in the world of media is to “direct the light of Christ’s truth upon such shadows.”
Vatican, Mar. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The mass media today have enormous power for good or ill, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) observed at a March 9 private audience with members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
The Holy Father issued an appeal to media executives “to advise producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.”
Speaking on the theme of this year’s plenary meeting for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications-- the role of the media in the formation of young people-- the Pontiff said that the media have a grave responsibility for the attitudes they foster among youth. The proper education of children, he said, can be enhanced by the mass media “only to the extent that they promote fundamental human dignity, the true value of marriage and family life, and the positive achievements and goals of humanity.”
During his Friday audience the Pope took note of the important changes in the media industry, including the rising power of the electronic media and the waning influence of print. He pointed to the concentration of media ownership as a matter for concern, and the spread of the internet which “has opened up a world of knowledge and learning that previously for many could only be accessed with difficulty, if at all."
Despite the enormous opportunities created by the new media, the Pope said, “it is also readily apparent that much of what is transmitted in various forms to the homes of millions of families around the world is destructive." He said that the duty of the Church in the world of media is to “direct the light of Christ’s truth upon such shadows.”
Mr. Russell Shaw, Fr. Robichaud, Dr. Martens and Mr. Rocco Palmo should be giving us something to think about during their discussion NEXT SUNDAY EVENING AT 7:00 pm IN THE PARISH CHURCH.
