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January 23, 2010
Pope Tells Priests: Go Forth and Blog
Cool:
The world of digital communication, with its almost limitless expressive capacity, makes us appreciate all the more Saint Paul's exclamation: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16) The increased availability of the new technologies demands greater responsibility on the part of those called to proclaim the Word, but it also requires them to become more focused, efficient and compelling in their efforts. Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word.
The spread of multimedia communications and its rich "menu of options" might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web, or to see it only as a space to be filled. Yet priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different "voices" provided by the digital marketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.
That's from Pope Benedict's new website www.Pope2You.net. I've gotta say, it's not a bad effort. It's got papal speeches, apps for sharing Catholic stuff on Facebook, photos, and a link to the Vatican YouTube channel.
The message is sent as the Church celebrates its 44th World Communications Day tomorrow. My priest back home has had this covered for years. He's a moderator and participant on a discussion forum for Christian fans of the Harry Potter novels. Probably knows more Potter-verse trivia than anyone I know.
posted by Gabriel Malor at
02:48 PM
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