The Holy Father could not be more explicit in encouraging of priests to use the new media in their apostolate:
[...] 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.I was reminded of the message by a correspondent who sent me a link to the Telegraph story headed Pope tells priests to get blogging. Newspapers quite naturally extrapolate from a message to get a good headline so I checked, and was pleased to see that the Holy Father did actually mention blogs. This is an immense encouragement for priestly bloggers. Perhaps he understands that the Catholics blogosphere is overwhelmingly loyal to the magisterium and provides an alternative to the negative slant often given to the Holy See in the mainstream media (both Catholic and secular).
Pope Benedict also has some wise words of advice particularly for priests hinting at the dangers present in becoming a voice in the "digital continent":
Yet priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ. This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a "soul" to the fabric of communications that makes up the "Web".That is a very good and easily memorable summary - be known for your priestly heart more than for your media savvy. That is an item to add to the priest-blogger's examination of conscience.
At the conclusion of the message, the Holy Father renews his invitation with reference to the public square:
To my dear brother priests, then, I renew the invitation to make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heralds of the Gospel in the new "agorà" which the current media are opening up.I also checked the texts for the Press Conference introducing the message. For the speech of Archbishop Claudio Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the text simply says that he presented in PowerPoint a synthesis of the Holy Father's message. Good one! next step is to embed a slide show of the presentation. Mgr Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council, also gave a speech and this is posted in an English translation.
19 comments:
...going to be a little more difficult at the 'ad limina' for certain forces to roundly condemn all the clerical/Catholic bloggers in England & Wales for their 'undue influence' now isn't it ?
May God continue to bless your e-apostolate Father and those of your fellow priest-bloggers. It is much appreciated.
I can think of one or two priestly bloggers in England & Wales who are going to have little difficulty with that particular aspect of their Examination of Conscience - priests who are justly famed for their blogs but, first, for their devotion to their parishes.
May God send us many more such.
I also checked the texts for the Press Conference introducing the message. For the speech of Archbishop Claudio Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the text simply says that he presented in PowerPoint a synthesis of the Holy Father's message.
PowerPoint?!!! How 20th century! LOL
The Holy Father's message is relevant to all of us, priests and laity alike, who use the new media to evangelize. It is an exciting time to be Catholic.
David
http://wheat4paradise.wordpress.com/
Fr. Tim,
This is excellent news for two reasons.
1. It affirms all your excellent (and vital) ministry in the blogosphere.
2. What dissenting priest will want to start a blog now -- it will make him look like he's acting out of obedience to Pope Benedict!
What's the latin for a blog Father?
fabula de tela?
Probably commentarius
I loved this.
You see that, Father....you and Fr. Ray, and other priests....have been ahead of your time.
A new priest blogger :)
http://letthewelkinring.spaces.live.com/default.aspx
my Latin's terrible but isn't it textus [web] aetheris [cyber] ephemeris [journal] ?
excuse tenses [thirty years since I did any latin]
If God Almighty is the omnipotent and “Omniscient”, all knowing “Creator” of the universe “In the beginning” !
And His Word states in Genesis:
{1:2} “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep”.
{1:3} And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. {1:4} And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness” …..
How come he got the light turned on AFTER the earth was formed and presumably when the sun was either not shining or did not exist ???? (first???). Was the (“omniscient”) writer of this book such a complete ignorant fool not to know the logic of cosmology as informed by modern astrophysics ?
Revd. Professor Polkinghorne, I’m a clever kid. I saw you on the tele tonight, Answer me please.
Address the ABSOLUTE catastrophic conclusion that an irreparable clanger is dropped in the Bible by 1:3 that has possibility of a no non-distorted hermeneutical or heuristic reply which is consistent with reality. Ergo all human history that follows from Genesis 1:3 is predicated on absurdity rather than “The Word of God”.
(Presuming that 1:3 materially comes ATER 1:2, and “the face of the deep” was on the earth).
The Holy Father insists his Priest to blog and our Father Finigan does the job!
In an exemplary manner may i say Father.Your e-apostolate is well received and loved.
My Concise Oxford Dictionary defines catechism as "instruction by question and answer." Now some of the comments on blogs, such as this excellent blog, are wonderful means of seeing arguments raised and challenged in a, usually, friendly and constructive way. This seems to be good for advancing out knowledge and understanding, at least for amateur readers like myself.
But where are the blogs of an equivalent quality with opposing views?
I would like to see an intelligent argument opposing the new translation of the Mass (assuming that one can be framed), one explaining why Mass in the Extraordinary form should not be offered etc.
Any ideas?
God luv ya, Father.
You are a beacon in the darkness of this time.
My prayers and the prayers of our little monastic community that you continue to make known the Truth of our Catholic Faith, in season and out of season, as St. Paul writes.
We do what we can.
God blesses it and makes it fruitful.
Thank you, Father. A million times over (can't remember how you say it in Irish!). Fr JM
Re:
"This is an immense encouragement for priestly bloggers. Perhaps he understands that the Catholics blogosphere is overwhelmingly loyal to the magisterium and provides an alternative to the negative slant often given to the Holy See in the mainstream media."
May those ordained to the Holy Priesthood receive strength and courage and inspiration to lead the way in this new era.
In this new era, the world seems so very darkened by so much of the new media and connectivity.
I think we scarcely realise the extent ...
The world is awash with imagery and messages like never before, bringing darkness.
I think not only of the most obvious such as pornography and those inciting bloodlust ....
But every instance calling us to a materialistic lifestyle, subtly and insidiously away from what is most True.
Including indeed the "negative slant" and countless lies and misrepresentations of the Holy Church.
But I thank God for those bringing light in the darkness with their faithfulness to the Magisterium and Tradition.
And I thank you, Father.
Gnostic Nige - the writer of the book of Genesis did not know about modern astrophysics. Catholics do not consider that the Bible was dictated by God but that the writers were inspired to use the human language and concepts of their own time to express the truth.
So we don't try to find a modern scientific account of the world in Genesis 1. The fundamental truths expressed are that the universe was created by God, that it is ordered and that it is created as something good.
(There are many theories as to the cosmology of the writer of Genesis - it may be, for example, that the first three days concern the dividing of the three layers of chaos, darkness, water and earth, and that the second triplet concerns the occupants of those elements.)
Well done, Tim, for your mention in today's Catholic Herald editorial!
Many thanks, Meriadoc.
Thanks also for getting my name right. Too clever by half.
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