25. Social Communication

25. Lineamenta on Social Communication

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION MINISTRY

God wills to communicate with man in many different ways and forms. He created the human being in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) in order “to embrace divine revelation and to enter into loving dialogue with Him. Because of sin, this capacity for dialogue at both the personal and social level has been altered, and humanity has had to suffer.. the bitter experience of incomprehension and separation” (John Paul II, Rapid Development [RD], January 24, 2005, no. 4). God, however, did not abandon us. He “loved the world so much that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16), Jesus Christ, and through Him “communication itself takes on its most profound saving meaning” (RD, 4). “The communication between God and humanity has thus reached its perfection in the Word made flesh” (RD, 5). Consequently, the Church has been commissioned by Christ to bring salvation to all men and to proclaim the Gospel and, with this, claims “her duty to preach the news of redemption with the aid of the instruments of social communication” (Vatican II, Inter Mirifica [IM], 3).
The Church recognizes the importance of these instruments of social communication, which are a product of human genius, because of its great influence on human society. “As a Mother, the Church welcomes and watches such inventions with special concern.. Such would be the press, the cinema, radio, television, and similar media, which can be properly classified as instruments of social communication” (IM, 1). She recognizes the importance of mass media in evangelization and said that “if these instruments are rightly used they bring solid nourishment to the human race. For they can contribute generously to the refreshment and refinement of the spirit, and to the spread and strengthening of God’s own kingdom” (IM, 2). Pope John Paul II had also seen this important contribution of the mass media to the Church when he said, “Communication permeates the essential dimensions of the Church which is called to announce to all the joyful message of salvation. For this reason, the Church takes advantage of the opportunities offered by the communications media as pathways providentially given by God to intensify communion and to render more penetrating the proclamation of His word” (RD, 6). She is also aware that mass media can be exploited for perversion and Vatican II states, “the Church grieves with a motherly sorrow at the damage far too often inflicted on society by the perverse use of these media” (Ibid.)
We acknowledge that in our present world, the means of social communications are effective tools in promoting unity and solidarity among humankind. Certainly, the media of social communication has a tremendous potential because through “the mass media not only news or images but values are communicated to millions. And right into the very homes of people. Hence the imperative need for media education and media awareness” (The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II], 653). More particularly, there is a need to foster movements of renewal among practitioners and consumers in the field of social communication and to have priests who will exercise pastoral care and promote spiritual formation for mass media practitioners (PCP II, 655 & 656). The practitioners or the communicators who actively employ the media have a duty in conscience to make themselves competent in the art of social communications, have objectivity and truth in their information, have the facts honestly reported in their proper context and their services grounded on the standard of Christian morality and the system of human values. The consumers or the recipients, who use, read, listen to and view the various media, should interpret the message correctly and to reap some benefits on the process even as they continue to be vigilant in their proper use of media and its meaning to life. They have to be conscious of the great power of the media in conditioning and reshaping people’s way of thinking even to the point that the reality for many is what the media recognize as real. Hence, silence can be imposed upon important issues, individual and groups whom the media ignore which may lead to the danger that the Gospel can be muted, though not entirely stilled, in the process (Aetate Novae [AN], 4). The Church plays a vital role in social communications to maintain her role as promoter of integral human development, human rights and Christian values and to exercise her primary duty to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15). In our diocese, we have to look into the proper way of utilizing print, broadcast and cyber media and to design a comprehensive program of evangelization in the context of the present technological development of communication for the well-being of the people and the Church and for the greater glory of God.

Questions for small group discussions:
What are the existing means of social communications in your parish/quasi-parish/chaplaincy/ mission area? What are their impact and sphere of influence among the people?
How can we use the Mass Media for our Evangelization Program, for worship services and for other activities of the Church?
How can we have a media education and media involvement that is attuned to the times, contextualized to our place and promotive of Christian values?