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An unexpected “thumbs up”

17 May 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's reading from the First Letter of John encourages its hearers to love one another. There was no love lost between many in the Catholic Church and the producers of the 2006 film The Da Vinci Code, which suggested Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children. But Vatican reviewers gave a surprisingly positive assessment to Angels and Demons, the movie adaptation of another novel by Code author Dan Brown. L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, described the Ron Howard film, which opens this Friday, as being filled with historical inaccuracies but also said it offers "more than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity." It characterized the movie as "a videogame that first of all sparks curiosity and is also, maybe, a bit of fun." The reviewers suggested the church should consider rethinking the way it presents itself in the media rather than regarding the success of Brown's works as a threat: "It would probably be an exaggeration to consider the books an alarm bell. But maybe they should be a stimulus to rethink and refresh the way the church uses the media to explain its positions on today's burning issues." In Angels and Demons Harvard academic Robert Langdon--played by Tom Hanks in both films--comes to the aid of the church when it is threatened by an ancient cult. "The theme is always the same: a sect versus the church," said L'Osservatore. "This time, the church is on the side of the good guys." Source: Articles by BBC News and Ariel David for The Huffington Post

losservatore romano da vinci code angels and demons catholic church media dan brown
The Vatican’s a-twitter--within limits

28 Mar 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the Book of Isaiah this Sunday the prophet claims to have "a well-trained tongue" that can rouse the weary. The Vatican, which already has accounts on YouTube and Facebook, launched Twitter accounts in six languages on Sunday. Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged parishes to likewise embrace new forms of online communication--with qualifications. Many parishes that use sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been instructed to disable the comment functions of those sites. "Priests are . . . 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," the pope declared in January in preparation for World Communications Day in May. But many dioceses have policies that take the "social" out of social media, according to The Orlando Sentinel. The Orlando diocese's rules for the use of social media expressly prohibit blogs because they imply two-way communication that encourages responses from the public, said Carole Brinati, diocesan spokeswomen. "Blogging is 'I can comment on that,' and that is what we don't allow," Brinati said. "Some people feel that is shortsighted, but that is our policy." Said Father Anthony Pogorelc, a research fellow at Catholic University's Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies in Washington, D.C.: "In some sense there is a tension between social media and traditional, hierarchical organizations like the Catholic Church. With social media, everyone has a voice and can say what they want." "To short-circuit the interactive part of social media dilutes the full impact of what the technology can bring to a church and its congregation," said Bill Reichart, a social-media consultant in Atlanta who works with faith-based organizations. "The discussion is already going on within members of the church. Social media just give that expression a different forum." Source: Articles by Zenit and Jeff Kunerth for the Orlando Sentinel

benedict xvi vatican social media twit diocese of orlando carole brinati blogs anthony pogorelc bill reichart
Media watchdogs press for freedom

09 May 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's gospel Jesus promises his disciples that the Advocate will teach them everything. Advocacy journalism is at risk around the world, warns Paris-based Reporters Without Borders in their annual report to mark World Media Freedom Day. The leaders of China, Russia, and Rwanda are among the worst "predators of press freedom," they reported. A number of world leaders are on the list. Gilles Lordet, director of research at the media watchdog, says one of the worst offenders is President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, where an election is to take place in August."He does not respect the work of the journalists, he does not want to have press freedom in his country and he is pressuring and he can be very intimidating with journalists and censoring very regularly media and press that do not share his point of view," Lordet said.New additions to the list included Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh. Lordet says media rights in Yemen are rapidly eroding."Since May 2009 we observed a very bad evolution, with a lot of trials, with a lot of journalists in prison, a lot of journalists harassed and it is really the worst evolution of media freedom in the world," Lordet said.Another new addition to the list was Taliban leader Mullah Omar. "It is important sometimes to really point at an individual like with Mullah Omar because he has really an influence on his group. Sometimes we can really identify one man, one person, who concentrates the reason that there is so much violence against journalists," Lordet said.Some names have been dropped from last year's list. A number of Iraqi Islamist groups were taken off. Reporters Without Borders says violence remains high but journalists are no longer a specific target.But overall, says Lordet, the picture has not changed much from last year. "If we compare the list with last year, we think on a global scale there is no improvement. There [are] still the same predators, there [are] still the same countries where the situation is very bad," Lordet said.In Mexico, named as one of the most dangerous countries for the media, 62 journalists have been killed in the past 10 years. The Philippines were also highlighted as a particularly dangerous place for journalists; 30 were killed there in a single attack by gunman last November. Source: An article by Selah Hennessy for VOANews.com

journalists freedom of the press reporters paul kagame gilles lordet world media freedom day reporters without borders
Till death--or a loss of internet service--do us part

09 Oct 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast,” says Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel. If that wedding were held in the age of social media, it might include innovations such as video save-the-dates, high-speed "QR" barcodes on invitations, and live-streaming of the wedding ceremony for far-flung loved ones to watch online. Couples are inviting guests to live-tweet the big day using special Twitter keywords called hash tags and are creating interactive seating charts so tablemates can chat online ahead of time. One couple featured a "guest of the week" on their wedding blog. Another ordered up a cake with an iPad embedded at the base to stream photos at the reception. A third Skyped in a "virtual bridesmaid" who couldn't make it. She was walked down the aisle by a groomsman via iPad. At her recent wedding Lauren Barnes pulled out her iPhone and accepted her groom's Facebook relationship change to "married." "Nothing's official until it’s Facebook official!" she said. According to surveys by the magazine sites Brides and The Knot, high tech is on the rise in the world of weddings, with 65 percent of couples now setting up special sites to manage RSVPs, stream video of the ceremony and/or reception, and keep guests in the loop. Such tools can be a godsend so long as older or not-so-techie folks are not stranded on the wrong side of the firewall. "But that list of people is shrinking fast," said Anja Winikka, site editor for The Knot. Source: An article by Leanne Italie for the Associated Press

Technology weddings social media
The Vatican all a-Twitter

09 Dec 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The gospel this Second Sunday of Advent focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist who, in the tradition of the prophet Isaiah, spoke with “a voice of one crying out in the desert.”Communications technology has evolved a bit since biblical times, so it was perhaps inevitable that the pope would begin posting messages on the social network Twitter. The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Benedict XVI will tweet under the handle @pontifex, a Latin term meaning "bridge-builder." Within hours of the announcement he had more than 250,000 followers.Benedict is expected to send his first post at a general audience at the Vatican on Dec. 12 in response to questions about matters of the faith that are now being accepted via the hashtag #askpontifex, officials said. “The pope’s presence on Twitter can be seen as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ that is the church’s presence in the world of new media,” a Vatican statement said.Benedict’s posts will go out in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. Other languages are expected to be added in the future. The messages will mostly feature the contents of the pope’s speeches at his weekly general audience and Sunday blessings as well as homilies on major holidays and reactions to major world events like natural disasters.The pope, who still writes his speeches and books by hand, has given a qualified blessing to social networking. In a document issued last year he said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered "a great opportunity" but warned of the risks of depersonalization.Benedict will post messages however often he feels like it, just do not expect him to start following others on Twitter or retweeting their posts, said Greg Burke, a former Fox News correspondent in Rome who was named a Vatican communications adviser this year. “He won’t follow anyone for now,” Burke added. “He will be followed.”Homily hint: How many of those gathered today use Twitter? Facebook? Other social media? A show of hands likely would reveal a dramatic generational divide on these questions. Parents, teachers, and all those in ministry need to gain some “internet literacy” in order to better understand the online world many younger people inhabit. Sources: Articles by Philip Pullella for Reuters and Haia Pianigiani and Rachel Donadio for the New York Times

benedict xvi twitter social media pontifex greg burke new media
The Vatican all a-Twitter

09 Dec 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The gospel this Second Sunday of Advent focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist who, in the tradition of the prophet Isaiah, spoke with “a voice of one crying out in the desert.”Communications technology has evolved a bit since biblical times, so it was perhaps inevitable that the pope would begin posting messages on the social network Twitter. The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Benedict XVI will tweet under the handle @pontifex, a Latin term meaning "bridge-builder." Within hours of the announcement he had more than 250,000 followers.Benedict is expected to send his first post at a general audience at the Vatican on Dec. 12 in response to questions about matters of the faith that are now being accepted via the hashtag #askpontifex, officials said. “The pope’s presence on Twitter can be seen as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ that is the church’s presence in the world of new media,” a Vatican statement said.Benedict’s posts will go out in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. Other languages are expected to be added in the future. The messages will mostly feature the contents of the pope’s speeches at his weekly general audience and Sunday blessings as well as homilies on major holidays and reactions to major world events like natural disasters.The pope, who still writes his speeches and books by hand, has given a qualified blessing to social networking. In a document issued last year he said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered "a great opportunity" but warned of the risks of depersonalization.Benedict will post messages however often he feels like it, just do not expect him to start following others on Twitter or retweeting their posts, said Greg Burke, a former Fox News correspondent in Rome who was named a Vatican communications adviser this year. “He won’t follow anyone for now,” Burke added. “He will be followed.”Homily hint: How many of those gathered today use Twitter? Facebook? Other social media? A show of hands likely would reveal a dramatic generational divide on these questions. Parents, teachers, and all those in ministry need to gain some “internet literacy” in order to better understand the online world many younger people inhabit. Sources: Articles by Philip Pullella for Reuters and Haia Pianigiani and Rachel Donadio for the New York Times

benedict xvi twitter social media pontifex greg burke new media
Young Catholics indulged online for World Youth Day

21 Jul 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Just as Mary and Martha respond to the presence of Jesus in different ways in this Sunday’s gospel, not every young Catholic in the world will have the opportunity to be physically present with Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro July 23-28. A Vatican court has ruled, however, that “the faithful who are legitimately impeded [from attending events in person] can obtain the plenary indulgence if . . . they follow the same rites and pious exercises . . . by the new means of social communication.”Church leaders have cautioned, though, that “you can't obtain indulgences"—remission of temporal sins for which a person must make reparation—"like getting a coffee from a vending machine,” as Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, put it in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “It won't be sufficient to attend the Mass in Rio online, follow the pope on your iPad, or visit Pope2You.net. These are only tools that are available to believers,” Celli noted. “What really matters is that the pope's tweets from Brazil, or the photos of World Youth Day that will be posted on Pinterest, should bear authentic spiritual fruit in the hearts of each one of us.”The newspaper, which is collaborating with the Pope2You.net website, also consulted Father Paolo Padrini, a respected scholar of digital communications dubbed the “iPriest,” on the significance of the online offer of a plenary indulgence. “Imagine your computer is a well-laden table where you can find tweets from Pope Francis, videos on YouTube, clips on Corriere.it, and Facebook postings from your friend in Brazil,” Padrini said. “That is the dinner that will nourish your spirit. Sharing, acting in unison, despite the obstacle of distance. But it will still be real participation and that is why you will obtain the indulgence. Above all because your click will have come from the heart." Homily hint: International World Youth Day only comes around once every two years, and this month’s event in Rio de Janeiro will be the first for Pope Francis. Though most of us will be far from the action, we can stay close in spirit through prayer and by taking advantage of social media sites. Publish information in your bulletin, community website, email lists, wherever and however you can get the word out. Go to the VISION VocationNetwork website for resources and information. The New Evangelization begins at home! Source: An article by Carol J. Williams for the Los Angeles Times

Pope Francis plenary indulgences social media world youth day paolo padrini claudio maria celli
Online overkill is apparent

22 Mar 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday yearns always to be in God’s presence and promises to teach “transgressors” the ways of God. Many a social media user wishes parents with children adoped a lower-key presence online, protesting that the deluge of parental posts about their children is a transgression of social media etiquette. There is even a new word for exaggerated postings about one’s children—instead of over-parenting, think “over-sharinting.” Homily hint: Studies have shown that social media is no substitute for face-to-face human contact. Make sure that your time online is not spent at the expense of human contact—God created us for community, and community involves contact. Unplug the computer and connect with someone face to face! For more on parental overposting, see: Is there too much 'oversharenting' on social media?

facebook social media parenting
Learning from social communications

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

Print media is contracting—but not because it is getting replaced by online media. It is dwindling because it is mass media. What is happening is that the massification of communications appropriate for the industrial era has given way to targeted and more fragmented communications. That does not mean that all print media is dying, nor that the future for all online media is uniformly bright. What it does mean is that we are back to “village” or “guild” communications where social networks are much more central. For that reason, print magazines built around targeted audiences are not facing the same challenges as newspapers oriented toward an undifferentiated population within a large metropolitan area. Evangelization is a specialized form of communication, and all efforts to build community in any particular parish or other Catholic faith community obviously depend on communication. Yet have we really “gotten the memo” on the move from mass communications to social communications? Parishes were once almost uniformly dominated by the concerns of young families, places for the education of young children. Today, boutique parishes have emerged in a natural process; parishes of young families continue to be found, yes, but there are also parishes that are primarily ports of entry for immigrants, places to celebrate particular cultures or traditions, and parishes where burials far outnumber baptisms. What are we doing today to build up communities in the same way that social communications build up communities of conversation? We cannot expect that people will come simply because they are there in a particular area any more than we can expect that people will read a metropolitan newspaper because they live in a particular area. But by reaching out to people’s aspirations and culture, by building relationships virally, from friend to friend, we can truly build church in our time. Merely adopting Facebook for evangelization is not enough. The church has to “become” Facebook. © 2011, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

media social media communications

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Learning from social communications

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

Print media is contracting—but not because it is getting replaced by online media. It is dwindling because it is mass media. What is happening is that the massification of communications appropriate for the industrial era has given way to targeted and more fragmented communications. That does not mean that all print media is dying, nor that the future for all online media is uniformly bright. What it does mean is that we are back to “village” or “guild” communications where social networks are much more central. For that reason, print magazines built around targeted audiences are not facing the same challenges as newspapers oriented toward an undifferentiated population within a large metropolitan area. Evangelization is a specialized form of communication, and all efforts to build community in any particular parish or other Catholic faith community obviously depend on communication. Yet have we really “gotten the memo” on the move from mass communications to social communications? Parishes were once almost uniformly dominated by the concerns of young families, places for the education of young children. Today, boutique parishes have emerged in a natural process; parishes of young families continue to be found, yes, but there are also parishes that are primarily ports of entry for immigrants, places to celebrate particular cultures or traditions, and parishes where burials far outnumber baptisms. What are we doing today to build up communities in the same way that social communications build up communities of conversation? We cannot expect that people will come simply because they are there in a particular area any more than we can expect that people will read a metropolitan newspaper because they live in a particular area. But by reaching out to people’s aspirations and culture, by building relationships virally, from friend to friend, we can truly build church in our time. Merely adopting Facebook for evangelization is not enough. The church has to “become” Facebook. © 2011, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

media social media communications

Restricted

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