Diocese of Harrisburg

17 September 2012

Rev. Joshua R. Brommer, STL

Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary use Twitter

• Reading once again the teachings of the Second Vatican Council – www.vatican.va (they’re free!)

• Inter Mirifica, the Decree on the means of Social Communication: 4 December 1963• “Man’s genius has with God’s help produced

marvelous technical inventions from creation, especially in our times. The Church, our mother, is particularly interested in those which directly touch upon man’s spirit and which have opened up new avenues of easy communication of all kinds of news, of ideas and orientations.” (IM 1)

• Taking up the mission of Evangelization

The Year of Faith

The meaning of the word The expression of the meaning• In 1963, what did this mean?

• Press

• Cinema

• Radio

• Television

• In 2012, this takes on a whole new meaning

• Press, Cinema, Radio, Television

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Etc.

• “Media” is the plural form of the Latin word “medium”, which has relatively the same meaning in English.

• Other ways of translating the word “medium” can be “instrument”, “means”.

• “for the public,” “before the public,” “for the public good,” “for the care of the public good,” “for the good of all”

What do we mean by “Media”?

What is the “Power” of Social Communication?

“[The media] contribute greatly to the enlargement of men’s minds and to the propagation and consolidation of the kingdom of God.” (IM 2)

“…man can use them in ways that are contrary to the Creator’s design and damaging to himself. … [The Church] grieves with a mother’s sorrow at the harm all too often inflicted on society by their misuse.” (IM 2)

“The Catholic Church was founded by Christ our Lord to bring salvation to all men. It feels, obliged, therefore, to

preach the gospel. In the same way, it believes that its task

involves employing the means of social communication to

announce the good news of salvation and to teach men

how to use them properly.

It is the Church’s birthright to use and own any of these

media which are necessary and useful for the formulation of Christians and for pastoral

activity.”

- IM, 3

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

The obligation to use Social Media

• “… it is principally for laymen to animate these media with a Christian and human spirit and to ensure that they live up to humanity’s hopes for them, in accordance with God’s design.” (IM 3)• “Laymen who work professionally in these media should

endeavor to bear witness to Christ: first of all, by doing their work competently and in an apostolic spirit, secondly by collaborating directly, each one according to his ability, in the pastoral activity of the Church, making a technical, economic, cultural, or artistic contribution.” (IM 14)

• “Lay people must be given the necessary technical, doctrinal and moral formation.” (IM 15)

• “If the media are to be correctly employed, it is essential that all who use them know the principles of the moral order and apply them faithfully in this domain.” (IM 3)

Principles for the Laity & Social Media

• Information, news, facts, happenings should be “communicated publically and without delay” to give people sufficient information so as to contribute to the common good and progress of society. (IM 4)• The ‘right to information’: communication should be

“true and complete” within the limits of justice and charity

• All art and media are subjected to “the absolute primacy of the objective moral order.” (IM 6)

• Limits placed on the “description and representation of moral evil” need to be in place. (IM 7)

• The responsibility to safeguard against poor influence on public opinion and the formation of society. (IM 8)

• Responsibility toward the young – both by producers of media and those who teach the young how to use media. (throughout IM)

Principles for the Laity & Social Media

• Formation of a “correct conscience on the use of the media” (IM 5)

• Social Communication must be used with a “properly motivated selectivity” looking specially toward “whatever excels in virtue, culture and art” (IM 9)

• “Those who are at the receiving end of the media, and especially the young, should learn moderation and discipline in their use of them. They should aim to understand fully what they see, hear and read. They should discuss them with their teachers and with experts in such matters and should learn to reach correct judgments. Parents on their part should remember that it is their duty to see that entertainments and publications which might endanger faith and morals do not enter their houses and that their children are not exposed to them elsewhere.” (IM 10)

• Civil authorities: “Special measures should be taken to protect adolescents from publications and entertainments harmful to them.” (IM 12)

Forming the Young to responsibly use media both as Producers & Consumers

• “All the members of the Church should make a concerted effort to ensure that the means of communications are put at the service of the multiple forms of the apostolate without delay and as energetically as possible, where and when they are needed.” (IM 13)

• “[Members of the Church] need the instruction and practical experience if they are to use the media properly. Projects designed to effect this, especially among the young, should be encouraged and multiplied in Catholic schools at all levels … and should be directed in accordance with the principles of Christian morality.” (IM 16)

Using Social Communications for the Faith in our schools

What do these “projects” look like?

THIS IS

YOUR

WORK!

@elizabethf tweeted: ”#yearoffaith Faith makes me have confidence in myself and my friends.”

@nathanc tweeted: ”#yearoffaith Faith makes me think of God and gets me through hard times.”

@ryleeh tweeted: ”#yearoffaith Faith means to let Jesus catch you and make you calm.”

@omarih tweeted: ”#yearoffaith Faith to me is to learn about God and share the Good News.”