Catholic communicators: more than a “looking glass”

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications brought together 204 delegates from 85 countries Oct. 4-7, 2010 to discuss Catholic print publications and the impact of the “new media” (the Internet and social networking sites) on their work.

While the Italians, French, Germans and Americans had some of the larger delegations, the diversity of the experiences of Catholic journalists in areas such as India, Africa and Latin America enriched the conversations. And, despite our diversity, several common themes emerged in the three and half days that we met. We were divided into small groups by languages and geographical regions for discussions following most plenary sessions. There were 11 small groups: four English, two each in Italian, Spanish and French, and one in German. It was obvious that English is becoming the global language, even in a Church that proclaims Latin as its preferred universal tongue. Interestingly, half the time the Germans reported out to the full assembly in English, since, as the reporter said, “it would be faster.”

The week began with a presentation by Amy Mitchell of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. Mitchell explained what the Americans already knew: print publications are in serious trouble in the states, and, while the web and all its components didn’t begin the decline in readership for them, it seems to be accelerating it. Other presenters indicated that, while print publications may still be healthy in Europe and actually growing in developing nations, as literacy rises, the implications of an Internet-driven society is that it won’t last long.

Catholic journalists and communication professionals also noted, both in the formal presentations and in reports from the small group discussion, that they are fettered in their work by bosses who fail to understand the implications of not reporting both the good and the bad news. It was encouraging to hear the French Bishop Stanislas Lelanne tell us, while he expects us to deeply love our church, that does not mean that we become “the voice of our master.” He also said that he thought it was a good thing that readers don’t always agree with what they read in their Catholic publications. If there is no debate in a Christian community, it is not a true community, he said.

Other speakers repeated the need for the Church to use its media outlets as places for conversations and dialogue to occur, both among Catholics and with the larger community. We were reminded that in some parts of the world, especially in Asia and Africa, both the Church and the marginalized are still actively persecuted and oppressed. The Church has to serve as the voice for the voiceless, speakers said again and again. Sometimes this means giving voice to those who are oppressed by church leaders. One Polish editor explained that we have to help bishops understand that their Catholic publications are not to serve as “talking mirrors,” telling him that he is the fairest prince in all the land. (I am sure some of these quotes were better in their original language.) This concern, raised again and again, was even more remarkable, in my opinion, since all of the delegates were selected by their episcopal conference and therefore would be considered “loyal” church workers.

As Ludwig Ring Eifel, editor-in-chief of the German news agency Katholische Nachrichtenagentur Pressebild (counterpart to our own Catholic News Service) said, “Believing in the church does not mean that we do not report on conflicts within it. And writing about the tensions in the church does not mean that we abandon its Christian values.”

It seemed that a majority of the participants were also eager to use social media, such as interactive websites, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to engage their populations. Some noted that there, too, they experienced resistance from their bishop-publishers because of fear of criticism and dissent. But those who have been at work in the blogosphere and other social media networks see the potential good outweighing the risks. Across Europe, North America and Oceania readers of print publications are aging. Websites and social media, however, are attracting younger audiences. These younger Catholics are eager to explore their faith and embrace it, and the only way they know to do that is to discuss and challenge their own ideas and others’ opinions.

A presentation by a Dominican priest from Africa showed the rapid deployment of submarine fiber optic, which is giving the African continent as fast and reliable access to the Internet as the rest of the world. It highlighted the fact that the digital divide is rapidly turning into a digital bridge and that the Church in Africa needs to breach the gap and engage in social media as its younger members embrace it.

Finally, the third major theme I observed was a sense that Catholic media have a role that is unique among media. It might be best expressed by a quote from David Quinn, an Irish journalist: “We have to offer an ethic of self-sacrifice and commitment, as opposed to the ethic of individualism” that seems to permeate so many societies, including Western democracies.

This was expressed in several ways: calls for an emphasis on a message of Christian hope, challenging people to work for the common good, to give voice to the voiceless, to present the Gospel in a way that is accessible to today’s attention-deficit-ordered news consumers, to use the professional standards and ethics we learned in journalism school, to face off against the growing and cynical news-as-entertainment mindset, and to provide positive stories about people rising above great suffering and oppression, both in secular Western societies and in non-Christian developing nations.

Telling the Christian message of hope is challenging and necessary, Archbishop Claudio Celli said in his remarks that closed the formal session. But before we do that, he said, Catholic journalists need to challenge our personal vision of the Church. If the Church is going to serve humanity, he said, it must be a place for dialogue and respect, not an institution that attempts to dominate or to condemn. We have to be good listeners before we can be good communicators, he explained. Once we know what is in the heart of humanity, Catholic communicators can speak to that heart, allowing dreams and hopes to be realized. That, he said, is daring to be a prophetic voice for the world.

If you're interested in more information, Catholic News Service carried several stories on the Congress.

Bishops Lend Their Voice to 'Defiant Requiem'

Tonight at the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Catholic and Jewish faiths will intermingle with history as well as art during a performance of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, the story of the Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt concentration camp -- a camp used as a model by the Nazis during visits by the Red Cross and others -- during World War II who performed the Verdi Requiem as a sign of resistance against their Nazi captors.

Under the direction of conductor Murry Sidlin of The Catholic University of America, the Kennedy Center concert combines Verdi's music with testimony from survivors of the original chorus, a propaganda film about the camp, and actors speaking the words of imprisoned conductor Rafael Schaëchter and other prisoners.

One of the co-sponsors of the event is the United States Conference of Catholic, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, the bishops' moderator of Jewish affairs, will attend the eventand speak at a reception following the performance. A message from Archbishop Dolan also appears in the program:

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.” I am deeply moved tonight thinking how this prayer, so often on my lips as a Catholic priest and bishop presiding at the rites of burial, became a song of defiant hope on the lips of Jews who were facing their darkest hour. These are the words that begin and end this evening’s performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, sung by the prisoners of the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp sixty-six years ago. The prayer belongs to the living liturgy of the Church, from which generations of Catholic believers have drawn spiritual strength. As a Catholic who daily prays the Psalms as an echo of the prayer of Jesus, I am aware that these sacred texts are both recited and heard differently between our two communities. Tonight Catholics are invited to hear these familiar prayers of the Requiem liturgy in the voices of our elder brothers and sisters in the faith as an expression of unquenchable hope.

Conductor Rafael Schächter told the choir: “We will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say to them.” The text of the Requiem assures that God’s justice will right all wrongs and that the King of Glory will deliver “the souls of all the faithful from the pains of hell.” Surely for many of the Jews living in the “antechamber of hell”—which was how Theresienstadt was described by one of the survivors—the final sequence, Libera me (“Deliver me”), was both a cry to the God of Abraham who had preserved His people many times from the forces of annihilation and a witness of the Jewish people to their collective will to survive.

The Second Vatican Council’s decree Nostra aetate (1965) may be heard as a response to the Requiem prayer sung by the Theresienstadt prisoners in its unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism and in its desire to renew the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. Inspired by Pope John Paul II (d. 2005), who held out the promise that Christians and Jews might truly be “a blessing to one another,” may our listening together to the Defiant Requiem become a fruit of that blessing and a sign of hope to the people of our age.

Stories from Sudan

Jill Rauh, outreach coordinator for the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD,) was part of a Catholic Relief Services delegation to Juba, Sudan, for the Sudanese Catholic bishops’ launch of the 101 Days of Prayer for a Peaceful Referendum in Sudan. She recounts some of her experiences below.

Last week, all over Sudan, the Catholic Church celebrated the launch of 101 Days of Prayer for a Peaceful Referendum in Sudan. Parades, masses and interfaith prayer services in dioceses across the country were attended by thousands of people. With a delegation from Catholic Relief Services, I was blessed to witness the lively and hopeful celebrations in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan.

But what left the most lasting impression were the stories of the people with whom I spoke—stories filled with longing for peace after decades of civil war.

Hannah, a young woman working her way through college, shared about her father’s death at the hands of rebels in a rural area of Sudan.

Willy, a father with young children, described the pain of being separated from his family, who are across the border in Uganda. He fears a return to war and will not bring them home to Sudan until he is certain of peace.

Priscilla described her life growing up in a refugee camp after her family fled from violence. The camp provided safety, but Priscilla mourns the loss of years of social development, especially lost educational opportunities.

Taban expressed the sentiments of so many Sudanese: “If you ask me what peace is, I cannot answer. I do not know what peace is like. But I long to know it.”

The Church in Southern Sudan has been one of the only stable institutions during decades of civil war in Sudan, and the Catholic bishops there are leading the efforts for peace. Many fear that war will return if the January 9, 2011 referendum on independence for southern Sudan goes badly.

The USCCB has urged our government to help Sudan find peace. In partnership with Catholic Relief Services, USCCB has pledged to support the Church’s efforts for peace in Sudan. Catholics in the U.S. are invited to Pray, Learn, Advocate, and Give in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Sudan. College students are being trained to serve as ambassadors to educate and involve fellow students on campus in efforts for peace. All Catholics can send a message to the President urging him to do everything he can to guarantee a peaceful and stable Sudan.

Bishops' Haiti Report

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, chair of the USCCB task force on Haiti. introduced September 27 the report “The Displaced of Haiti: Long-Term Challenges and Needed Solutions” on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) mission to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.

Archbishop Wenski made a plea to the international community not to lose focus on Haiti at this critical time. An executive summary of findings, recommendations contained in the report is below. Full report can be found posted at: http://www.usccb.org/mrs/USCCB_MRS_10_trip_report.pdf

The Displaced of Haiti: Long-Term Challenges and Needed Solutions

Findings
· Recovery and reconstruction efforts are proceeding slowly, leaving Haiti’s displaced, both inside the country and outside, at grave risk;

· After an initial generous response, nations in the region, including the United States, are beginning to pull back the welcome mat for Haitians displaced because of the earthquake;

· Haitian children remain in danger, subject to difficult living conditions, domestic servitude, and human trafficking;

· Haitian families are divided and policies pursued both by Haiti and surrounding nations, including the United States, have not been designed to reunite them; and

· Interdiction and deportation policies toward Haitians in the region continue or have resumed, despite the fragile state of the recovery effort in Haiti.

Recommendations
· The United States and other nations must provide reconstruction funds in a timely manner and assist the Haitian government in rebuilding the country, including a plan for re-location or return of the displaced to homes;

· Family tracing efforts for orphans must be increased and best interest determinations for Haitian orphans in Haiti and the Dominican Republic should be introduced;

· The United States should liberalize immigration policies toward Haitians, including the reunification of the families of medical evacuees, a re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians who arrived after January 12, 2010, and humanitarian parole for Haitian family members who have been approved for a U.S. visa but await a priority date;

· Efforts should be increased to protect children and women along the Haiti-Dominican Republic border to minimize the incidence of human trafficking; and

· U.S. interdiction policies toward Haitians should include proactive asylum screening; the United States should urge the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas to cease deportations of Haitians until the recovery and reconstruction of Haiti progresses and new homes are built or identified.

Latter Day Saints Promote Catholic News Service Movie Reviews

A former Catholic bishop of Salt Lake City once facetiously boasted that he headed the second largest church in Utah. There Catholics comprise nine percent of the population. Well known of course is that most people in the state belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormons.

The two churches differ significantly. However, in one area, that of family values, they hold much in common. That becomes clear in a recent article in the Mormon-owned daily newspaper, the Deseret News.

The Deseret News is now promoting the movie reviews of Catholic News Service, reviews that boast a 74-year history in the Catholic Church. A Sept. 23 article from The Deseret News explains the daily’s rationale:

The CNS reviews stand as a “unique voice in a noisy lobby,” the article noted.

Reviews offer both a moral and artistic analysis. Written primarily with families in mind, they offer guidance to filmgoers of any age. They’ve offered guidance to Catholics for almost 75 years. But obviously more than Catholics recognize their great value.

“The CNS reviews concentrate particularly on how a character’s negative behavior and ethical choices, such as crime and abortion, are presented: and depictions of human sexuality, including premarital sexual encounters, nonmarital cohabitation and adulterous relationships,” the article notes.

Given the popularity of movies, both on the big screen, video, CD and television, one has to be proud of this Catholic Church contribution to modern society. Adult moviegoers benefit by checking the CNS reviews before heading off to the cinema. The guidance makes for both more intelligent viewing and a warning that some movies aren’t worth your ten bucks. The reviews are a perfect resource for parents who must make decisions about what their offspring will view.

The Mormon Church has steadily supported family values. Their promotion of the CNS movie reviews is one more proof of this.

The Displaced of Haiti: Long-Term Challenges and Needed Solutions

The Committee on Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will publish September 27, the document "The Displaced of Haiti: Long-Term Challenges and Needed Solutions," a report on a recent mission to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas to study the situation of Haitians displaced by the January earthquake.

A link to the report will be provided through this blog on that day. Members of the news media also are invited to participate in a telephonic briefing on this topic with Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, as well as CLINIC and USCCB staff who participated in the mission. (Members of the media call 202-541-3200 for additional info.)

“It is clear that efforts to clean up and recover from the earthquake are progressing slowly,” said Archbishop Wenski. “However, the international community must remain steadfast in working with the Haitian government to reconstruct the country and strengthen its institutions. The survival and long-term future of the Haitian people are at stake,” said Archbishop Wenski upon returning from the fact-finding mission.

Following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, tens of thousands of Haitians were forced from their homes and out onto the streets. While the international community provided a great deal of help in this time of crisis, including the distribution of daily necessities and the construction of tent camps, challenges continued to surface in the following months.

Tent camps are not a permanent solution. It has become critical to build long term shelters so that the Haitian people can continue on with their lives. Clearing away the debris and rubble that was left in the aftermath of the earthquake is a constant struggle, but a crucial first step in reconstruction efforts that are ongoing.

Children in particular are at risk of being trafficked, both domestically and also to countries in the surrounding region. Confronting this threat head-on remains a primary challenge for the Haitian government, the Dominican Republic (Haiti’s next door neighbor) and for the international community as a whole.

The effects of the earthquake are not felt in Haiti alone, but have spilled over into the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and surrounding countries. How are government officials from surrounding countries dealing with Haitians who are trying to start a new life? Will they put into place mechanisms that will help to integrate Haitians into their community or will they put into place policies that will further alienate them going forward?

Observations and recommendations moving forward will be published September 27 in "The Displaced of Haiti: Long-Term Challenges and Needed Solutions," a Report of the Committee on Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Raíces y Alas: Pensar y caminar con sus pastores

(Note: this is the Spanish version of yesterday’s posting “Raíces y Alas: Thinking and walking with their shepherds” by Mar Muñoz-Visoso)

Esta semana se realiza en Chicago el congreso nacional católico hispano “Raíces y Alas 2010” [http://www.ncchm.org/]. El congreso está organizado por el National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM), una organización nacional que aglutina a más de cincuenta estructuras, organizaciones y movimientos nacionales y regionales. La agenda de la reunión es ambiciosa: “recrear y reconstruir la visión nacional para el ministerio hispano”. El congreso ha sido convocado en colaboración con el Secretariado de Diversidad Cultural en la Iglesia de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB).

Aunque el congreso está dirigido principalmente a líderes en el ministerio hispano, también acudirán representantes de entidades educativas, universidades, congregaciones religiosas y otras instituciones católicas estadounidenses “en reconocimiento de que cualquier aspecto del ministerio de la Iglesia afecta a la población hispana…de la misma manera [que] cualquier actividad de la comunidad católica hispana se entiende como una actividad de la Iglesia Católica.”
En total, se espera a más de 500 participantes.

Los objetivos planeados para la reunión son la “celebración”, la “reflexión” teológica y pastoral “de la realidad actual del ministerio hispano en Estados Unidos” y “una mirada hacia el futuro con proyecciones concretas para acciones ministeriales”.

Ha de notarse que la agenda de la reunión — esta reflexión sobre la realidad de los hispanos católicos en Estados Unidos — estará basada en las cinco prioridades actuales de los obispos estadounidenses:

· Matrimonio (aunque, como era de esperar, los latinos han ampliado la reflexión a la “Familia”)
· Formación en la fe y práctica sacramental
· Los jóvenes y las vocaciones
· Vida y dignidad de la persona humana
· Diversidad cultural, con énfasis especial en los hispanos

Hasta donde sabemos, esta es la primera organización nacional católica con una representatividad tan amplia y diversa en ministerios e intereses profesionales, con o sin un enfoque étnico o cultural, que haya manifestado de forma tan pública y abierta su intención de caminar con los obispos y de hacer suyas las prioridades de éstos. De hecho, se están retando a sí mismos a reflexionar sobre cómo sus estructuras, ministerios y enfoque pastoral abordan o no dichas prioridades.

Los participantes, de seguro, también lanzarán un reto a las estructuras diocesanas, regionales y nacionales (incluyendo las de USCCB) y a otras asociaciones católicas para que promuevan el liderazgo hispano en todas esas áreas. Se trata de un esfuerzo sincero para pensar y caminar con sus pastores; para dar un paso al frente y ejercer el liderazgo a que están llamados por los pastores, por el pueblo, y simplemente por su proporción en número dentro de la Iglesia.

En contra de lo que algunos han visto, y despreciado, como un esfuerzo por parte de los obispos de ser “políticamente correctos” — por haber hecho del reconocimiento de la diversidad cultural en la Iglesia con énfasis especial en los hispanos una de sus actuales prioridades dentro de su plan quinquenal — los esfuerzos de los obispos estadounidenses por entender, afirmar, guiar y caminar con su diverso rebaño puede que estén empezando a dar fruto.

Decir que una convocatoria del liderazgo católico hispano a este nivel hacía falta desde hace mucho tiempo se queda corto. Los organizadores afirman su “deseo de revivir el espíritu de los Encuentros y de celebrar el décimo aniversario del Encuentro 2000”.

El proceso de los Encuentros guió y proporcionó una visión nacional para la pastoral hispana en el último cuarto del siglo XX. Fruto de ellos — hubo tres — fueron el Plan Pastoral Nacional para el Ministerio Hispano, la creación de numerosas estructuras parroquiales, diocesanas, regionales y nacionales, muchos planes pastorales locales y numerosas asociaciones para el avance del ministerio hispano.

Cuando los católicos hispanos se preparaban para convocar el que sería su “Cuarto Encuentro” en el año 2000, se les pidió que sacrificaran — por esta vez — el enfoque ad intra étnico/cultural de su proceso de Encuentro y que lo compartieran y lo transformaran en una celebración multicultural del Jubileo 2000. Hubo sus más y sus menos pero, al final, el Encuentro 2000 resultó ser una expresión magnífica y multitudinaria de la catolicidad de la Iglesia, de su unidad en la diversidad en la diversidad. Es justo, pues, celebrar con gozo su décimo aniversario.

Pero los católicos hispanos y el ministerio hispano también necesitan atención y enfoque. Las realidades pastorales de hoy no son las mismas que hace 30 o 40 años. Tampoco los protagonistas son los mismos — tanto los ministros como la gente — ni sus necesidades. Por lo tanto, las estructuras que les sirven, así como su participación y liderazgo en la Iglesia en general, necesitan ser reexaminados a esa luz.

El último Encuentro Nacional de Pastoral Hispana sucedió hace 25 años. Tras el 2000, percibiendo la urgencia de abordar las necesidades particulares del desarrollo del ministerio hispano, los obispos realizaron una consulta al liderazgo. El fruto de este “Simposio 2001” en Colorado Springs, Colorado, fue el documento “Encuentro y misión: Un marco pastoral renovado para el ministerio hispano”, que los obispos ofrecieron como anexo y actualización del Plan Pastoral Nacional para el Ministerio Hispano de 1987.

Raíces y Alas 2010 promete ser un paso serio en la dirección adecuada; ambicioso, sin duda, pero también necesario.

*****
El Cardenal Francis George de Chicago, presidente de USCCB, dará la bienvenida y liderará a los participantes en oración el viernes por la mañana. Representarán a los obispos estadounidenses en el diálogo el Monseñor Jaime Soto, obispo de Sacramento, presidente del Comité de Obispos sobre Diversidad Cultural; Mons. José Gómez, Arzobispo Coadjutor de Los Ángeles; Mons. Jerry Barnes, obispo de San Bernardino, CA; Mons. Francisco González, obispos auxiliar de Washington; Mons. Gustavo García Siller, obispo auxiliar de Chicago; y Mons. Felipe Estévez de Miami. Representando a los obispos de Puerto Rico estará Mons. Félix Lázaro, obispo de Ponce.

Otros obispos benefactores y que han dado su apoyo incluyen a: Mons. Timothy Broglio, arzobispo de los Servicios Miliares, USA; Mons. Robert J. Carlson, arzobispo de Saint Louis; Mons. Charles J. Chaput, arzobispo de Denver; Mons. Walter A. Hurley, obispo de Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mons. Edward U. Kmiec, Obispo de Buffalo, Nueva York; Mons. Roger P. Morin, obispo de Biloxi, Mississippi; Mons. Richard E. Pates, obispo de Des Moines, Iowa; Mons. Joseph A. Pepe, obispo de Las Vegas, Nevada; y Mons. Joe S. Vazquez, obispo de Austin, Texas.