Book on Church’s public relations in India

(October 21, 2011) A book to help India’s Catholic Church in its public relations was released on Thursday at a function at the Pastoral Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh state. Entitled “Indian Book on Church Public Relations” the work authored by Fr. Anand Muttungal was released by the Madhya Pradesh Regional Catholic Bishops Council Chairman, Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal and National President of Conference of Diocesan Priests of India, Fr. Francis Scaria. Fr. Muttungal is the spokesman of the Madhya Pradesh Bishops council. Archbishop Cornelio said the book is a milestone in the special ministry of Public Relations in the Catholic Church. Fr. Scaria noted it is a very creative attempt to conscientize and educate people on how to spread the Gospel through public relations in an increasingly communally polarized world. The 260-page work is said to be the first book on Church Public Relations written by a native Indian. It provides techniques to become a good public communicator, writing complaints to Govt. officials, dealing with people in solving problems, functioning of the Indian administrative system, different issues related to media and how to deal with them and the troubles to Church and its personnel, how priests, nuns and Bishops can use public relations to spread the message of Christ.