Asian bishops’ meeting on social media

(September 03, 2012) The bishops of Asia are meeting this week in Bangkok, Thailand, to study the challenges and opportunities that the social media offers to the Church in her ministry in the vast continent. "Social Media: Surfing, Networking, Blogging, Gaming, Addiction - Challenges and Opportunities for Communication Ministry in Asia" is the theme of the 8^th meeting of the Bishops' Institute for Social Communication (BISCOM), organized by the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). The September 3-9 event is being hosted at the Assumption University, in Bangkok. Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications will inaugurate the BISCOM meeting on Tuesday with a keynote presentation titled, "Proclamation and Witnessing Online: Emerging Models and Strategies".
The aim of BISCOM has been to equip bishops of South Asia with necessary skills and knowledge for handling modern media and to develop a pastoral approach to the emerging media. The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) is a Holy See approved voluntary association of bishops conferences of Asia, which does not include the Middle East and West Asia. Several Asia-based former Soviet republics have also joined the FABC.