(Vatican Radio) - The Asian church must evangelise on the digital continent and they
can learn how to do this by looking at the advances made in the field by Vatican
Radio. This is according to Dr. Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, Chancellor of
St. John’s University, Bangkok, Thailand and a long-time consultant for Pontifical
Council for Social Communications. It is also what he told Asian bishops on Tuesday,
the second day of the VIII Congress of the Federations’ Bishops’ Institute for Social
Communications” (BISCOM VIII) which is taking place in the Tahi capital Bangkok.
Vatican Radio’s Fr. Joseph Paimpalli is in Bangkok following the conference and sends
us this report:
“In the digital culture, everyone’s opinion is valid, meaning
to say that if a question or contradiction is posted, the digital natives expect a
response or something resembling a conversation. We can choose not to enter into
that cultural mindset, but we do so at great peril to the Church’s credibility and
approachability in the minds of the natives, those who are growing up in this new
culture. This is a new form of pastoral ministry. It may not be the platform we are
seeking, but it is an opportunity of such magnitude that we should consider carefully
the consequences of disregarding it” , said Dr. Chainarong.
He was addressing
the participants of 8th edition of "Bishops' Institute for Social Communication" (BISCOM
VIII) today at the Assumption University, in Bangkok, Thailand. The week-long event
has the theme "Social Media: Surfing, Networking, Blogging, Gaming, Addiction - Challenges
and Opportunities for Communication Ministry in Asia". 45 participants including 14
bishops, archbishops from 12 South Asian countries are participating in the program.
While
introducing “Church and Internet: Documents and Teachings on a “New Culture" Dr. Chainarong
started with a video presentation of the beginning of Vatican Radio, its present day
reach and approach, and how Pope Benedict XVI his first ‘tweet’.
He said:
“You may also have heard that the Catholic Church was once a pioneering force in communications.
Since the time of Jesus Christ, its followers have traveled the globe preaching and
converting hundreds upon hundreds, thousands upon thousands to the truths of the Gospel
message. Its scholars compiled the Bible and books of learning that continue to exert
their influence on the world today. Its members also established systems of schools,
colleges, hospitals, and churches. Clearly, the Church has historically mastered the
art of social communication.”
However, Dr. Chainarong lamented the present
day situation of the Church in the field of communication saying “you may observe
that today in many parts of the world, including Asia, the Church has fallen short
of that reputation. It is lagging behind other organizations in adopting new forms
of communication. To be more precise, the Church is lacking in its efforts to utilize
new media. Meanwhile, new media and technology has continued to advance, leaving
the Church behind. Indeed, the Church today finds herself in the midst of a technological
revolution, the biggest communication shift since the advent of the printing press.”
He
said: it was in Redemptoris Missio that Pope John Paul II described the new communication
situation as a ‘New Culture.’ He demands that the Christian Message has to be integrated
“into the ‘New Culture’ created by modern communications”
Dr. Chainarong said
“for the 44th World Communications Day in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI focused on the importance
of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying
out their ministry to and for the Word of God. The priests can help men and women
of our time using the resources made available by the digital age in which we live.
The Holy Father addressed the need for the pastoral presence of priests in
cyberspace. In as much as “All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation
of Jesus Christ”, they have to respond to the challenge of preaching the gospel amidst
the cultural shifts of the present.
Looking back at BISCOM VI, Dr. Chainarong
reminded the participants that “the final statement (of BISCOM VI) said that experts
from different disciplines urge the bishop participants to look at the opportunities
of the new media environment with new eyes: the more we are present in cyberspace,
the more we are challenged to extend our ‘parish’! The Church should also integrate
Information and Communication Technology into its administrative and pastoral work.
It
is equally interesting to observe that the final statement notes that the situation
of the Church in Asia is far from ideal for the integration of ICTs.
“Except
for a few countries, many bishops are working among the poor and marginalized with
lack of electricity, poor financial resources and inadequate access or exposure to
modern technology. They might not be able yet to fully benefit from the modern means
of communication.”
However, the Bishops agree in the statement that technology
is moving forward relentlessly, bringing down costs and making new communication tools
affordable and accessible to increasing numbers of people, especially the young.
Dr.
Chainarong concluded his talk on Vatican Radio saying “you may have already heard
that since July 1 a new chapter in the history of Vatican Radio has evolved from Short
Waves to new communication strategies. Vatican Radio’s 40 different language programs
can now not only be received via satellite but also available ‘live’ on five web channels,
on demand and in podcast. According to the Director General of Radio Vatican Fr Federico
Lombardi, the time has come to reduce its reliance on traditional technologies, like
Short and Medium Wave broadcasts, and to develop its resources to more innovative
technological criteria”.
His thought provoking end comments were: “Most of
us are digital immigrants who need lessons on the digital culture, just as we expect
missionaries to learn the cultures of the people they are evangelizing. We have to
be ‘enculturated’. It is more than just learning how to create a Facebook account.
It is learning an entirely new way of how to think, live, and evangelize on the Digital
Continent.”
The aim of BISCOM has been designed to equip bishops of South Asia
with necessary skills and knowledge for handling modern media. It also aims to develop
a pastoral approach to the emerging media.
The BISCOM 8 is organized by the
Office of Social Communications (OSC) of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences
(FABC).