Asia: Evangelising on the digital continent

September 04, 2012: 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.

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.

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).