Conference for Comunications Faculties of Catholic Universities

(May 22, 2008) This present conference for Communications Faculties of Catholic Universities will not be about listening to discourses but about sharing experiences, affirmed the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Archbishop Claudia Celli said that the conference, which began Thursday, 22^nd of May at Rome's Pontifical Urbanian University, is to employ an innovative methodology. "It is not a congress in which they come to hear discourses, but rather to share experiences," he said. One of the objectives is to look at the Catholic identity of the communications programs. "Sometimes the curricula are identical to those of lay faculties," Archbishop Celli noted. "On one hand, technical competence is important," he continued, "but we are convinced that it is not enough, that we have to see what is the function and value of all communication, linked to anthropology." Archbishop Celli continued that the conference wanted to participate in the positive contribution of the press for the growth of the human community, which not only has just an individual dimension, but also a communitarian one. He proposed that a fruit of the conference could be a type of "academic council," which would eventually help the Vatican dicastery with issues such as the new tendencies of communication. The congress will look at the changing world of communications and the challenges that face those dedicated to the academic formation of future professional communicators, as well as the identity and mission of communications faculties in Catholic universities, and the ethical formation of communicators. Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said that he hopes "new initiatives are born from this congress, of mutual support between Catholic universities, for example collaboration between faculties from countries with resources and centres from countries with economic difficulties.” The Conference is represented by 89 participants from 40 countries and 45 communications faculties.