Pope Benedict XVI speech to employees and family members of the Vatican Television Centre

(December 18, 2008) Thanks to radio and television, which have enabled many people, initially through the voice and now also through images, to participate in the celebrations and events that occur in the Vatican or in other places where the Pope goes out to his ministry. Yours is therefore primarily a valuable service for communion in the Church, said Pope Benedict XVI. He was addressing employees, directors and employees of the Vatican Television Centre, accompanied by their families, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the foundation of your Centre. In particular the Pope extended the greetings to Cardinal John P. Foley and the Director General Father Federico Lombardi. The Centre was founded in 1983 by Pope John Paul II, recognizing that the Holy See, in addition to communication tools it already possesses, now also has its own television structure, because the Pope's service to the Church Universal and to the humanity. In this way, a large number of faithful can follow, live or pre recorded message of what is happening at the heart of the Church. But television does not reach only the Catholic faithful. By putting the images available to the larger agencies worldwide television and major commercial or national television, you favourite adequate and timely information about life and about the Church in today's world, in the service of human dignity, justice Of dialogue and peace. In particular during international travel of the Pope, the scope of the service has widened so as to reach the borders of the world, responding to the expectations human and spiritual needs of people. Commending their transmission of the liturgy, the Pope said that the liturgy is really the culmination of Church life, time and place of deep relationship with God. The good cooperation with the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, which cultivated for a long time, will help you grow in this increasingly valuable spiritual service to viewers worldwide, he said. Already the collaboration between the Centre and the Vatican Radio has been very close and has been increasing because in broadcasts the image and sound can not be separated said the Holy Father.