Net is right of every Religious: CRI

(May 15, 2010) Every Catholic Religious should have the right to access and use Internet, says the Conference of Religious India (CRI) in a message to its members in connection with the World Day of Communication on May 16. “The Internet is a huge resource for every aspect of life. The CRI has no hesitation to declare it as a right of every human being on earth to have access to such a source,” CRI national secretary Brother Mani Mekkunnel said in the message. Quoting from a papal document he said the Internet is “a great opportunity for Consecrated life” and “it can act as a stimulus.” The Brother wanted “every community, including formation houses, get connected with a broadband connection,” which he said, “is available at a very affordable rate and works wherever the mobile phones work.” He observed that most men’s communities and even individuals already are already connected but the “women are discriminated against by the system and their own mind sets.” “Let us not be controlled by fear of the possible evil effects but evolve regulatory mechanisms if required and empower ourselves to be citizens of the knowledge society. The time for ignorance is over,” the message said. “We should learn to use the huge resources that are available on the net including very rich and easily usable catholic literature;” it said adding digital revolution “is far more effective means of transformation than the development of language and printing for which the religious were in the forefront.