(July 28, 2010) Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Commission for Social
Communications, New Delhi, has launched a website on communication for pastoral leadership.
The website (www.communicationformation.com) was inaugurated and launched by Chairman
of the Commission, Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal SVD at Pastoral Centre, Bhopal, July
22, during a national workshop for formation personnel. While inaugurating the site
and declaring it open Bishop Chacko said the website on formation in social communications
is an effective means to reach people who are interested in the important area of
forming pastoral personnel in social communication. It is a rich resource where one
can find useful and educative materials for training candidates for pastoral ministry
in social communications as intended by the church. The CBCI Commission in collaboration
with Don Bosco Communications India had launched earlier this year a three-volume
series titled Communication for Pastoral Leadership and a set of teacher resources.
The course covering a 9- credit programme is aimed at integrating social communication
in the formation of future priests and religious. Pastoral leaders cannot ignore
the importance of communications particularly in Formation institutes and centres,
said Bishop Chacko. The workshop began with a presentation on the formation project
by Fr. George Plathottam sdb, Executive Secretary, CBCI Commission for Social Communications,
which was attended by 35 participants. Later during the day Bishop Chacko took a session
on media technologies and how to integrate them in formation. He also dealt with some
of the important ethical issues in communications.