The Roman Catholic Bishops Conference launched a pastoral letter on the Church and the Media last month. The title is "Go Tell Everyone'.
I was invited to attend and take part in a panel discussion after the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Francesco Canalini, launched the statement on its way. The invitation was a privilege, since my co-panellists were all eminent persons " Barney Zwartz, the religion writer from Melbourne's Age newspaper; Professor Frank Brennan, Jesuit lawyer from the Australian Catholic University; John Allen, world-renowned Vatican correspondent for CNN and other agencies. Geraldine Doogue acted as the panel's moderator.
This pastoral letter is a document that most Christians will find helpful. There are, of course, statements from and references to Papal statements, but at the same time the Scriptures find their way into the text.
Indeed, the Catholic Bishops provide a good lead to all churches and church leaders by bringing before their people, young and old, issues relating to the communications world in which we live. There has never been a similar statement from the Anglican Bishops Conference " so often Anglicans move into a task and do it, without spending sufficient time reflecting on the task ahead and the most useful strategies to achieve outcomes.
Sydney's Anglican Media Council understands the need for careful, planned media strategy and has therefore achieved exciting outcomes. This is recognised by many Anglicans outside Sydney. In her book The New Puritans, a critique of the Diocese of Sydney, Dr Muriel Porter says that Archbishop Jensen's leadership is "being magnified by an astonishingly effective public relations exercise" and she frequently refers to Anglican Media Sydney. Elsewhere, Melbourne's Anglican Media is widely applauded for its useful parish resource to aid contact with local media.
The initial starting point of the Catholic Bishops' statement emphasises that communication lies at the heart of Christian mission. "Christ was the ultimate communicator" Jesus exhorted those who followed him to take his message to the ends of the earth."
Their statement examines the contemporary media world, pointing out that the wealth of information available means that there is competition in the market place for our hearts and minds. Then follows this statement "The Catholic Church posits that the only unassailable truth is the word of God and the person of Jesus Christ. Everything we see and hear must then be absorbed and tested through the prism of that Truth. It is our sure guide to navigating our way through the modern media maze."
When are the Anglican Bishops as a body going to challenge their people with words such as these?
The statement analyses modern media; insists that the family is the authentic setting for media education; asks Catholic readers "Do you have good news happening in your parish?" to help parish communities move into using local media; and concludes with a section on "Evangelisation through the Media".
I am certain most clergy and parish leaders will find some helpful material in the statement that could be used with benefit to their parish community.
The statement is available at [url=http://www.acbc.catholic.org.au]http://www.acbc.catholic.org.au[/url] or by emailing media@catholic.org.au
