A Christian use of the Internet

The Church has a positive attitude to the Internet. She sees this great, useful medium of mass communication as a vehicle of enrichment and enhancement of the dignity and progress of the human person, as well as an effective and powerful means for the proclamation and strengthening of the Kingdom of God in this world.

As such, the Internet is causing a lot of radical changes in every sector of social life, be it commerce, education, politics, journalism, and relationships between states and cultures.

Most of all, the Internet is helping people to adopt new ways of understanding themselves and the world they are living in. Like any other wonderful invention, the Internet can be used or misused.

Is there such a thing as a Christian use of the Internet? According to the document entitled The Church and Internet, which was issued by the Pontifical Council For Social Communications, on February 22, 2002, there surely is.

To begin with, the Internet gives unparallelled possibilities to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ to humanity. It is capable of spreading religious information and teaching all over the world.

In this way, the Christian message is being communicated and received from the housetops of the world. How can Catholics, then, take a step back and be afraid of using this powerful means of evangelisation?

The more the Church understands the Internet, the more it can be a sign of salvation to a world that is desperately seeking an assuring hope. Consider, for instance, how the Internet provides its users personal, instant access to significant religious and spiritual material, like great libraries and museums, places of worship, the Magisterial documents, patristics, and the writings of well-known spiritual writers.

In a nutshell, it possesses the ability of overcoming distance and isolation, and in so doing unites different individuals from every corner of the globe who cherish the same yearning for God and the experience of being a virtual community of faith online.

The Internet offers the Church a unique opportunity to be for both Catholics and non-Catholics a loving mother who chooses and conveys a kind of information that fosters love, understanding, fraternity, knowledge, wisdom and life.

This prevalent technological medium is actually in many of the Church's activities and programmes, namely those who promote missionary work ad gentes, catechesis and other types of education, news and information, apologetics, governance and administration, as well as certain kinds of pastoral counselling and spiritual direction.

Although it can never substitute real interpersonal community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and the liturgy, and the personal and instant announcement of the Gospel, it has the capability to complete them.

How many people are captivated by Websites that stimulate a living experience of faith and enrich one's religious formation? Also, the Internet opens wide the Church for specific groups, like young people and young adults, the elderly, home-bound persons, people living in distant regions, and members of religious associations who are practically out of reach.

Fortunately, as time goes by, more and more parishes, dioceses, religious congregations, and Church-connected institutions, programmes and organisations of every sort are using the Internet intelligently.

Effective, fruitful Church projects have more chance to succeed if they are appropriately promoted through this extraordinary means of communication. One cannot not mention the valuable presence of the Holy See Website, a source of great knowledge, formation, reflection and spirituality.

The Internet also offers the opportunity to hold healthy, formative discussions online. These can be of a great asset to the Church's pastors and believers alike. Current ideas are listened to, pondered on, refined, challenged and, if need be, changed so that a more objective, constructive public opinion would consolidate the Church's communion.

Furthermore, the Internet can be a place where the contribution of consulting experts, preparation for meetings and practising collaboration within and between particular Churches and religious communities on a local, national and international arena can easily happen.

Unfortunately, the Internet can be abused. Although the intervention of public authority is important, it is not enough. Prevention is better than cure. Hence, education and training are badly needed.

The Church is well aware that within the domain of social communications, especially the Internet, there exists this urgent necessity. The document entitled Ethics in Communication spells it out:

"Today everybody needs some form of continuing media education, whether by personal study or participation in an organised programme or both. More than just teaching about techniques, media education helps people form standards of good taste and truthful moral judgment, an aspect of conscience formation. Through her schools and formation programmes the Church should provide media education of this kind" (Ethics in Communication, 25).

While every member of Christ's faithful has the right to be given the opportunity to be formed in media education, young people should be given priority in this educational campaign. They stand as the leaders of tomorrow as well as the future and hope of the Church.

The younger generation is to be encouraged and supported to use the Internet responsibly and creatively. In so doing, they give their indispensable help in the building of a world where solidarity, peace and respect for each and every human person's dignity and rights would be the rule of the day.

Through a conscientious use of the Internet, young people can be fervent, faithful architects of a civilisation of love. The more their conscience is educated on sound moral principles the more they can promote their integral development, as well as other people's well-being in society. Perhaps a good diocesan pastoral plan should take up this issue and address it more specifically and effectively.

In the world of the communications media there is a place for everybody. Therefore, seminarians, priests, pastors, religious, lay pastoral personnel, teachers, parents and students not only have their contribution to give, but also, in the light of the Church's optimistic attitude towards the media, they are to be protagonists.

One of the main objectives of the Church is precisely to evangelise the Good News of Jesus Christ ad intra (within) and ad extra (outside) the Church. This evangelisation is carried out through a constant dialogue among her own members as well as with the contemporary world.

The Internet offers a myriad of possibilities whereby a healthy dialogue can occur at any time. Such a dialogue is very promising for the Church. Hence, it would strengthen more her bonds of communion, help her clarify misunderstandings, explain the reasons for her position, make her listen to what others have to say and encourage her to give her unique contribution in the collective exploration for answers to the problems that are distressing the human family.

A mature, Christian use of the Internet is always based on solid moral standards, which in themselves safeguard the dignity of its users. As it stands, the following four virtues guarantee the full dignity and responsibility of the people who make use of the Internet.

The first virtue is prudence. It is always required so that one could evidently consider both the positive and negative consequences that this new remarkable invention can bring about. At the same time, one is able to respond constructively vis-à-vis its challenges and possibilities.

The next virtue is justice. There is a great need for justice, particularly in bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots of information technology. An equal access to information always calls for a continual commitment from everyone at different levels so that the international common good and the globalisation of solidarity are seriously tackled.

The third virtue that comes into play is courage. This is essential. It is the driving force by which truth is defended, especially when it is brutally assailed by moral and religious relativism, altruism and generosity are promoted to resist individualistic consumerism, and decency is championed to oppose the unbridled sensuality and sin of today's western hedonistic society.

The last virtue that glues this sound Christian preventive package is temperance. The latter becomes fundamental. Experience is showing that the need is deeply felt for a self-disciplined attitude in the use of the Internet.

Such an attitude of self-control ensures a responsible, wise use of this extraordinary technological medium, while it ensures that it is to be used solely for the benefit of all, specifically on behalf of the needy and the excluded.

Since Christ is "the perfect communicator" (Communio et Progressio, 11), may every Internet user follow his example in being a witness, an active protagonist and a credible communicator of God's love and communion with the entire human family.

Knowing that "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26, 41; Mk 14, 38) let us address our prayer to Christ so that. empowered by his life-giving Spirit, we can truly be accountable Internet users. It would be a good idea to pray this prayer just before we open the Internet so that our Internet surfing would be blessed, protected and fruitful.

"Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for being my norm and model in my communicating with others via the Internet. In my ardent wish to become ever more a responsible and perfect communicator as you are, I ask you to form me in your loving and respectful character.

"Give me your prudence so that when I use the Internet I see its implications clearly and am capable of responding creatively to the challenges and opportunities it presents to me.

"Imbue me with your justice to share the information I get with those who are deprived of it; thus becoming an active collaborator towards an international common good and a fervent promoter of a globalised solidarity.

"Fill me with your courage to defend truth and counter religious and moral relativism, to be a convincing example of altruism and generosity against individual consumerism, to promote decency versus sensuality and sin.

"Shield me with your temperance so that I am always guided by your self-control in the way I use this wonderful technological means. May I use it wisely and only for good. I ask this through your precious and holy name. Amen."