Communicating Christ

People will readily agree that many of our attitudes, judgments and stances on various questions, as well as our allegiances and antagonisms, are heavily influenced and to quite a large extent even shaped by our exposure to ideas and suggestions constantly fed to us by the mass media.

Christians have to be in the midst of the world, involved in the human reality of every day, giving witness, humbly but with conviction, to the truth in which they believe. Accordingly, they need to view the modern instruments of social communication as the great new means available to them, as communicators or as "receivers", by which they may fulfil their obligation of witnessing to and serving the truth they believe in.

The feast day of St Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists and of communication workers (tomorrow) offers a good occasion for reflection on how to make the best use of the various opportunities available for communicating Christ.

It may be that, as has been evaluated by Fr W.E. Biernatzki SJ, general editor of Communication Research Trends, the most influential contemporary religious movements owe less to modern communication media as such than they do to combinations of more traditional forms of communication with mass media and/or the internet. (Editor's Afterword, The Media, Culture and Religion Perspective, 2007.)

Yet, the internet offers tremendous possibilities. Obviously, as one would expect, like so many other things in life, one can make good or bad use of the internet. Nevertheless, it presents the opportunity to transcend conventional media to get one's "story" out in one's own way, instantaneously and to a worldwide audience.

Such unmediated form of media poses its own problems. Indeed, as much as one may perhaps disagree with certain occasional editorial judgments of both print and radio-television journalism, there are journalists, editors, producers etc to speak to and try to convince. These people have professional standards and ethics, and there is always a chance that they will return to these standards if they are persuaded regarding possible conscious or unconscious departures from them. The internet presents a totally different reality.

Yet, the internet offers unique opportunities for proclaiming the saving truth of Christ to the whole human family. Consider, for instance, the positive capabilities of the internet to carry religious information and teaching beyond all barriers and frontiers. Such a wide audience would have been beyond the wildest imaginings of those who preached the Gospel before us.

Pope John Paul II once said that Catholics should not be afraid to throw open the doors of social communications to Christ, so that His good news may be heard from the housetops of the world.

So, from the Church's perspective, the primary use of the internet is to be a means of proclamation of the Gospel.

For instance, those involved with evangelisation and catechesis in a diocese could and should concentrate on developing a site that would be attractive to a generation that is hooked on the internet and wishes to learn more about Jesus Christ and His teaching.

Familiar with the culture, its influences, its positives and negatives, persons dedicated to this outreach could design highly compelling sites that would respond to people's hunger for the Gospel and the insertion of its values into our daily lives. Such sites could consider offering, for instance, a brief, inspirational thought or reflection for each of the upcoming 40 days of Lent. Moreover, such service could be further enhanced by links to sites that are carefully selected by virtue of their information as well as appealing presentation.

Christians believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most precious message the world can receive. In fact, Christians have an obligation to present Christ's teaching and do so well. It is therefore no surprise that Pope Benedict XVI plans to focus his message for the upcoming World Day of Social Communications 2010 (May 16) on the new media and how they can serve the spread of the Gospel.

The papal message would be encouraging priests, especially to make use of the new means of communicating. Indeed, the already announced full title of the Pope's theme is, The Priest And Pastoral Ministry In A Digital World: New Media At The Service Of The Word.

A Holy See statement says the aim of the Pope's message will be "to invite priests in particular, during this year for priests and in the wake of the 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to consider the new communications media as a possible resource for their ministry at the service of the Word. Likewise, it aims to encourage them to face the challenges arising from the new digital culture".

The Holy Father will also use his message to touch on how the new communications media, if adequately understood and exploited, can offer priests and all pastoral care workers a wealth of data which was difficult to access before, and facilitate forms of collaboration and increased communion that were previously unthinkable.

The Holy See communiqué concludes by noting that "if wisely used, with the help of experts in technology and the communications culture, the new media can become - for priests and for all pastoral care workers - a valid and effective instrument for authentic and profound evangelisation and communion".

One obviously cannot but be fully in favour of making good use of the opportunities offered by the communication media. Indeed, there is an obligation to do so. At the same time, communicating Jesus Christ, "the Way, the Truth and the Life" goes beyond planning an appropriate, creative and effective use of such means. There is, for example, the need of a credible and compelling personal witness. There is also the pastoral dimension of the homily on the word of God: a very relevant topic especially taking into account that the Church is currently celebrating the Year for Priests (June 2009 - June 2010).

Preaching has never been an easy task. This is more so in our times, clouded as they are by confusion, apathy, indifference etc. Accordingly, more than technique or style is required. Communication is an intensely personal experience. When it is successful, communication establishes a personal union between preacher and people. But the message must come from the heart. A priest with a long experience in communication once wrote: "If Jesus be not part of us we will never be preachers".

In his letter to the priests of the world on the occasion of the current "year for priests", Pope Benedict XVI writes that, in today's world, as in the troubled times of St John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars, the lives and activity of priests need to be distinguished by a forceful witness to the Gospel. He also reminds priests that Pope Paul VI noted that modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.

Pope Benedict's very wise pastoral advice to priests is as follows: "Lest we experience existential emptiness and the effectiveness of our ministry be compromised, we need to ask ourselves ever anew: 'Are we truly pervaded by the Word of God? Is that Word truly the nourishment we live by, even more than bread and the things of this world? Do we really know that Word? Do we love it?

Are we deeply engaged with this Word to the point that it really leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our thinking?' Just as Jesus called the 12 to be with Him, and only later sent them forth to preach, so too in our days priests are called to assimilate that 'new style of life' which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and taken up by the Apostles."