"The priest and pastoral ministry in a Digital World: new media in the service of the Word"
Some reflections on the theology of the message
by Msgr. Paul Tighe
translated by J. Beramendi
An overview of this text shows us that the message suggests some theological issues, but are not explicitly articulated, serve to make concrete theological reflection. First, the Pope's message proposing a clear theology of priesthood. The Pope refers to the priest as a man of God. The word set is used frequently and recalled the Pope's homily on Holy Thursday last year Bulletins you figure of the priest as a "set", an individual who surrendered to God and total surrender to God continues.
precisely the center of this consecration is the priest's relationship with the Word of God, and again stated that priests must be witnessing the Gospel, which must be in constant dialogue with the Gospel carrying the Gospel in their hands and hearts. What the Pope tells us is that the communication ministry of the priest must start with an attitude of listening and deep meditation of the Gospel and the Gospel transforms us into who we are. As the liturgy would have to live and move and exist in the Gospel, transforming Gospel in people who, like the message says, we are known more by our priestly heart that our technical skills. Thus, the Pope said that priests should be enthusiastic heralds of this gospel.
These premises provide some guidance on how they should be present priests in the Internet world, so the priest's presence on the Web should be mostly as someone who carries the Gospel in this world. The Web is a place of enthusiastic people, there are people who manage their projects, ideas, hobbies and various other aspects of human experience, we find people who are discussing, sharing and learning together by their common interests ... For priests, the Web can be a very fruitful to express their enthusiasm for the Gospel, a space where you can share with others their knowledge of the gospel, and where you can also learn from other priests and experts to increase their knowledge of the Word of God. Today there are very great resources that can strengthen and grow the preaching.
The Web should not be understood only as a hobby, there are particular reasons to be in this space, which requires that we maintain a ministry focus of this presence. The priest must be present just as a priest, many priests are very competent in technology, many others have the ability to find new language to communicate in these new spaces. These are all extraordinary talents but not essential. What is absolutely necessary is that the priest is a man of God and His Word.
Technical skills or familiarity with the media can be acquired, on the other technical services can be purchased, even can be found among church members or people in the community, but what the priest offered as unique, it is the witness and commitment . This is indispensable. We could say that if only we are bound to the skill or familiarity with technical issues, we would like a bell without a clapper, which does not because "there is love." The priest should realize that the Web can redefine the scope of their activities, many of the activities where the priest preaches, writes and thinks may be shared with more people and effortlessly through the Web, in the sense that the same network working in pastoral activities can be adapted and developed for different formats, so that a good sermon - for example - is presented as a message or a circular letter, or for example through the Internet you can summon and involve more people in our activities
The priests should have special attention to the world of youth that is so prevalent on the Web, so it is necessary to think how to contact them, taking into account that this is not the virtual contact replace traditional forms pastoral, but rather to add something new, as if it were another layer of the same activity.
A second theological element that can be glimpsed in this message, and also is part of the theological legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, is the insistence on a developed Christology. Christ is the Savior of all people, He is the one who saves, is the universal Saviour. His words and teaching who give hope to all, with His love that knows no bounds. The Pope wears a happy expression when he says God is near and in Christ we all belong to each other and the document we see the consequence of this statement, for the Pope, the Web is a place where we can proclaim the message of Christ but even more, is an alternative for those who are away from the Church, those who are in doubt and uncertainty, but considering that the same attitude of doubt and is a point of opening. As priests we should be looking for those who have not known Christ or his message, which is the only one that offers hope to humanity, is something that has given us and now we must communicate it to others.
Therefore, we need to commit and have an attitude of openness to others, in this regard the Pope's message is insistent in asking do share the gospel with more people it is something that is not only for our own benefit, if so we would be responsible for derailing the message of Christ.
On the other hand, we find in this message a strong theology of culture. For the Pope, the culture is where people clearly express who you really are, what we do because we have created a social and political structure as determined through art, literature and life of our community. The pope consistently emphasize the need for believers to come together in the formation of culture, through a rational discourse that offers the reasons for our faith in the midst of a comprehensive discussion about the pursuit of human welfare.
The Pope is very insistent on presenting the relationship between faith and reason, recently in the encounter with the artists, Benedict XVI invited to open the human spirit's transcendence of God's loving message, in this sense we say that we need to ensure that artistic expression is coordinated with the Gospel message. For example, when the Pope speaks of music - that is something which has a great passion - talking about the ability of music to nurture and enrich the spirit, keeping alive his hopes and inner search.
In his last encyclical, the Pope reflects on our need for solidarity actions, coexistence, to ensure that we carry deep human values \u200b\u200band to forward our political and economic structure. Internet makes possible a place, a forum, an agora where you can debate and dialogue, and therefore people of faith would be present carrying with them the reasons for their faith through debate and dialogue of these new spaces.
For the Pope is clear that new technologies alone will not achieve this goal: "The mere fact that the media increase the prospects of social networking and exchange of ideas, not freedom and globalization promotes the development and democracy for all. To achieve these objectives requires that the media is focusing on promotion of the dignity of persons and peoples, which are clearly inspired by charity and placed at the service of truth, goodness and natural fraternity and supernatural. " (Caritas in Veritate 73.)
Finally, it is important to note what is not the message. There is a manual or an instruction that says what to do or how to do it. This message is intended that the priests are well trained and have familiarity with new technologies, learning and also formed new languages \u200b\u200band expressions that these new technologies. In fact the message is assumed that invites so get down to work, calling to be present in these new forums, carrying with them the Gospel but starting from local contexts.
This is the great challenge also for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the support the efforts being made in this regard and promote appropriate training structures, constantly reminding essential that training is not simply develop technical skills, but gain a heart of communicator.
People should see through us to communicate is important, but more important to be communicators.
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