Digital Media's role in the Church

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM -- We live in an era where constant technological and social changes take place. This case study was written in order to explore how a traditional Institution such as the Catholic Church applied social media to adapt in order to satisfy the demands and necessities of believers. The specific example studied in this case is the use of Twitter to grant indulgence to believers.

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THE FACTS

For many years the Catholic Church has been suffering from what might be called “bad publicity”, with frequent talk about pedophilia and financial scandals. In January 2012, while Pope Benedict XVI was the Head of the Institution, there was a scandal which the media called Vatileaks that allegedly exposed corruption through leaked documents. Later that year letters and memos between Pope Benedict and his personal secretary were published in a book called His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI, which exposed the former Pope’s personal finances, and also stories of bribery to obtain an audience with him. In 2013 Pope Benedict XVI decided to abdicate and Pope Francis was elected as his successor.

Pope Francis represented a change for the Church, so the Institution began a process of adaptation to the technological changes in society. Pope Benedict had a Twitter account that was cleaned (all the tweets that belong to Benedict were deleted) after he resigned. Once Francis was elected the user name for the account went from “vacant” to “Pope Francis”. The Twitter [1] account is available in 9 languages and has over 8 million followers. When that account was under Benedict’s name it only had little over 400,000 followers. The Vatican has a website [2] on which believers can follow Mass via the Internet. Pope Francis has a Facebook page [3] that has over 75,000 likes where people can post almost anything, a YouTube channel [4], and an app called The Pope App for smartphones. He is the first Catholic Pope to use social networking to communicate with believers in a successful way. Being able to read words from the Pope on handheld devices creates a more dynamic relationship by creating the feeling of closeness. 

THE PROBLEM

Indulgence is basically time off purgatory. On July 17 2013 the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would be providing indulgence to whoever had a legitimate reason not to attend the World Youth Day (an event for young people organized by the Catholic Church, at the international level every two to three years at different locations) and followed the event either on TV or radio. Controversy arose because indulgence, a very conservative and controversial term, was being used to prove that the Church was moving forward. The Church realized that not everyone could afford the trip to Brazil to participate in the World Youth Day and that there could be other impediments for people who wanted to participate. The Catholic Church came up with a solution for anyone who could not attend the World Youth Day: grant indulgence to whoever had a legitimate reason not to participate. The question then is, how do we as part of society feel about indulgences being granted over Twitter? If we can start replacing the physical Church with social media, will it reduce civic engagement? Will people replace their participation in church as members of a community with digital participation? 

MEDIA REACTION

The media coverage regarding the indulgence via Twitter has been very diverse. Had it not been thanks to the relevance traditional media has given this matter, a lot of people would not know about the situation. Traditional media reported the news from an objective point of view in a positive way. While most of the articles read during this investigation merely stated the fact that indulgence was to be granted over Twitter, some showed their support to the Church’s decision: “In the age of modern technologies any mass media give a great opportunity to stay in touch [5] of what is going on and participate in the prayer, including the service led by the Pope”. Others didn’t hesitate to mention that they don’t believe it is a good idea to use technology in a case like this: “great idea that the church tries to reach believers with technology, feels it is not right [6] to offer indulgence over twitter .“ 

“Meanwhile, blogs had a more negative reaction towards the indulgence situation, which they expressed through mockery and ironic statements.” Of course, “genuine spiritual fruit” is hard to measure, so you may just have to input the proper prayers at the correct time and hope your spiritual fruit is growing right [7].” The fact that articles/blogs/videos are open to comments is very important because it generates action from the readers. “My first and only comment [8] about the Catholic Church and the recent news about using Twitter to cleanse a person from punishment is HERESY!” 

How meaningful is the interaction or engagement with the Church over Twitter?

The Church decided to open a Twitter account to improve the relationship with believers, especially the younger demographic. However, Pope Francis’ accounts only follows his other accounts in other languages. When the Vatican decided to inform the resolution for indulgence over Twitter, the news was delivered via traditional media. It is interesting that the Vatican chose a traditional form of communication to inform of their plans for innovation. That could lead us to ask why someone who wants to prove that they are leaving traditions would embrace said traditions to do so. In our opinion it could be because the news that indulgence was to be granted over Twitter they would generate controversy and it would be easier for people to understand through traditional media.

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Pre-papal Writings of Pope John Paul I

A year after its first release, the collection of the pre-papal writings of Pope John Paul I, A Passionate Adventure: Living the Catholic Faith Today, edited and translated by Lori Pieper, is about to be reissued in a new edition with a preface by Justin Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Dr. Pieper, writes: These works show the many sides of Pope John Paul I. He was known as the smiling Pope and with his warmth he was as appealing to people as Pope Francis is. He showed how it was possible to live the faith as an adventure, out of a passionate love of God. But more than that, as a bishop, Albino Luciani was really a prophet for our time in regard to many areas of present concern in the Church, including the importance of the universal call to holiness and the apostolate of the laity, the hermeneutic of reform in continuity, bioethics and in-vitro fertilization, and above all the New Evangelization which he anticipated and put into practice in his pastoral work as a bishop.

The book contains, along with a short biography of the Pope, 38 sermons, articles, essays, synod interventions, talks and interviews, dating from 1959 to 1978, when Luciani was Bishop of Vittorio Veneto and Patriarch of Venice. Dr. Pieper did the translations over the course of many years as part of the team publishing the English-language edition of Humilitas, the quarterly publication on John Paul I.

Dr. Pieper says, "I'm happy that the publication of the book will concide with the consigment of the last part of the Positio for the cause of John Paul I's canonization to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in October, during the Synod of Bishops on the Family and around the time of the beatification of Pope Paul VI. This is fitting, because Luciani was a great proponent of Catholic teaching on the family and the transmission of life. The book includes his pastoral letter in 1968 supporting Paul VI on Humane Vitae. He was prophetic in regard to IVH as Paul was to contraception. He foresaw the dehumanization of the 'baby-manufacturing' industry that IVH has brought into being. What he wrote about this has been misunderstood and distorted because the interview he gave on the first 'test-tube baby' in July 1978 has not been available in its entirety. That complete interview too is included in the book."

As a bishop, Luciani took on the challenges that secularism presented to the faith of Catholics in the period immediately before, during and after the Second Vatican Council; most of them are still with us today. In a vivid and original style, he offers his reflections on the first Year of Faith in 1967-68, and the mysteries of Catholic belief such as the Incarnation and Redemption, the Eucharist, the Cross, death and eternal life. He also speaks of evangelization and catechesis, birth control and abortion, faith and science, the meaning of the Church, the papal Magisterium, pluralism, ecumenism, prayer, devotion to Our Lady, and above all, becoming saints.

The book is available in paperback and ebook formats from Tau Cross Books and Media and will go on sale September 28. It will be available at taucrossbooks.com, on Amazon and other outlets.

Francis: A Pope for Our Time (Humanix Books)

As the first Advent season begins and former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio prepares for his first Christmas Midnight Mass, take an incisive look at Pope Francis’s rise through the ecclesiastical ranks all the way to Saint Peter’s Throne. “Francis: A Pope for Our Time, The Definitive Biography,” authored by two highly-esteemed Argentine journalists, provides an in-depth analysis of Pope Francis’ youth, influences, doctrine, and potential to inspire a renewal of faith, not only within the Catholic Church, but the world-over.

From Bergoglio’s coming of age in the Peronist era and his role in Argentina’s darkest period, the Dirty War, to his volatile relationship with the Kirchners, and his views on everything from same-sex marriage and abortion to women’s issues and the crisis of world poverty, this book addresses the all of the key issues facing the new leader of the largest religious organization in the world.
“Francis: A Pope for Our Time” provides a concise look at the history and politics that have consumed Latin America, Argentina, and the Church, breaking the cult of secrecy that has long plagued the region as well as the institution. As Pope Francis has ignited a profound sense of pride in his compatriots, the authors describe the tremendous influence that Latin America stands to bring to the world stage.

This treasury of prayers, now released on Kindle, will help you go to the Lord with courage and pray to receive God's grace.

Known as the “Black Pope” (for his Jesuit garb), the “Pope of the Poor,” and the “Third World Pope,” such monikers exemplify Pope Francis’ commitment to society’s most underprivileged and disenfranchised. In “Francis: A Pope for Our Time,” the authors bring clarity to the man and his work: his dedication to interreligious dialogue, accessibility to his community, and rejection of lavish excess in favor of simplicity that promises to bring real-world leadership to a modern Church desperate to emerge from old-world precepts.

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Benedict: Vocations as a Sign of Hope Founded in Faith

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the occasion of the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be held on 21 April 2013, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, I want to invite you to reflect on the theme: "Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith", which happily occurs during the Year of Faith, the year marking the 50thanniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

While the Council was in session, the Servant of God, Paul VI, instituted this day of worldwide prayer to God the Father, asking him to continue to send workers for his Church (cf. Mt 9:38).

"The problem of having a sufficient number of priests", as the Pope stated at the time, "has an immediate impact on all of the faithful: not simply because they depend on it for the religious future of Christian society, but also because this problem is the precise and inescapable indicator of the vitality of faith and love of individual parish and diocesan communities, and the evidence of the moral health of Christian families. Wherever numerous vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life are to be found, that is where people are living the Gospel with generosity" (Paul VI, Radio Message, 11 April 1964).

During the intervening decades, the various Christian communities all over the world have gathered each year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, united in prayer, to ask from God the gift of holy vocations and to propose once again, for the reflection of all, the urgent need to respond to the divine call. Indeed, this significant annual event has fostered a strong commitment to placing the importance of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life ever more at the centre of the spirituality, prayer and pastoral action of the faithful.

Hope is the expectation of something positive in the future, yet at the same time it must sustain our present existence, which is often marked by dissatisfaction and failures. On what is our hope founded? Looking at the history of the people of Israel, recounted in the Old Testament, we see one element that constantly emerges, especially in times of particular difficulty like the time of the Exile, an element found especially in the writings of the prophets, namely remembrance of God's promises to the Patriarchs: a remembrance that invites us to imitate the exemplary attitude of Abraham, who, as Saint Paul reminds us, "believed, hoping against hope, that he would become 'the father of many nations,' according to what was said, 'Thus shall your descendants be'" (Rom4:18). One consoling and enlightening truth which emerges from the whole of salvation history, then, is God's faithfulness to the covenant that he entered into, renewing it whenever man infringed it through infidelity and sin, from the time of the flood (cf. Gen 8:21-22) to that of the Exodus and the journey through the desert (cf. Dt 9:7). That same faithfulness led him to seal the new and eternal covenant with man, through the blood of his Son, who died and rose again for our salvation.

At every moment, especially the most difficult ones, the Lord's faithfulness is always the authentic driving force of salvation history, which arouses the hearts of men and women and confirms them in the hope of one day reaching the "promised land".

This is where we find the sure foundation of every hope: God never abandons us and he remains true to his word. For that reason, in every situation, whether positive or negative, we can nourish a firm hope and pray with the psalmist: "Only in God can my soul find rest; my hope comes from him" (Ps 62:6). To have hope, therefore, is the equivalent of trusting in God who is faithful, who keeps the promises of the covenant. Faith and hope, then, are closely related. "Hope" in fact is a key word in biblical faith, to the extent that in certain passages the words "faith" and "hope" seem to be interchangeable. In this way, the Letter to the Hebrews makes a direct connection between the "unwavering profession of hope" (10:23) and the "fullness of faith" (10:22). Similarly, when the First Letter of Saint Peter exhorts the Christians to be always ready to give an account of the "logos" - the meaning and rationale - of their hope (cf. 3:15), "hope" is the equivalent of "faith".

Dear Brothers and Sisters, what exactly is God's faithfulness, to which we adhere with unwavering hope? It is his love! He, the Father, pours his love into our innermost self through the Holy Spirit (cf.Rom 5:5). And this love, fully manifested in Jesus Christ, engages with our existence and demands a response in terms of what each individual wants to do with his or her life, and what he or she is prepared to offer in order to live it to the full. The love of God sometimes follows paths one could never have imagined, but it always reaches those who are willing to be found.

Hope is nourished, then, by this certainty: "We ourselves have known and believed in the love that God has for us" (1 Jn 4:16). This deep, demanding love, which penetrates well below the surface, gives us courage; it gives us hope in our life's journey and in our future; it makes us trust in ourselves, in history and in other people. I want to speak particularly to the young and I say to you once again: "What would your life be without this love? God takes care of men and women from creation to the end of time, when he will bring his plan of salvation to completion. In the Risen Lord we have the certainty of our hope!" (Address to Young People of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, 19 June 2011).

Just as he did during his earthly existence, so today the risen Jesus walks along the streets of our life and sees us immersed in our activities, with all our desires and our needs. In the midst of our everyday circumstances he continues to speak to us; he calls us to live our life with him, for only he is capable of satisfying our thirst for hope. He lives now among the community of disciples that is the Church, and still today calls people to follow him. The call can come at any moment. Today too, Jesus continues to say, "Come, follow me" (Mk 10:21). Accepting his invitation means no longer choosing our own path. Following him means immersing our own will in the will of Jesus, truly giving him priority, giving him pride of place in every area of our lives: in the family, at work, in our personal interests, in ourselves.

It means handing over our very lives to Him, living in profound intimacy with Him, entering through Him into communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit, and consequently with our brothers and sisters. This communion of life with Jesus is the privileged "setting" in which we can experience hope and in which life will be full and free.

Vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life are born out of the experience of a personal encounter with Christ, out of sincere and confident dialogue with him, so as to enter into his will. It is necessary, therefore, to grow in the experience of faith, understood as a profound relationship with Jesus, as inner attentiveness to his voice which is heard deep within us. This process, which enables us to respond positively to God's call, is possible in Christian communities where the faith is lived intensely, where generous witness is given of adherence to the Gospel, where there is a strong sense of mission which leads people to make the total gift of self for the Kingdom of God, nourished by recourse to the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and by a fervent life of prayer. This latter "must on the one hand be something very personal, an encounter between my intimate self and God, the living God. On the other hand it must be constantly guided and enlightened by the great prayers of the Church and of the saints, by liturgical prayer, in which the Lord teaches us again and again how to pray properly."

Deep and constant prayer brings about growth in the faith of the Christian community, in the unceasingly renewed certainty that God never abandons his people and that he sustains them by raising up particular vocations - to the priesthood and the consecrated life - so that they can be signs of hope for the world. Indeed, priests and religious are called to give themselves unconditionally to the People of God, in a service of love for the Gospel and the Church, serving that firm hope which can only come from an openness to the divine. By means of the witness of their faith and apostolic zeal, therefore, they can transmit, especially to the younger generations, a strong desire to respond generously and promptly to Christ who calls them to follow him more closely. Whenever a disciple of Jesus accepts the divine call to dedicate himself to the priestly ministry or to the consecrated life, we witness one of the most mature fruits of the Christian community, which helps us to look with particular trust and hope to the future of the Church and to her commitment to evangelization. This constantly requires new workers to preach the Gospel, to celebrate the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So let there be committed priests, who know how to accompany young people as "companions on the journey", helping them, on life's often tortuous and difficult path, to recognize Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6), telling them, with Gospel courage, how beautiful it is to serve God, the Christian community, one's brothers and sisters. Let there be priests who manifest the fruitfulness of an enthusiastic commitment, which gives a sense of completeness to their lives, because it is founded on faith in him who loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19).

Equally, I hope that young people, who are presented with so many superficial and ephemeral options, will be able to cultivate a desire for what is truly worthy, for lofty objectives, radical choices, service to others in imitation of Jesus. Dear young people, do not be afraid to follow him and to walk the demanding and courageous paths of charity and generous commitment! In that way you will be happy to serve, you will be witnesses of a joy that the world cannot give, you will be living flames of an infinite and eternal love, you will learn to "give an account of the hope that is within you" (1 Pt 3:15)!

From the Vatican, 6 October 2012

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Source: VIS