Pope Benedict XVI called on Catholic communicators to use new media to help "humanize the mass media" and keep people from becoming "soulless bodies -- objects of exchange and consumption."
The pope made the remarks at a national congress, "Digital Witnesses. Faces and Languages in the Cross-Media Age," sponsored by the Italian bishops' conference April 24.
According to a CNS story, the pope said:
"More than through technical resources, although necessary, we want to confirm ourselves living in this (digital) universe, too, with a believing heart so that it may contribute to giving a soul to the Internet's endless flow of communication."The pope also told participants in the congress that although the Internet presents risks -- among them intellectual and moral relativism -- it is still an important part of Catholic communicators' role in spreading a "passion for God."
"Without fear we want to set sail for the digital sea, facing the open waters with the same passion that has governed the ship of the church for two thousand years," the pope said.The CNS story by Carol Glatz also included comments by Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, who told participants that "secrecy and confidentiality, even given their positive aspects, are not values that are cultivated by today's culture. It is necessary to be able to have nothing to hide."
To read the full CNS story, click HERE.
