CHAPTER
II
THE
CONTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TO CATHOLICS
1.
PUBLIC OPINION AND A CLOSER COMMUNICATION IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
114. The Church looks for
ways of multiplying and strengthening the bonds of union between her members.
For this reason, communication and dialogue among Catholics are indispensable.
The Church lives her life in the midst of the whole community of man. She must
therefore maintain contacts and lines of communication in order to keep a
relationship with the whole human race. This is done both by giving information
and by listening carefully to public opinion inside and outside the Church.
Finally, by holding a continuous discussion with the contemporary world, she
tries to help in solving the problems that men face at the present time.
a) Dialogue within the Church
115. Since the Church is a
living body, she needs public opinion in order to sustain a giving and taking
between her members Without this, she cannot advance in thought and action.
" Something would be lacking in her life if she had no public opinion.
Both pastors of souls and lay people would be to blame for
this".52
116. Catholics should be
fully aware of the real freedom to speak their minds which stems from a
"feeling for the faith" and from love. It stems from that feeling for
the faith which is aroused and nourished by the spirit of truth in order that,
under the guidance of the teaching Church which they accept with reverence, the
People of God may cling unswervingly to the faith given to the early Church,
with true judgement penetrate its meaning more deeply, and apply it more fully
in their lives. 53 This freedom also stems from love. For it is with
love that the liberty of the People of God are raised to an intimate sharing in
the freedom of Christ Himself, who cleansed us from our sins, in order that we
might be able freely to make judgements in accordance with the will of God.
Those who exercise authority in the Church will take care to ensure that there
is responsible exchange of freely held and expressed opinion among the People
of God. More that this, they will set up norms and conditions for this to take
place. 54
117. There is an enormous
area where members of the Church can express their views on domestic issues. It
must be taken that the truths of the faith express the essence of the Church
and therefore do not leave room for arbitrary interpretations. Nonetheless, the
Church moves with the movement of man. She therefore has to adapt herself to
the special circumstances that arise out of time and place. She has to consider
how the truths of the faith may be explained in different times and cultures.
She has to reach a multitude of decisions while adjusting her actions to the
changes around her. While the individual Catholic follows the Magisterium, he
can and should engage in free research so that he may better understand revealed
truths or explain them to a society subject to incessant change.
This free dialogue within the Church does no
injury to her unity and solidarity. It nurtures concord and the meeting of
minds by permitting the free play of the variations of public opinion. But in
order that this dialogue may go in the right direction it is essential that
charity is in command even when there are differing views. Everyone in this
dialogue should be animated by the desire to serve and to consolidate unity and
cooperation. There should be a desire to build not to destroy. There should be
a deep love for the Church and a compelling desire for its unity. Christ made
love the sign by which men can recognize His true Church and therefore His true
followers. 55
118. For this reason,
distinction must be born in mind between, on the one hand, the area that is
devoted to scientific investigation and and on the other the area that concerns
the teaching of the faithful. In the first, experts enjoy the freedom required
by their work and are free to comunicate to others in books and commentaries
the fruits of their research. In the second, only those doctrines may be
attributed to the Church which are declared to be such by her authentic
Magisterium. These last, obviously, can be aired in public without fear of
giving scandal. It sometimes happens, however, because of the very nature of
social communication that new opinions circulating among theologians, at times,
circulate too soon and in the wrong places. Such opinions, which must not be
confused with the authentic doctrine of the Church, should be examined
critically. It must also be remembered that the real significance of such
theories is often badly distorted by popularization and by the style of
presentation used in the media..
119. Since the development of
public opinion within the Church is essential, individual Catholics have the
right to all the information they need to play their active role in the life of
the Church. In practice this means that communications media must be available
for the task. These should not only exist in sufficient number but also reach
all the People of God. Where necessary, they may even be owned by the Church as
long as they truly fulfil their purpose.
120. The normal flow of life
and the smooth functioning of government within the Church require a steady
two-way flow of information between the ecclesiastical authorities at all
levels and the faithful as individuals and as organized groups. This applies to
the whole world. To make this possible various institutions are required. These
might include news agencies, official spokesmen, meeting facilities, pastoral
councils, all properly financed.
121. On those occasions when
the affairs of the Church require secrecy, the rules normal in civil affairs
equally apply. On the other hand, the spiritual riches which are an essential
attribute of the Church demand that the news she gives out of her intentions as
well as of her works be distinguished by integrity, truth and openness. When
ecclesiastical authorities are unwilling to give information or are unable to
do so, then rumour is unloosed and rumour is not a bearer of the truth but carries
dangerous half-truths. Secrecy should therefore be restricted to matters that
involve the good name of individuals or that touch upon the rights of people
whether singly or collectively.
b) Dialogue between the Church and the World
122. The Church does not
speak and listen to her own members alone; her dialogue is with the whole
world. By virtue of a divine command 56 and by the right to knowledge
possessed by the people whose lot she shares on earth, the Church is in duty
bound publicly to communicate her belief and her way of life. Moreover, as the
Second Vatican Council teaches, she is " to read the signs of the
times", for these too reveal the message of God and indicate the unfolding
of the history of salvation under Divine Providence. This is another reason why
the Church needs to know contemporary reactions to ideas and events, whether
they be Catholic or not. The greater the extent to which the means of social
communication reflect these reactions, the more do they contribute towards this
knowledge required by the Church.
123. It is the mission of
those with responsible positions in the Church to announce without fail or
pause the full truth by the means of social communication, so as to give a true
picture of the Church and her life. Since the media are often the only channels
of information that exist between the Church and the world, a failure to use
them amounts to "burying the talent given by God". The Church
naturally expects of the news agencies that they give religious news, with all
the care and attention that the subject demands. On her part, the Church is
consequently bound in duty to give complete and ertirely accurate information
to the news agencies so that they, in their turn, can carry out their task.
124. What was contained above
57 where commentaries on the news were discussed retains its full force
here where Church news is under consideration. Responsible leaders in the
Church then should try in advance to be ready to deal with a difficult
situation and should not abandon the initiative. Further, it is wise to see
that important decisions and statements be made available in advance, using
time embargo on publication. In this way, arrangements could be made in the
interests of the Church for proper explanation and discussion.
125. The means of social
communication help Catholics in three ways. They help the Church reveal herself
to the modern world. They foster dialogue within the Church. They make clear to
the Church contemporary opinions and attitudes. For the Church has been ordered
by God to give men the message of salvation in a language they can understand
and to concern herself with the concerns of man.
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