Monday, May 05, 2008 Vidal calls on priests to echo Pope message on giving importance to the press
CEBU Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal urged priests to follow Pope Benedict XIV example in giving importance to the media.
In observance of the 42nd World Communication Day yesterday, he asked all parish priests to incorporate in their homilies the pope’s words for the annual event.
In a message published in the archdiocese’ weekly publication Bag-ong Lungsuranon, Pope Benedict XIV recognized the media’s important role in the life of individuals and the society.
He, however, urged the media “to avoid becoming spokesmen for economic materialism and ethical relativism, true scourges of our time.”
He was worried because the media can tend “to legitimize or impose distorted models of personal, family, or social life.”
He also said that church leaders are concerned with the way media is used not for proper information dissemination but to sometimes “create” events.
“Instead, they can and must contribute to making known the truth about humanity and defending it against those who tend to deny or destroy it,” the pope said.
He called on the Catholic flock to join him in asking the Holy Spirit “to raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth, faithful to Christ’s mandate and enthusiastic for the message of the faith.”
He gave the message last Jan. 24 during the feast of St. Francis de Sales.
Vidal, in his April 30 circular to all priests and monsignors, reminded them of yesterday’s special Sunday collection to be set aside for the celebration.
Fr. Trinidad Silva, Cebu Archdiocese commission on social communications chairman, said the collection is also in support of their media programs, such as the annual Cebu Archdiocesan Mass Media Awards (Camma) and the formation of media communication program/center in every parish.
Yesterday, the archdiocese’s Cebu Catholic Network Television aired a concelebrated mass in the morning and produced and distributed a video documentary called “Media at the Crossroads” in all parishes.
Leaflets containing the Pope’s message were also handed out to mass goers.
Pope Paul VI first celebrated the World Communications Day in 1966, a year after the creation of the Vatican Council II.
This year’s celebration carried the theme—The Media: At the Crossroads between self-promotion and service. Searching for the truth in order to share it with others. (NRC)
