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Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bishops group launches 'online recollection'
MANILA -- Banking on the influence of cyberspace particularly on the youth, the Catholic Church has utilized anew a video-sharing website to help people reflect during the Lenten Season.
Since April 2007, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) already posted a number of videos on YouTube to introduce Jesus Christ to the people especially to the new generation.
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This year, the CBCP Media Office posted the video (www.youtube.com/cbcpmedia), entitled "Holy Week 2008" with Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education.
The "online recollection" intends to reach those who might not be able to make it to the church for the Holy Week.
The CBCP said over a thousand people have already viewed the video, a day after it was posted. It was made available for viewing on Tuesday.
Also included in the CBCP's YouTube account are reflections on the environment, gambling, politics, social justice and other social issues.
CBCP spokesperson Pedro Quitorio said online reflections are important to issue short catechesis on the liturgical significance of the celebrations that have been most misunderstood.
He said video blogs that were "short, fast and easy" were "attuned to the psyche of the today's youth."
"It seemed a good way to reach our target audience and to preach to a great number of people," he said.
The CBCP official said it is time for the church to find other means to get the attention of youths engaged in Internet browsing.
Last year, the bishops group posted its first ever video blog featuring Quitorio in a Holy Week series where he discussed various Lenten traditions.
Based on Neilson/NetRatings data, the video-sharing website has nearly 20 million visitors per month, majority of them aged 12 to 17 years old. (FP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (March 20, 2008 issue)
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