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Statement

on the

COMMUNICATIONS

MEDIA

AND

CATECHESIS

Presented by the Delegates

of the

National Conference of

Catholic Bishops

of the United States

at the

1977 Synod of Bishops

Vatican City



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Digitized by the Internet Archive

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https://archive.org/details/statementoncommucath



statement

on the

COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA

AND CATECHESIS

Presented by the Delegates of the

National Conference of Catholic

Bishops of the United States

at the 1977 Synod of Bishops

Vatican City

From the very beginning, the Church has

used the arts to communicate Christ’s mes-

sage and fix it in people’s minds and hearts.

Biblical stories, saints’ lives, and religious

themes of all sorts have been depicted in

stained glass, mosaics, painting, and sculp-

ture. Music, poetry, dance, drama, architec-

ture, and other art forms have also served

catechetical purposes. Contemporary media

such as television, films, photography, film-

strips, slides, and tapes do so today. They

are means with which the Church, like the

farmer in the parable, broadcasts the seed in

all directions (cf. Mk 4, 3 ff). Thus is the

gospel “proclaimed from the housetops’’ (cf.

Mt. 10, 27). The collaboration of catechesis

and the arts and media, therefore, deserves

close attention and encouragement.

Impact of communications media

in catechesis

The communications revolution has had a

profound impact on our world, with implica-

tions as great for religion as for any other

area of life. Contemporary media offer mar-

velous new opportunities for catechesis, but



also present serious challenges and prob-

lems. They can unite people, foster the shar-

ing of ideas, promote mutual help, justice,

and peace, and carry the gospel to those

who otherwise might never hear it.

There are at least three different ways of

thinking of the communications media in

relation to catechesis: as shaper of the en-

vironment in which it takes place; as useful

catechetical tools; and as appropriate subject

matter. Not all catechists can or need to be

media specialists, but all should have some

understanding of the implications of media

for their work. Communications media are

relevant to every level of catechesis; they are

pertinent to human development, to growth

in theological understanding, and to faith

experience itself.

Although media are instruments for trans-

mitting messages, they also possess inherent

capabilities and potentialities. i Every med-

ium has its own integrity and special genius

requiring specific skills of interpretation on

the part of both communicators and audi-

ences. There is an intrinsic connection be-

tween medium and message, between the

“how" and “what" of communication. In us-

ing and evaluating media, catechists should

be aware that a concept concretized in a

medium is no longer simply an abstract idea,

but an event. Communication is not just the

delivering of messages, but an experience of

sharing among human beings.

Radio and Television

Communications

The impact of the communications revo-

lution, especially television, is very powerful

in many countries. The influx of information

1 Cf. Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social

Communications. Pontifical Commission for Social

Communications, January 29, 1971, 14; On Evan-

gelization (Paul VI, 1975), 45.



from all forms of media is overwhelming. A

person living in the Uuited States today is

said to be exposed to more information in a

week than his or her counterpart of two cen-

turies ago was in a year.

Many persons find that they are given

more information than they can assimilate or

evaluate. People need to acquire “literacy"

in relation to the new media, that is, to grow

in their ability to evaluate television and

other contemporary media by critical stand-

ards which include gospel values.

Particular attention should be paid to the

damage which can be done to children and

adults by excessive exposure to television

violence and especially to all forms of im-

morality in the mass media.

Furthermore, how children understand

reality still depends largely on their relation-

ships with other people. But “other people"

now include a much larger community than

the immediate family, notably the community

to which children are exposed through media,

particularly television which occupies so

much of most children's time. TV is impor-

tant not only for the behavior it may encour-

age but that which it prevents—for instance,
conversations, games, family celebrations,

and other activities which foster learning and

character development.

Instruments of catechesis

Broadcast media present special oppor-

tunities and challenges to the creativity of

catechists. Radio and television can be direct

instruments of catechesis. Catechists who

plan to use them for this purpose should

either acquire specialized media training or

collaborate with others experienced in broad-

cast production. It may be appropriate for

them to seek positions as consultants or

advisors to producers of programs dealing



with religious matters within their compe-

tence.

Accountability of broadcast media

The broadcast media should be encour-

aged and supported when they promote

human values, and called to task when they

air unworthy and degrading presentations.

This points to the need to make people

familiar with the criteria and procedures

which local television and radio stations are

required to observe in order to obtain and

keep their operating licenses. Individuals

should be made aware of their right and

duty to state their views to broadcasters.

Audience

Knowledge of the audience is as impor-

tant to successful broadcast production as

familiarity with media technology. Producers

must understand people’s attitudes and

values. Religious and catechetical program-

ming should be professionally excellent, and

responsive to the interest and needs of view-

ers and listeners.

Broadcast media can be particularly help-

ful in meeting special catechetical needs and

problems. They can, for instance, be the most

effective means of communicating with

people in isolated and rural areas, as well as

with such groups as the aged and shut-ins.

Radio and television also offer opportuni-

ties for ecumenical collaboration and so, po-

tentially, for reaching larger audiences. More

pooling of local, diocesan, and national talent

and funds is essential to upgrade the amount

and quality of religious and catechetical pro-

gramming.

On-going technological developments

People concerned with the religious and

catechetical potential of media should be

alert to significant changes in technology, or-



ganizational structure, and policy now occur-

ring or anticipated in the broadcasting in-

dustry.

Catholic press

Despite the emergence of electronic

media, print media of many different kinds

reach daily into virtually every home and

place of work.

The Catholic press has long been central

to the Church’s communication effort. It de-

serves the support of the Catholic people.

The Catholic press is the least expensive way

of regularly bringing comprehensive religious

news and instructional features to a large

number of Catholics. It helps foster the

sense of Christian community in its readers.

It serves as a forum for the members of this

community, providing opportunities for dis-

cussion and the exchange of ideas.

Catholic newspapers, magazines, books,

pamphlets, and parish bulletins can be use-

ful catechetical tools, especially in adult pro-

grams. Editors and publishers should pro-

vide appealing publications which help con-

temporary Catholics evaluate their experi-

ence in the light of Christian values, foster

their growth in faith, and promote community

among them. In particular, they should pay

close attention to the requirements of justice

and charity in reporting the news. Minority

cultural, racial, and ethnic groups should

have access to and make use of Catholic

publications which are in their languages and

reflect their special cultural values and con-

cerns.

There is need for continuing dialogue and

cooperation between catechetical leaders and

the editors and publishrs of Catholic publi-

cations at the diocesan and national levels.

The aim should be to develop ways of ex-

changing ideas and information about

catechetical needs and about the effective



use of the Catholic press for catechetical pur-

poses. Catechists and catechetical offices at

all levels should provide the Catholic press

with news releases and photographs reflect-

ing newsworthy aspects of catechists

—

trends, programs, meetings, personalities.

They should also offer suggestions for inter-

pretive features and columns of a catecheti-

cal nature, and be prepared to supply these

when asked. As opportunities arise, they

should collaborate with the Catholic press as

planners, consultants, and writers.

Secular press

The secular press also offers opportuni-

ties to catechists, although it would generally

be unrealistic to consider it a vehicle for di-

rect catechesis.

Through a diocesan (or other) communi-

cations office or directly, catechists should

provide secular publications with accurate

and interesting information on catechetical

matters. Typically, this is done by news re-

leases. Catechists should be prepared to re-

spond to press inquiries and to spend time

when necessary discussing questions and is-

sues with journalists. Secular publications

are generally willing to entertain suggestions

for articles and features on catechetical

topics, provided these are of general interest.

Opportunities exist in relation to publications

ranging from community-oriented news-

papers to national publications. In their ap-

proaches to the secular press on the latter

levels in particular, catechists are advised to

work with diocesan or national communica-

tions offices.

Training media producers

All who use the communications media in

their work “have a duty in conscience to make

themselves competent in the art of social



communication”; ^ and this applies in par-

ticular to people with educational responsi-

bilities, including catechists. Theory, tech-

nique, and research should be part of media

training. In line with what has been said

above, catechists should learn how to take

media into account as a crucial part of the

cultural background and experience of those

being catechized; how to use media in

catechesis; and how to help their students

understand and evaluate media in the light of

religious values. They should also learn the

proper use of advertising, which is such an

influential means of communications today.

Training media users

Catechetical instruction concerning media

should help people become knowledgeable

viewers, listeners, and readers. Such train-

ing is necessary for them ‘‘to benefit to the

full from what the instruments of social com-

munications have to offer.” ^ It is also re-

quired if they are to seek to improve the

quality of media, either by advocacy directed

at professional communicators, or by pursu-

ing careers in media.

Because television occupies so much of

the time of so many people, catechesis

should seek to foster critical understanding

of this medium in particular. Viewers need

to know, for example, how programs are

planned and produced; techniques used by

advertisers and others to influence and per-

suade; whether and to what degree TV gives

a true picture of life or distorts reality; and

the role of profit motives in determining pol-

icy in commercial television. Communica-

tion techniques suited to print media (for

example, the logical patterning of a typical

news story) are inappropriate in the elec-

tronic media, which require other modes

2 Pastoral Instruction, 15.

3 Ibid., 65.



suited to themselves. Understanding the

“language”—techniques, principles, sym-
bols, etc.— is essential to both sender and
receiver. Otherwise communication is im-

peded.

Because people grow in maturity and be-

cause there are frequent changes in the

media, continuing education is necessary to

keep the critical faculty well-honed. Finally,

the Church is grateful to those in the media

who produce and present programs of bene-

fit to the spiritual development of humanity.





CONFERENCE

1977

PUBLICATIONS OFFICE: UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005