"Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age"

World Day of Social Communications 2011 coming up...


Last January, during the Year for Priests, I read the message of Pope Benedict XVI for the 44th World Day of Social Communications. The theme for this past year was entitled: "The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word." The message from last year in its entirety can be found by clicking here. Anyway, our Holy Father's message inspired me to do something new and innovative as a priest. The following words that especially captured my attention included: "To my dear brother priests, then, I renew the invitation to make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heralds of the Gospel in the new "agorà" which the current media are opening up."


So, from this inspiration, I launched a website entitled: www.fatherjoshua.com. I have enjoyed maintaining the website and have used it to help me promote different ministries that I have been involved in throughout this year, including different things going on at my parish of Saint Alphonsus Liguori in Zionsville, IN, a Rome Pilgrimage I led this past July, the Race for Vocations 2010 and 2011, World Youth Day 2011 and Rosary for the Bishop. In upcoming months, I will continue to expand and add even more to www.fatherjoshua.com. Please stay tuned. 


This coming January, the 45th World Day of Social Communications will occur. Pope Benedict XVI will share his message with the theme: "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age" which was made known to the world today 29 September 2010. One thing he will certainly reaffirm with us is that as much as people are utilizing the different media possibilities for communication, the heart of these communications must remain just that: PEOPLE. 


The Vatican Information Service published on 29 September some thoughts about the Pope's theme from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The theme is "to be understood as focusing on the human person who is at the heart of all communicative processes. Even in an age that is largely dominated, and at times conditioned, by new technologies, the value of personal witness remains essential." "To approach the truth and to take on the task of sharing it requires the 'guarantee' of an authenticity of life from those who work in the media, and especially from Catholic journalists; an authenticity of life that is no less required in a digital age." "Technology, on its own, cannot establish or enhance a communicator's credibility, nor can it serve as a source of the values which guide communication. The truth must remain the firm and unchanging point of reference of new media and the digital world, opening up new horizons of information and knowledge. Ideally, it is the pursuit of truth which constitutes the fundamental objective of all those who work in the media" (source: http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2010/09/theme-for-world-day-of-social.html)


Pope Benedict XVI will share his message about this theme in its entirety on 24 January 2011, the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales (patron saint of journalists). Until then, let us continue to pray for all those who work in the media, including journalists, Pope Benedict XVI, bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity that they will make good use of the media to bring the message of the Gospel to the entire world. 


There are already many success stories today. This week, I had the privilege of hearing one of these stories. I attended the 28th Annual Indianapolis Celebrate Life Dinner hosted by Right to Life of Indianapolis. The keynote speaker was UCLA activist and founder of LiveAction Lila Rose who has been using this new media to combat the Culture of Death with great progress in building a Culture of Life. If you want to see some of her work for yourselves, please visit her website: http://liveaction.org/. Her message and work are inspiring to say the least. God is doing amazing things through Miss Rose so please pray for her as well.