Pope Benedict XVI said the
Catholic press has an irreplaceable role in forming Christian
consciences and reflecting the church's viewpoint on contemporary
issues.
Despite the crisis in print media today, the Catholic newspaper still
has a vital role to play in diocesan communications, the pope said.
He
made the remarks Nov. 26 to members of the Italian Federation of Italian
Weeklies, which represents 188 Catholic newspapers.
The pope said that while secular media often reflect a skeptical and
relativistic attitude toward truth, the church knows that people need
the full truth brought by Christ.
"The mission of the church consists in creating the conditions so that
this meeting with Christ can be realized. Cooperating in this task, the
communications media are called to serve the truth with courage, to help
public opinion see and read reality from an evangelical viewpoint," he
said.
A primary task of the Catholic newspaper, he said, is to "give voice to a
point of view that reflects Catholic thinking on all ethical and social
questions."
The pope said the printed newspaper, because of its simplicity and
widespread distribution, remains an effective way of spreading news
about local diocesan events and developments, including charity
initiatives.
As "newspapers of the people," he said, Catholic papers can also favor
real dialogue between different social sectors and debate among people
of different opinions.
"By doing this, Catholic newspapers not only fulfill the important task
of providing information, but also perform an irreplaceable formative
function" in the education of "critical and Christian consciences," he
said.
The pope said Catholic journalists should give witness to their faith in
their work. Their success as Catholic communicators will depend above
all on their personal relationship with Christ, he said.
SIC: CNS/INT'L