Vatican press chief encourages use of new media

Source: CCN

Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, Director of the Holy See's media operations, encouraged communicators to meet the challenge of using the internet to engage positively to further the Gospel message, in his address to journalists at Allen Hall in London on Monday.

In a lecture to mark World Communications Day (falling this year on Sunday, 24 May), Fr Lombardi echoed Pope Benedict XVI's call for the Church to speak to 'the digital generation':

"One of the biggest challenges facing us at present is that of interactivity, and, I would say, of 'positive interactivity'. How ought we to tackle this challenge at all levels of the Church's life? For me specifically, the challenge presents itself to the communications efforts of the Holy See, and our experience at Vatican Radio comes to mind. In recent years the internet has been for us an important tool that has made it possible for us to deliver content to countless users of all kinds. Now, however, the reality of the situation that is emerging is one in which the great thing is not simply content distribution, but greater and greater interactivity."

Please note that the text differs in places from the speech delivered last night.