THE MEDIA CULTURE MUST BE EVANGELIZED

VATICAN CITY, MAR 1, 2002 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications who, for the last few days, have been reflecting upon the theme: "The media and the new evangelization: current activities and plans for the future."

"The special challenge before you," said the Pope, "is to find ways to ensure that the voice of the Church is not marginalized or silenced in the modern arena of the media. You have a role to play in ensuring that the Gospel is not confined to a strictly private world. No! Jesus Christ must be proclaimed to the whole world; and therefore the Church must enter the great forum of the media with courage and confidence."

The Holy Father indicated that "not only must we use the media to communicate Christ to the world, but we must preach the Gospel to the world of the media itself. ... This media culture must itself be evangelized! And you are called to provide the Church with inspiration and ideas for that great work, drawing upon the highest standards of professionalism and the deepest resources of the Christian faith and Catholic tradition."

"We have nothing to offer but Jesus, the one mediator between God and man. To evangelize is simply to enable Him to be seen and heard, for we know that if there is no room for Christ, there is no room for man. Therefore I urge you, in all your planning, to make room for Christ. In the print media, in radio and television, in the world of cinema and the internet, seek to open doors to Him who so mercifully is the door of salvation for us. Then the mass media will be a world of genuine communication, a world not of illusion but of truth and joy."

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