Wednesday, January 12, 2005

ARCHBISHOP FOLEY ADDRESSES COMMUNICATORS IN GHANA


VATICAN CITY, JAN 12, 2005 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, is in Accra, Ghana, where today he addressed the communicators of Ghana in the Christ the King Parish Hall on "Communication: Telling the Truth."

   In his talk he highlighted elements of a pastoral plan for social communications, saying "they should  include: a) the statement of a vision, based on extensive consultation, which identifies communications strategies for all Church ministries and responds to contemporary issues and conditions; b) an inventory or assessment which describes the media environment in the territory under consideration; c) a proposed structure for Church-related social communications ... including, as far as possible, public relations, press, radio, television, cinema, cassettes, computer networks, facsimile services and related forms of telecommunications; d) media education, with special emphasis on the relationship of media and values; e) pastoral outreach to, and dialogue with, media professionals and f) means of obtaining and maintaining financial support adequate to the carrying-out of the pastoral plan."

  Archbishop Foley also focused on "the process for designing a pastoral plan for social communications," saying "the plan should offer guidelines and suggestions helpful to Church communicators in establishing realistic goals and priorities for their work. It is recommended that a planning team including Church personnel and media professionals be involved in this process, whose two phases are research, and design."

  "Much has already been done in Ghana," he concluded, "but much remains to be done to use all forms of communication to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to transform this nation and indeed all of Africa into a society of justice, love and peace."
CON-CS/COMMUNICATIONS:TRUTH/GHANA:FOLEY    VIS 20050112 (290)


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