Pastoral instruction for the application of the decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council on the means of social communication




Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/pastoralinstructOOpont



Pontifical Commission for the Means of
Social Communication

PASTORAL INSTRUCTION
FOR THE APPLICATION OF

THE DECREE OF THE

SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

ON THE MEANS OF

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

1971

UNITED STATES EATHOLIC CONFERENCE
1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005



His Holiness Pope Paul VI has graciously approved in its entirety this

Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social Communication, and

confirmed it with his authority. He ordered it to be published so that
it can be put into effect by all concerned, anything to the contrary

notwithstanding.

Given in Rome on the twenty-third of May, in the year of the Lord
nineteen hundred and seventy-one.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction v

Commentary vii

Foreword xv

PART ONE

The Christian View of the Means of Social Communication:

Basic Points of Doctrine 1

PART TWO

The Contribution of the Communications Media to Human
Progress 7

Chapter I The Work of the Media in Human Society 7

1. Public Opinion 9

2. The Right to be informed and to inform 11

( a ) Access to the Sources and Channels of News 11

(b) Freedom of Communication 14

3. Education, Culture and Leisure 15

4. Forms of Artistic Expression 17

5. Advertising 19

Chapter II The Best Conditions for their Proper Working 20

1. Training 20

(a) Recipients 21

(b) Communicators 22

2. Opportunities and Obligations 23

( a ) Communicators 23

(b) Recipients 25

3. Co-operation between 26

( a) Citizens and Civil Authorities 26

in



(b) Nations 28

(c) Christians, all Believers and all Men of
Good-will 29

PART THREE

The Commitment of Catholics in the Media 31

Chapter I The Contribution of Catholics to Social

Communication 31

Chapter II The Contribution of the Communications

Media to Catholics 34

1. Public Opinion and Closer Communication in the

Church 34

(a) Dialogue within the Church 35

( b ) Dialogue between the Church and the World 37

2. The Use of the Media for giving the Good News 38

Chapter III The Active Commitment of Catholics in the

Different Media 40

1. The Printed Word 41

2. Cinema 43

3. Radio and Television 44

4. The Theatre 46

Chapter IV Equipment, Personnel and Organization 47

Conclusion 52

IV



Introduction

June 3, 1971

The Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication, Inter

Mirifica, approved by the Second Vatican Council and promulgated

by Pope Paul VI, specifically provides for the issuance of a “pastoral

instruction” by which the “principles and norms” set forth by the

Council “may achieve their effect.” (#23) The Council recognized,

in effect, that in the diverse and fast-changing field of communica-

tion, principles alone do not suffice. There is need for continuing

application of principles by the Church if the Christian message is

to have relevance in this crucial area of modern-day life.

Since 1964 the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications

has been at work carrying out this mandate of Vatican Council II.

The Pastoral Instruction is one fruit of its efforts. It is in many ways

an impressive document. The Commentary which accompanies the

Instruction underlines a number of the areas in which the document

has particular relevance for the Church in the United States and for

the American communications industry.

It would be superfluous to repeat all that is said in the Commentary

but one point deserves special emphasis. It is that the Pastoral In-

struction is intended in the first instance for the guidance of church-

men. It offers remarkably forward looking guidelines by which they

can evaluate the Church’s own efforts in communications and devise

and implement future pastoral programs in this field.

This is entirely as it should be. For while it is true that the Church

has much to say to the media of social communication, it is also true
that the Church has much to learn. And it is true as well that the
Church has a serious obligation to learn, if it is to proclaim the Good
News of Christ effectively in the twentieth century and beyond.

The Pastoral Instruction is a document which both churchmen and

communicators can ill afford to ignore. It speaks with particular

relevance to the Catholics of the United States, where both the tech-



nology and the ideology of communication are among the strongest
influences shaping our culture and our society. One must hope

—

and pray—that its message will be heeded.

<2m_> .

John Cardinal Dearden
Archbishop of Detroit

President, National Conference

of Catholic Bishops and United

States Catholic Conference



Commentary on the Pastoral Instruction

on Social Communication

In one of its closing passages the Pastoral Instruction on the Means

of Social Communication states explicitly an objective and an aspira-

tion which all those concerned with either the Church or the media,

or both, must share. “It is hoped,” the Instruction says, “that this

publication marks not so much the end of a phase as the start of a

new one.” (#186) In a real sense this document can be viewed as

an expression of the Church’s coming of age, at least conceptually,

in regard to the world of modern communications. And maturation
implies looking to the future—responding to newly perceived re-
sponsibilities and opportunities—rather than preoccupation with the
past.

Still, it is appropriate at such a moment to give at least some atten-

tion to the past, in order that the present and the future can be seen

in perspective. For example, no American Catholic can fail to take

pride in the contribution that American thought and practice made

to the shaping of this significant document. This contribution oc-

curred in several ways. From the inception of the Pontifical Commis-
sion for Social Communications, Americans have played an important

role in this body, as members and consultants. American bishops

and American communications specialists were intimately involved

in the exhaustive work that went into the composition of the Instruc-

tion. Even more important, perhaps, the theory and practice of

American communications media—concepts such as the importance
of public opinion, the right of the public to be informed, the con-

structive and indeed essential role of media in the life of modern

society—have clearly had an impact in the formulation of this docu-
ment. The Instruction as it now stands would not have been possible
without the proving ground provided by the American experience in

communications.

One must admit, however, that not all of the reflections to be
drawn from the past in regard to this document are positive ones.

The Church has not always been quick to understand the implications

of modern communications or to put its theoretical understanding into

immediate practice. There have been painful episodes in the rela-

tionship between the Church and the media. Points of misunder-

Vll



standing—on both sides—and of conflict still exist today. It is not
realistic to expect that these difficulties will vanish overnight. But

what is more important is that the Pastoral Instruction provides a
framework—detailed but sufficiently flexible to allow for local adapta-
tion—within which the role of the Church vis-a-vis communications
can be re-thought and necessary improvements can be made.

In reading and evaluating the Instruction, of course, it is necessary

to bear in mind that this is a universal document, addressed to

churchmen and communicators and communications “recipients”

throughout the world. It is not directed exclusively to the United

States, and there is no reason to suppose or to pretend that all it says

is directly applicable here. Certain problems with which it deals

—

such as state control or censorship of information media—happily
do not exist in the United States or else do not exist to the same de-

gree as in some other parts of the world. There is no need, therefore,

to attempt close application of the Instruction in all its particulars

either to the Church or to the communications media in the U.S. For,

as the Instruction itself says, “It carefully refrains from going into

minute details on a subject which is continually changing and de-

veloping and which varies so much according to time and place.”

(#3)

At the same time, there is a great deal here that is directly pertinent

to both the Church and the communications media in our country.

Of the two, the Church probably has the most to learn from this

document. On the practical side, for example, matters like adequate
staffing and financing of Church communications operations obviously

require the attention of Church authorities. Communications is a

central reality in the lives of men today, and it must therefore receive
a corresponding degree of serious attention on the part of Church

authorities. Those who work directly on behalf of the Church in this

crucial area should not be handicapped by inadequate resources

—

for their handicap is the Church’s handicap.

Again, many of the principles laid down in this document have
direct application to the communications policy of the Church in this

country. The Instruction, for instance, puts great emphasis on the

importance of public opinion in the Church and the consequent

necessity that its members—as well as all others—have full and ac-
curate information about what the Church does and says. (cf.

#114-129) A need for secrecy is acknowledged but also strictly

viii



limited: “Secrecy should therefore be restricted to
matters that involve

the good name of individuals or that touch upon the rights
of people

whether singly or collectively.” (#121) Without at all
imputing

motives, one must acknowledge that secrecy is a
matter on which

churchmen have sometimes exhibited an excessive and
ill-advised

caution, which in particular cases may have done more harm
than

good.

Even more important, the Instruction makes it clear that
the media

of social communications are not simply useful
tools—much less in-

teresting toys—which somehow in the last analysis lie outside the
range of “real” life and therefore at the periphery of

the Church’s

concern. As noted above, social communications are central
to the

life of modern man and therefore central to the mission
of the

Church, as it continues the mission of Christ and
ministers to the

needs of men in our times. As the Church takes this message
increas-

ingly to heart, it is safe to predict that basic
and healthy changes in

its orientation toward communications media will result.

The Pastoral Instruction speaks also to the media of communica-

tions. It is to be hoped that the communicators will hear
what it is

saying. The message for communicators, as for churchmen, is
the

centrality of the communications vocation in modern society.
The

newsman, the broadcaster, the playwright, the film maker
cannot be

considered—or consider themselves—merely as entertainers or tech-
nicians. As much as anyone in contemporary society, they form the

world-view of modern man. They convey information and ideas that

are essential to the functioning of society; even more important, they

help to shape the very ethos of the world in which we live. Theirs
is,

then, a calling of high honor—and of heavy responsibility.
Communicators in our country have generally met this responsi-

bility with a conscientiousness and dedication which does them deep

credit. In some areas, however, there are problems. The gratuitious

exhibition of brutality and exploitative sexuality in some media

should, for example, cause soul-searching on the part of communi-

cators who are sensitive to their duty to their audience and concerned

about the possible debasement of the media themselves. As the

Instruction says, wherever one places the duty of seeking solutions to

such abuses, “the means of social communication have no small part

to play” in the necessary remedial steps. (#22)

The Instruction should also serve to remind U.S. communicators

that they have a global responsibility. The document remarks that

IX



the communications media “offer man of today a great round-table”
for instantaneous exchanges from every part of our shrinking world
village. (#19) Americans are, de facto, international leaders in
t e technology, the content, and the style of contemporary mass com-
munications. The technological and creative products of their genius
have an unprecedented importance from this perspective. U S com-
municators ought not to take a parochial or narrowly nationalistic
view of their responsibilities. They must be increasingly sensitive to
the cultural and moral imperatives of other societies than our own.

The Pastoral Instruction also addresses itself to members of the
audience of communications media and lays down important guide-
lines for them, One should not be a merely passive recipient of com-
munications a tendency which is perhaps discernible among many
Americans today. One has instead an obligation to be “active” in
regard to the media, constantly exercising one’s critical faculties and,
too, constantly taking the necessary steps in self-education to develop
and sharpen one’s critical skills. In this regard, Catholic institutions
are exhorted to develop effective media training programs—not only
for the development of competent communicators but also for the
training of an equally competent, sophisticated audience. Catholic
schools and other educational programs are already making progress
in this area, but it is to be hoped that the Instruction will give in-
creased impetus to their efforts.

The document takes an unusually optimistic and refreshing view
of the relationship of young people to communications media. While
stressing that the young must be protected—by law, if necessary—
from “permanent psychological or moral harm” (#89), the Instruc-
tion reminds over-thirty Americans that today’s youth, because of
their deep familiarity with media, have an almost innate sophistication
and knowledgeability in this area. Speaking specifically to parents, it
says: “Naturally they wish their children to use the media in a proper
manner. Nevertheless, let them trust the young because these have
been born and have grown up in a different kind of society. Because
of this, they are better forewarned and better forearmed to meet the
pressures that come from every side.” (#31)

The Pastoral Instruction, as noted, is by no means a comprehensive
treatise on communications. It was not meant to be. It aims instead
to provide general concepts within which the Church, the media, and
the audience can interact with growing respect, sophistication, and



mutual benefit. It accomplishes its goal admirably; but it
leaves the

responsibility for action squarely up to all of us.

Communications Committee

U.S. Catholic Conference

Most Rev. John L. May
Bishop of Mobile

Chairman

May //

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Bishop John L. May, Chairman

Rev. James A. Brown, S.J.

Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana

Bishop Joseph T. Daley

Mr. Joseph R. Daly

Bishop John A. Donovan

Archbishop Francis J. Furey

Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton

Miss Helen Hayes

Bishop Edward D. Head

Mr. James R. Kerr

Bishop Edward A. McCarthy

Mr. Donald H. McGannon

Mr. Barrett McGurn

Mr. David J. Mahoney

Mr. Thomas S. Murphy

Msgr. Robert G. Peters

Mr. A. Louis Read

Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker

Bishop John J. Ward

XI



r
**

-



PASTORAL INSTRUCTION

FOR THE APPLICATION OF

THE DECREE OF THE

SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

ON THE MEANS OF

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION





Foreword

1 the unity and advancement of
men living in society : these

are the chief aims of social
communication and of all the means it

uses. These means include the press,
the cinema, radio and television

The constant improvement in the media
puts them at the disposal of

more and more people who in their daily lives
make increasing use of

them. More than ever before, the way
men live and think is pro-

foundly affected by the means of
communication.

2. The Church sees these media as “gifts
of God” 1 which, in accord-

ance with his providential design,
unite men in brotherhood and so

help them to co-operate with his plan for
their salvation.

A deeper and more penetrating understanding of social
communi-

cation and of the contribution which the
media it uses can make to

modem society, can be derived from a number of
documents issued

by the Second Vatican Council. These
are, notably, the Constitution

on “The Church in the Modern World,”

2

the Decree on “Ecumenism,

the Declaration on “Religious Freedom,”
4 the Decree on “The Mis-

sionary Activity of the Church,”
5 and the Decree on “The Bishops’

Pastoral Office in the Church.”
6 And, of course, there is a Decree

that is wholly devoted to a discussion of
“The Media of Social Com-

munication.” 7

The deeper understanding based on the teaching
and spirit of this

Council will now guide Christians in their attitudes to
the media and

will make them the more eager to commit themselves
in this field.

3. This Pastoral Instruction which is being
published at the direc-

tion of the Second Vatican Council
8 sets out basic doctrinal principles

and general pastoral guidelines. It carefully refrains
from going into

minute details on a subject which is continually changing
and develop-

ing and which varies so much according to time and place.

1 Encyclical of Pius XII Miranda Prorsus, A.A.S., XXIV (1957), p.
765.

2 Gaudium et spes, A.A.S., LVIII (1966), pp. 1025-1120.

3 Unitatis redintegratio, A.A.S., LVII (1965), pp. 90-112.

4 Dignitatis humanae, A.A.S., LVIII (1966), pp.
929-946.

5 Ad Gentes, A.A.S., LVIII (1966), pp. 947-990.
6 Christus Dominus, A.A.S., LVIII (1966), pp. 673-696.

7 Inter mirifica, A.A.S., LVI (1964), pp. 145—157.

8 Cf. Inter mirifica, 23.

xv



4. It will therefore be the task of Bishops and their conferences

and, equally, of the Synods of the Eastern Churches, to consult experts

and their diocesan, national and international councils. This should

be done not only to implement this Instruction efficiently and in a

spirit of collegiality, but also to discover the best way of explaining it
and suiting it, as precisely as possible, to the needs of the people in

their care. And while they do this, they will keep in mind the unity
of the Church.

In this task Episcopal Conferences will lean upon the professional

assistance which priests, religious and laity can offer. For a proper

use of the media of social communication is the responsibility of the

entire People of God.

5. This Instruction, it is hoped, will be well received by all those

who are professionally involved in the field of communications and,
indeed, by all who, in good will, seek the progress of mankind. So,

as a result of exchanges of views and co-operation with such men, the

vast potential that lies in the means of social communication will be

made good and this for the advancement of all.

XVI



PART ONE

The Christian View of the

Means of Social Communication:

Basic Points of Doctrine

6. The channels of social communication, even though they are

addressed to individuals, reach and affect the whole of society.
9 They

inform a vast public about what goes on in the world and about con-

temporary attitudes and they do it swiftly. That is why they are indis-

pensable to the smooth functioning of modern society, with its com-

plex and ever changing needs, and the continual and often close

consultations all this involves. This exactly coincides with the Christ-

ian conception of how men should live together.

These technical advances have the high purpose of bringing men

into closer contact with one another. By passing on knowledge of

their common fears and hopes they help men to resolve them. A
Christian estimate of the contribution that the media make to the

well-being of mankind is rooted in this fundamental principle.

7. All over the world, men are at work on improving the condi-

tions for human living and the latest scientific wonders and technical

achievements play their part in this. The Christian vision of man, of

his motives and of his history, sees in this development a response

—though usually an unconscious one—to the divine command to
“possess and master the world.” 10 It also sees it as an act of co-

operation in the divine work of creation and conservation.
11

It is within this vision that the means of social communication fall

into their proper place. They help men to share their knowledge and

to unify their creative work. Indeed, by creating man in his own

image, God has given him a share in his creative power. And so man

is summoned to co-operate with his fellow men in building the earthly

city.
12

9 Cf. Inter mirifica, 1.

10 Gen 1:26-28; cf. Gen 9:2-3; Wis 9:2-3; Gaudium et spes, 34.
11 Cf. Gaudium et spes, 34.
12 Cf. Gaudium et spes, 57.

7



2 The Means of Social Communication

8. Social communications tend to multiply contacts within society

and to deepen social consciousness. As a result the individual is
bound more closely to his fellow men and can play his part in the
unfolding of history as if led by the hand of God. 13 In the Christian

faith, the unity and brotherhood of man are the chief aims of all com-
munication and these find their source and model in the central

mystery of the eternal communion between the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit who live a single divine life.

9. The media of social communication can contribute a great
deal to human unity. If, however, men’s minds and hearts are ill dis-
posed, if good will is not there, this outpouring of technology may
produce an opposite effect so that there is less understanding and

more discord, and as a result, evils are multiplied. Too often, we
have to watch social communications used to contradict or corrupt

the fundamental values of human life. The Christian considers these
evils evidence of man’s need to be redeemed and freed from that sin

which entered human history with man’s first fall. 14

10. When, by his own fault, man turned away from his Creator,
chaos succeeded crime and man became embroiled in discord and
deadly fraternal strife. 15 He was no longer able to communicate with
his fellow men. But for all that, God’s love for man persisted, despite
its rejection by man. It was he who made the first move to make con-
tact with mankind 16 at the start of the history of salvation. In the

fullness of time, he communicated his very self to man 17 and “the
Word was made flesh.” 18

When, by his death and resurrection, Christ the Incarnate Son, the

Word and Image of the invisible God,19 set the human race free, he
shared with everyone the truth and the life of God. And he did this
more richly and lavishly than ever before. As the only mediator be-

tween the Father and mankind he made peace between God and man
and laid the foundations of unity among men themselves.20 From that

is Cf. ibid., 36; Encyclical of John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, A.A.S., LV
(1963), p. 257 and passim.

14 Cf. Rom 5:12-14.
is Cf. Gen 4: 1-16; 11:1-9.
16 Cf. Gen 3:15; 9:1-17; 12:1-3.
17 Cf. Heb 1:1-2.
is Jn 1:14.

19 Col 1:15; 2 Cor 4:4.
20 Cf. Ad Gentes, 3.



The Christian View 3

moment, communication among men found its highest ideal and
supreme example in God who had become Man and Brother. He
ordered his disciples, always and everywhere,21 to spread the Good
Tidings “in the light of day” and “from the roof-tops.” 22

11. While he was on earth Christ revealed himself as the Perfect

Communicator. Through his “incarnation,” he utterly identified him-

self with those who were to receive his communication and he gave
his message not only in words but in the whole manner of his life.

He spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press of his
people. He preached the divine message without fear or compromise.
He adjusted to his people’s way of talking and to their patterns of
thought. An he spoke out of the predicament of their time.

Communication is more than the expression of ideas and the indi-

cation of emotion. At its most profound level, it is the giving of self

in love. Christ’s communication was, in fact, spirit and life. 23 In

the institution of the Holy Eucharist, Christ gave us the most perfect,

most intimate form of communion between God and man possible in
this life, and, out of this, the deepest possible unity between men.

Further, Christ communicated to us his life-giving Spirit, who brings
all men together in unity. 24

The Church is Christ’s Mystical Body—the hidden completion of
Christ Glorified who “fills the whole creation.” 25 As a result we move,
within the Church and with the help of the word and the sacraments,

towards the hope of that last unity where “God will be all in all.” 26

12. So, “among the wonderful technical inventions” 27 which foster

communication among human beings, Christians find means that have
been devised under God’s Providence for the encouragement of social

relations during their pilgrimage on earth. These means, in fact, serve

to build new relationships and to fashion a new language which per-
mits men to know themselves better and to understand one another
more easily. By this, men are led to a mutual understanding and
shared ambition. And this, in turn, inclines them to justice and peace,

21 Mt 28:19.
22 Mt 10:27; Lk 12:3.
23 Jn 6:53.
24 Cf. Lumen gentium, A.A.S., LVII (1965), no. 9, p. 14.
23 Eph 1:23; 4:10.
20 1 Cor 15:28.
27 Inter mirifica, 1.



4 The Means of Social Communication

to good will and active charity, to mutual help, to love and, in the end,

to communion. The tools of communication, then, provide some of
the most effective means for the cultivation of that charity among
men which is at once the cause and the expression of fellowship.

13. All men of good will, then, are impelled to work together to
ensure that the media of communication do in fact contribute to the

pursuit of truth and the speeding up of progress. The Christian will

find in his faith an added incentive to do this. And the message of the
Gospel thus spread will promote this idea—which is the brotherhood
of man under the fatherhood of God.

Contact and co-operation among men depend, in the last resort, on
man’s free choice which, in its turn, is affected by psychological,

sociological and technical factors. And so the importance and ulti-
mate significance of the media of communication depend upon the

working of man’s free choice in their use.

14. Since it is man himself who decides how the available means
of communication shall be used, the moral principles at issue here

are those based on a true interpretation of the dignity of man. And
man, it should be recalled, must be accounted a member of the family
of the adopted children of God. At the same time, these principles

derive from the essential character of social communication and the

innate qualities of the medium in question. This follows also from
what is said in Gaudium et spes: “By the very fact of their having been

created, all things are endowed with their own stability, truth, good-
ness, proper laws and order which man must respect. . . .” 28

15. Whoever wants to see the media take their allotted place in the

history of Creation, in the Incarnation and Redemption, and to con-

sider the morality that governs their use, must have a full and proper

understanding of man. He must also have a sound knowledge both of
the true nature of social communication and of the tools at its service.

“Communicators” are all those who actively employ the media.
These have a duty in conscience to make themselves competent in the

art of social communication in order to be effective in their work. 29

And as a man’s influence on the process of communication grows, so
does this duty. All this applies even more to those who have to in-
struct the tastes and judgments of others. It applies to those who

28 Gaudium et spes, 36.
29 Cf. ibid., 43.



The Christian View 5

have to teach the young or the uneducated. And it applies to all who
can in any way enrich or impoverish man’s nature, whether that man
be a man alone or a man engulfed in a crowd.

“Recipients” are those who, for their own purpose, read, listen to

or view the various media. Everything possible should be done to

enable these to know about the media. So they will be able to

interpret their message accurately, to reap their benefit in full and

play their part in the life of society. Only if this is done will the media

function in the best possible way.

16. The total output of the media in any given area should be

judged by the contribution it makes to the common good.30 Its news,
culture and entertainment should meet the growing needs of society.

The news of something that has happened must be given and so too

must the background of the event so that people can understand so-

ciety’s problems and work for their solution. A proper balance must
be kept, not only between hard news, educational material and enter-

tainment but also between the light and the more serious forms of that

entertainment.

17. Every communication must comply with certain essential re-

quirements and these are sincerity, honesty and truthfulness. Good
intentions and a clear conscience do not thereby make a communica-
tion sound and reliable. A communication must state the truth. It
must accurately reflect the situation with all its implications. The

moral worth and validity of any communication does not lie solely in

its theme or intellectual content. The way in which it is presented,
the way in which it is spoken and treated and even the audience for

which it is designed—all these factors must be taken into account.31

18. A deeper understanding and a greater sympathy between men,
as well as fruitful co-operation in creative work, these are the mar-

velous benefits that should come from social communication. These
are ideals which are completely in tune with the aims of the People

of God. Indeed, they are strengthened and reinforced by them. “For

30 The “Common Good” is defined in the Encyclical of John XXIII, Mater et
Magistra, as the “sum of those conditions of social life by which men can attain
their perfection more fully and with greater ease.” A.A.S., LIII (1961), p. 417.
See also Pacem in Terris, A.A.S., LV (1963), pp. 272-274; Dignitatis humanae,
6; Gaudium et spes, 26 and 74.

31 Cf. Inter mirifica, 4.



6 The Means of Social Communication

the promotion of unity belongs to the innermost nature of the Church,”

since she is “by her relationship with Christ, both a sacramental sign

and an instrument of intimate union with God, and of the unity of all

mankind.” 32

32 Gaudium et spes, 42
;
Lumen gentium, 1 .



PART TWO

The Contribution of the

Communications Media

to Human Progress

Chapter I

THE WORK OF THE MEDIA IN
HUMAN SOCIETY

19. The modern media of social communication offer men of today
a great round table. At this they are in search of, and able to partici-

pate in, a world-wide exchange of brotherhood and co-operation. It

is not surprising that this should be so, for the media are at the dis-

posal of all and are channels for that very dialogue which they them-

selves stimulate. The torrent of information and opinion pouring

through these channels makes every man a partner in the business of
the human race. This interchange creates the proper conditions for
that mutual and sympathetic understanding which leads to universal

progress.

20. The swift advances of the means of social communication tear

down the barriers that time and space have erected between men.
They can make for greater understanding and closer unity. A mass
of information is continually on the move to and from all parts of the
world and, as a result, men can learn what goes on and how other
men live. Teaching at all levels has benefited by the use of these aids.
These media play their part in eliminating illiteracy and in providing

both basic and further education. They can, very effectively, help

people in developing countries to achieve progress and freedom. They
can establish a measure of universal equality in which all men, what-

ever their place in society, can enjoy the delights of culture and leisure.

They enrich men’s minds. They help them to keep in touch with
reality by providing the sights and sounds which are the very stuff of

life. They bring far-away times and places within their grasp. And
when illiteracy is rife—and this is not in any way to question the
validity of traditional cultures—citizens can quickly be brought in
touch with recent developments in modern ways of life.

7



8 The Means of Social Communication

21. In the light of these advantages, the communications media

can be seen as powerful instruments for progress. It is true they pre-

sent difficulties but these must be faced and overcome. Both the com-

municators and the recipients ought to be aware of their inherent dan-

gers and difficulties. For instance, how can we ensure that this swift and
haphazard and endless stream of news is properly evaluated and under-

stood? The media are bound to seek a mass audience and so they

often adopt a neutral stance in order to avoid giving offence to any

section of their audience. How, in a society that is committed to the
rights of dissent, is the distinction between right and wrong, and true

and false, to be made?

How in the face of competition to capture a large popular audience
are the media to be prevented from appealing to and inflaming the less

admirable tendencies in human nature? How can one avoid the con-
centration of the power to communicate in too few hands so that any

real dialogue is killed? How can one avoid allowing communications,
made indirectly and through machinery, to weaken direct human con-
tact—especially when these communications take the form of pictures
and images? When the media invite men to escape into fantasy, what
can be done to bring them back to present reality? How can one stop
the media encouraging mental idleness and passivity? And how can
one be certain that the incessant appeal to emotion does not sap

reason?

22. It is obvious that there has been a decline in moral standards

in many areas of life today and this decline is the cause of profound

concern to all honest men. It is easy to find evidence of this decline

in all the means of social communication. But how far these means

must be blamed for the decline is open to question. Many responsible

men hold that these means are only a reflection of what already exists

in society. Others hold that they increase and spread those tendencies

and that, by making them commonplace, lead to their gradual accept-

ance. And still others would put most of the blame squarely upon the

means of social communication. What is certainly true is that the

weakness lies in society itself and that the attempt to restore standards

must involve the whole of society, its parents, teachers, pastors and

all who care about the common good. In this attempt the means of

social communication have no small part to play. It is however im-

possible to put the means of social communication into a quite sepa-

rate category from that of the everyday life and attitudes of the people.



The Contribution to Human Progress 9

23. In order that the benefits offered to society by social communi-

cation can be better understood and used to the full and the incidental

difficulties they present set aside, the chief aspects of the working of

the media among men must be investigated.

1. PUBLIC OPINION

24. The means of social communication are a public forum where

every man may exchange ideas. The public expression and the con-
frontation of different opinions that occur within this dialogue influ-

ence and enrich the development of society and further its progress.

25. Public opinion is an essential expression of human nature

organized in a society. This opinion is formed in the following way.

In everyone there is an innate disposition to give vent to opinions,

attitudes and emotions in order to reach a general acceptance on con-

victions and customs. Pius XII describes public opinion as “the natural

echo of actual events and situations as reflected more or less spon-

taneously in the minds and judgments of men.” 33 So freedom of

speech is a normal factor in the growth of public opinion which ex-

presses the ideas and reactions of the more influential circles in a

society defined by geography, culture and history.

26. If public opinion is to emerge in the proper manner, it is abso-

lutely essential that there be freedom to express ideas and attitudes.

In accordance with the express teaching of the Second Vatican Coun-

cil it is necessary unequivocally to declare that freedom of speech for

individuals and groups must be permitted so long as the common good
and public morality be not endangered. 34 In order that men may use-
fully co-operate and further improve the life of the community, there

must be freedom to assess and compare differing views which seem to

have weight and validity. Within this free interplay of opinion, there

exists a process of give and take, of acceptance or rejection, of com-

promise or compilation. And within this same process, the more valid
ideas can gain ground so that a consensus that will lead to common
action becomes possible.

27. Communicators have therefore a most important part to play

in forming public opinion. They have to gather up different views and

33 In his Allocution to Catholic Journalists on February 17, 1950. A.A.S.,
XLII (1950), p. 251. See also Gaudium et spes, 59; Pacem in Terris, A.A.S.,
LV (1963), p. 283.

34 Gaudium et spes, 59.



10 The Means of Social Communication

compare them and transmit them so that people can understand and

make a proper decision.

28. Every citizen is expected to play his part in the formation of

public opinion. If needs be, he must do this through representatives

who reflect his own views. 35 Those who exert influence because of
the office they hold or because of their natural talent or for any other

reason have an important part to play in forming public opinion: they

help to do so whenever they express their views. The greater their

quality of leadership, the greater is their responsibility to exert it in

this way.

29. The process of promoting what is sometimes called a “propa-
ganda campaign,” with a view to influencing public opinion, is justified

only when it serves the truth, when its objectives and methods accord
with the dignity of man, and when it promotes causes that are in the
public interest. These causes may concern either individuals or groups,
one’s own country or the world at large.

30. Some types of propaganda are inadmissible. These include
those that harm the public interest or allow of no public reply. Any
propaganda should be rejected which deliberately misrepresents the

real situation, or distorts men’s minds with half-truths, selective re-

porting, or serious omissions, and which diminishes man’s legitimate

freedom of decision. It is necessary to stress this because the power

of propaganda is increasing. And its power is being augmented by the
growth of behavioral sciences like that of psychology and of the tech-

nical resources at the disposal of the communications media.

31. Not every opinion that is given publicity should be taken as a

true expression of that public opinion which is held by a significant

number of people. A number of differing opinions can flourish at
the same time in the same area, though, usually, one has a greater

following than the others. The opinion of the majority, however, is

not necessarily the best or the closest to the truth.

Public opinion, moreover, changes often. The same idea some-

times gains and sometimes loses hold of the public. Because of this,

it is prudent to maintain a certain detachment towards the opinions

currently in public vogue. There may well be good reasons that re-
quire one to oppose them.

32. However, views openly and commonly expressed which reflect

the aspirations of the people should always be carefully considered.

35 Cf. Inter mirifica, 8.



The Contribution to Human Progress 11

This is especially binding on those in authority, whether civil or re-

ligious.

2. THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED AND TO INFORM
33. If public opinion is to be formed in a proper manner, it is

necessary that, right from the start, the public be given free access to

both the sources and the channels of information and be allowed freely

to express its own views. Freedom of opinion and the right to be in-
formed go hand in hand. Pope John XXIII,36 Pope Paul VI37 and the

Second Vatican Council 38 have all stressed this right to information

which today is essential for the individual and for society in general.

(a) Access to the Sources and Channels of News

34. Modem man cannot do without information that is full, con-
sistent, accurate and true. Without it, he cannot understand the per-

petually changing world in which he lives nor be able to adapt himself

to the real situation. This adaptation calls for frequent decisions that

should be made with a full knowledge of events. Only in this way can
he assume a responsible and active role in his community and be a

part of its economic, political, cultural and religious life.

With the right to be informed goes the duty to seek information.

Information does not simply occur; it has to be sought. On the other
hand, in order to get it, the man who wants information must have
access to the varied means of social communication. In this way he
can freely choose whatever means best suit his needs both personal

and social. It is futile to talk about the right to information if a variety

of the sources for it are not made available.

35. Society, at all levels, requires information if it is to choose the

right course. The community requires well-informed citizens. The
right to information is not merely the prerogative of the individual,

it is essential to the public interest.

36. Those whose job it is to give the news have a most difficult and

responsible role to play. They face formidable obstacles and these

obstacles will sometimes include persons interested in concealing the

36 Cf. Pacem in Terris, A.A.S., LV (1963), p. 260.
37 Cf. the Allocution given on April 17, 1964 to “Seminaire des Nations Unies

sur la liberte de l’information,” A.A.S., LVI (1964), pp. 387 ff.
38 Cf. Inter mirifica, 5; 12.



12 The Means of Social Communication

truth. This is especially the case for reporters who give close-up im-
pressions of the news and who, in order to do this, often travel to the
four corners of the earth to witness events as they actually happen.39

At times they risk their lives and indeed a number of them have been
killed in this line of duty. 40 The safety of such correspondents should
be ensured in every possible way because of the service they render
to man’s right to know about what is happening. This is particularly
true in the case of wars—which involve and concern the whole human
race. So the Church utterly condemns the use of violence against
newsmen or against anyone in any way involved in the passing on of
news. For these persons vindicate and practise the right of finding

out what is happening and of passing on this information to others.

37. It is hard for anyone to learn the whole truth and to pass this

on to others, but newsmen face an additional problem. Of its nature,
news is about what is new. So journalists deal with what has just

happened and with what is of present interest. More than that, out
of a mass of material, they must select what they judge to be the

significant facts that will concern their audience. So it can happen

that the news reported is only a part of the whole and does not convey

what is of real importance.

38. Communicators must give news that is quick, complete and

comprehensible. So more and more they have to seek out competent

men for comments, background briefing and discussion. Often these
comments are required immediately, sometimes even before the ex-

pected event has happned. Trustworthy men are rightly reluctant to
make hasty or unprepared comments until they have had a chance to
study a situation in its context, and especially when they are in a posi-

tion of responsibility or authority. And so because the media are im-
pelled to demand quick comment, the initiative often passes to men

who are less responsible and less well-informed but who are more
willing to oblige. Those acquainted with a given situation should try

to prevent this happening. As far as they can, they should keep them-

selves up-to-date so that they themselves can reply and ensure that

the public is properly informed.

39. Then there is another problem. Those who have to keep the

public informed must give the news quickly if it is to appear fresh and

39 Pius XII in an address given to American journalists on July 21, 1945.

L’Osservatore Romano, July 22, 1945.
40 An address to a similar group on April 27, 1946. L’Osservatore Romano,

April 28, 1946.



The Contribution to Human Progress 13

interesting. Competition also obliges them to do this and speed is

often won at the price of accuracy. The communicator has also to
know the tastes and cultural level of his public and to take into ac-
count its known preferences. And when he comes to present the
news, it is in the face of such hazards that a communicator must re-

main faithful to the truth.

40. But as well as these problems which are inherent in the nature

of the news and communications media, there is another. Communi-

cators must hold the wandering attention of a harried and hurried

public by vivid reporting. And yet they must not give way to the
temptation of making the news sensational in such a way that they

risk distorting it—by taking it out of context or by exaggerating it
out of all proportion.

41. The recipients who piece together the news that comes to them
in fragments may well end up with an unbalanced or distorted idea
of the whole picture. To a certain extent, accuracy can be restored
by the continuity of the flow from different sources, which must

always be carefully assessed.

The recipients of information should have a clear conception of

the predicament of those that purvey information. They should not

look for a superhuman perfection in the communicators. What they
do have a right and duty to expect, however, is that a rapid and clear

correction should follow any mistake or misrepresentation that has

found its way into a report. They are to protest whenever omissions

or distortions occur. They are to protest whenever events have been

reported out of context or in a biased manner. They are to protest

whenever the significance of events has been wildly exaggerated or

underplayed. This right should be guaranteed for recipients by agree-

ment among the communicators themselves and, if this cannot be got,
then by national law or international convention.

42. But the right to information is not limitless. It has to be recon-

ciled with other existing rights. There is the right of truth which

guards the good name both of men and of societies. There is the right
of privacy which protects the private life of families and individuals.41

There is the right of secrecy which obtains if necessity or professional

duty or the common good itself requires it. Indeed, whenever public

41 “The manner of the [communication] should be honorable and appropriate,
namely, one which keeps sacred the laws of morality and the legitimate rights
and dignity of man in reporting the news.” Inter mirifica, 5.



14 The Means of Social Communication

good is at stake, discretion and discrimination and careful judgment

should be used in the preparation of news.

43. The reporting of violence and brutality demands a special care
and tact. There is no denying that human life is debased by violence
and savagery and that such things happen in our own time and per-
haps more now than ever before. It is possible to delineate all this
violence and savagery so that men will recoil from it. But if these
bloody events are too realistically described or too frequently dwelt

upon, there is a danger of perverting the image of human life. It is
also possible that such descriptions generate an attitude of mind and,

according to many experts, a psychosis which escapes the control of
the very forces that unleased it. All this may leave violence and
savagery as the accepted way of resolving conflict.

(b) Freedom of Communication

44. This right to information is inseparable from freedom of com-

munication. Social life depends on a continual interchange, both in-

dividual and collective, between people. This is necessary for mutual

understanding and for co-operative creativity. When social inter-
course makes use of the mass media, a new dimension is added. Then

vast numbers of people get the chance to share in the life and progress

of the community.

45. Because man is social by nature, he feels the need to express
himself freely and to compare his views with those of other people.

This applies today more than ever before now that man’s intellect and
genius are often enough served more by team work than by indi-

vidual effort. So the result is that when people follow their natural

inclination to exchange ideas and declare their opinions, they are not

merely making use of a right. They are also performing a social duty.

46. Those societies which tolerate diverse component groups and

are called “pluralist,” can well understand the importance of the free

flow of information and opinion that enables the citizens to play an

active part in the community. Laws have been passed in such coun-

tries to guard this freedom. Moreover, the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights has proclaimed this freedom to be fundamental and
thereby implies that the same freedom is essential in the use of the

means of social communication.

47. This freedom of communication also implies that individuals

and groups must be free to seek out and spread information. It also



The Contribution to Human Progress 15

means that they should have free access to the media. On the other
hand, freedom of communication would benefit those who communi-

cate news rather than those who receive it if this freedom existed

without proper limits and without thought for those real and public

needs upon which the right to information is based.

3. EDUCATION, CULTURE AND LEISURE
48. The means of social communication have an ever-growing role

to play in the vast field of human education. In many places audio-
visual aids, the new video cassettes and the regular use of radio and

television have become accepted teaching instruments. They make

the work of experts in different fields accessible to more and more

people. Elsewhere the means of social communication are used to

complement the established ways of teaching. They also give oppor-

tunities for further education to adolescents and adults. In places

where the educational facilities are inadequate, they can provide re-

ligious instruction and basic education; and they fight illiteracy. They

are useful instruments for instructing people in agriculture, medicine,

hygiene and in many forms of community development. As far as
possible, this use of the media for education should have a creative

quality and elicit an active response. In this way, the pupil is not only

led to knowledge but learns to express himself by using the media.

49. Moreover, in a manner that is unique, the media, which are

already a conspicuous element in daily life, bring artistic and cultural

achievements within the orbit of a great part of the human race. And
soon, perhaps, they will do the same for the whole of it. This is as

authentic a mark of social progress as is the removal of economic and

social inequality.

50. The media can deepen and enrich contemporary culture and

communicators should recognize that everyone has a right to this

enrichment. They should not therefore hesitate to take the chance

offered by the so-called “mass media” to reach great numbers of peo-

ple. The media also make it possible to cater for differing needs and
interests since, in a professional and attractive manner, they can

produce the fruits of every type of artistic expression.

People, then, will find no difficulty in using the media to deepen

and refine their cultural life, as long as they supplement this use with

the exercise of personal reflection and an exchange of views with

others.



16 The Means of Social Communication

51. An example of the cultural potential of the media can be found
in their service to the traditional folk arts of countries where stories,

plays, song and dance still express an ancient national inheritance.

Because of their modern techniques, the media can make these
achievements known more widely. They can record them so that they
can be seen and heard again and again and make them accessible even
in districts where the old traditions have vanished. In this way, the

media help to impress on a nation a proper sense of its cultural iden-

tity and, by expressing this, delight and enrich other cultures and

countries as well.

52. It should be recalled that many great works recognized as the
products of genius, particularly in music, drama and literature, were

first presented to the public as entertainment. So entertainment need

not lack cultural validity.42

Today, through the media, the noblest forms of artistic expression

offer true recreation—in the fullest sense of that word—to more and
more people. And there is more and more call for this in our complex
society.

Simple entertainment, too, has a value of its own. It lightens the

burden of daily problems and it occupies men’s leisure. The wide

variety of productions that the media offer for these hours of leisure,

is in fact a remarkable service to mankind. But recipients should

exercise self-control. They must not allow themselves to be so be-

guiled by the charms of the media’s products or by the curiosity that

these arouse that they neglect urgent duties or simply waste time.

53. The media are themselves new factors in contemporary culture,

serving as they do large numbers of people at the same time. But as

well as enriching culture, they can occasionally degrade it. They

often play for the applause of the lowest cultural levels of their audi-

ence. And because they take so much of modern man’s time, they
can easily divert him from higher and more profitable cultural pursuits.

An unrelieved diet of productions geared to the lowest cultural level
within a population would tend to debase the taste of those who have

already attained a higher level. These dangers can be avoided if com-

municators really care about the well-being of culture and buttress

their good intentions with a sound knowledge of the science of edu-

cation. Moreover, it will be recalled that the media are perfectly

42 Cf. Encyclical of Pius XII Miranda Prorsus, A.A.S., XLIX (1957), p. 765.



The Contribution to Human Progress 17

capable of productions on the highest artistic level, and for the great

majority these are not necessarily the most difficult to follow and to

enjoy.

4. FORMS OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
54. The media of social communication do more than present

the traditional forms of artistic expression, they themselves create new

ones. And now that the media cover the whole earth and multiply
the opportunities for international cultural co-operation, especially

in creative work using the talents of artists from many nations, it is
only right that both communicators and recipients should seek to

acquire a truly catholic taste, one that includes both the traditional

and the latest forms of artistic expression, one that appreciates and

understands the art-forms of all nations, of all cultures and of all

sub-cultures within the same areas of civilization.

55. Artistic expression both for its own excellence and for what
it does for man should be highly appreciated. Of itself, beauty en-
nobles the mind that contemplates it. The work of the artist can also

penetrate and illumine the deepest recesses of the human spirit. It
can make spiritual reality immediate by expressing it in a way that

the senses can comprehend. And as a result of this expression man
comes to know himself better. This is not only a cultural benefit but
a moral and religious one as well. “It is a fact that when you writers

and artists are able to reveal in the human condition, however lowly
or sad it may be, a spark of goodness, at that very instant a glow of
beauty pervades your whole work. We are not asking of you that you
should play the part of moralists. We are only asking you to have
confidence in your mysterious power of opening up the glorious re-

gions of light that lie behind the mystery of man’s life.” 43

56. Those who would truly understand the spirit of another age
have to study not only its history, but also its literature and artefacts.

And this is so because, in a very precise and lucid way, the creative
arts are more revealing than conceptual descriptions of the character

of people, of their aspirations, emotions and thoughts. Even when
the artist takes flight from the tangible and solid world and pursues

his creative fantasies, he can give priceless insight into the human

43 Paul VI: Allocution given on May 6, 1967 to a large number of those who
devote themselves to the theatre, the cinema, radio and television, and other
media of social communication. A.A.S., LIX (1967), p. 509.



18 The Means of Social Communication

condition. Stories fashioned out of imagination in which the artist

creates characters that live and evolve in a world of fiction, these too

communicate their special truth. Even though they are not real,
they are realistic; for they are made of the very stuff of human life.
They even affect those deep causes that rouse men to blaze with life. 44

For, in the light they throw on these causes, the sensitive man may
know them for what they are. And with this knowledge he can begin
to foresee the direction that humanity will take.

57. Pope Pius XII taught that human life “certainly cannot be
understood, at least when considering violent and serious conflicts,
if one deliberately turns one’s eyes from the crimes and evils from

which they often have their origin. How then, can ideal films take this
as their subject? The greatest poets and writers of all times have

occupied themselves with this difficult and rough matter, and they will

continue to do so in the future. . . . When the conflict with evil, not
excluding cases when evil prevails for a while, is treated, within the
context of a work as a whole, in an effort to understand life better, to

see how it should be ordered, or to show how man should conduct
himself, how he should think and act with more consistency, then, in
such cases, such matter can be chosen as an integral part of the devel-

opment of the whole film.” 45 Such a work would contribute to moral

progress. Even though they are quite distinct, genuine artistic values

do not clash with moral standards. Each, in fact, confirms the validity

of the other.

58. Moral problems may, at times, arise in productions that deal

with evil. For instance, these may occur when the audience is unable
to grasp, as it should, the full implications of evil, either because its

members are young and undeveloped or because their education is

inadequate.

The artist is faced with life in its entirety, with its good as well as

its bad aspects. Good sense and judgment are therefore called for

when a work is destined for a large audience with different back-

grounds. This is especially true when the subject is man confronted

by evil.

44 Pius XII: Allocution given on June 21, 1955 to the patrons of the art of the

cinema in Italy meeting in Rome. A.A.S., XLVII (1955), p. 509.
4r> Pius XII: Allocution given on October 28, 1955 to the patrons of the art of

the cinema gathered in Rome for their International Convention. A.A.S.,
XLVII (1955), pp. 822-823.



The Contribution to Human Progress 19

5. ADVERTISING

59. The importance of advertising is steadily on the increase in

modem society. It makes its presence felt everywhere; its influence
is unavoidable. It offers real social benefits. It tells buyers of the

goods and services available. It thus encourages the widest distribu-

tion of products and, in doing this, it helps industry to develop and

benefit the population. All this is to the good so long as there is re-

spect for the buyer’s liberty of choice, even though in trying to sell

some particular object the advertiser makes it appear as a real need.

Advertising too must respect the truth, taking into account accepted

advertising conventions.

60. If harmful or utterly useless goods are touted to the public,

if false assertions are made about the goods for sale, if less admirable

human tendencies are exploited, those responsible for such advertis-
ing harm society and forfeit their good name and credibility. More
than this, unremitting pressure to buy articles of luxury can arouse

false wants that hurt both individuals and families by making them

ignore what they really need. And those forms of advertising which,
without shame, exploit the sexual instincts simply to make money or
which seek to penetrate into the subconscious recesses of the mind

in a way that threatens the freedom of the individual, those forms of

advertising must be shunned. It is therefore desirable that advertisers

make definite rules for themselves lest their sales methods affront

human dignity or harm the community.

61. It is true that a judicious use of advertising can stimulate

developing countries to improve their standard of living. But serious

harm can be done them if advertising and commercial pressure be-

come so irresponsible that communities that seek to rise from poverty

to a reasonable standard of living are persuaded to seek this progress

by satisfying wants that have been created artificially. The result of

this is that they waste their resources and neglect their real needs,

and genuine development falls behind.

62. In fact the vast sums of money spent in advertising threaten the
very foundations of the mass media. People can get the impression

that the instruments of communication exist solely to stimulate men’s

appetites so that these can be satisfied later by the acquisition of the

things that have been advertised. Moreover, because of economic

demands and pressures, the essential freedom of the media is at

stake. Since advertising revenue is vital for these media, only those



20 The Means of Social Communication

can ultimately survive which receive the greatest share of advertising

outlays. Consequently, the door is open for monopolies to develop

in the media which may impede the right to receive and give informa-
tion and inhibit the exchange of views within the community. A
variety of independent means of social communication must therefore

be carefully safeguarded even if this requires legislative action. This

will ensure that there is an equitable distribution of advertising revenue

among the most deserving media of communication and prevent the
lion’s share from going to those that are already the most powerful.

Chapter II

THE MEDIA: THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR
THEIR PROPER WORKING

63. If the media of social communication are to give their best

service to mankind, the importance of the human element must be
recognized. This element plays a more decisive role than the most

marvellous electronic and mechanical instruments by themselves. For

the proper functioning of the media in society does not occur of its

own accord. Both communicators and recipients, according to their
own requirements, need a suitable grounding if full advantage is to be
taken of the opportunities offered by these instruments. All should

know what their particular role requires of them and then proceed to
play it, both as individuals and members of society. Civil authorities,

as well as religious leaders and educators, should play their part too

so that the rich promise of the media may be effectively realized for
the good of society.

1. TRAINING
64. A training that grounds a man in the basic principles govern-

ing the working of the media in human society, as explained above, is
nowadays clearly necessary for all. If their character and function is

understood, the means of communication genuinely enrich men’s

minds. On the other hand, men who do not sufficiently appreciate
their importance, may find their own liberty diminished.

Training should include a practical consideration of the special

nature of each medium and of its status in the local community and



The Contribution to Human Progress 21

how it can best be utilized. And this should be done with special
reference to man and society.

(a) The Recipients

65. Recipients need some basic training if they are to benefit to

the full from what the instruments of social communication have to

offer. This training is not merely for their personal advantage, but it

should help them to make their contribution to the give-and-take of

society as well as to the constructive work of the community. Such a

training will also help them to discover the best way of achieving these

ends. It will help them to play their part in the process of striving for

justice among nations and for the elimination of glaring inequalities

between the richer and poorer countries.

66. For this they require a knowledge of the media that will keep

pace with their maturing. And the process of education, which should
be available to all, does not come to an end. It is to be supplemented

continually by lectures and discussions, by special courses and study

sessions that make use of the help of professionals in this field.

67. It is never too early to start encouraging in children artistic

taste, a keen critical faculty and a sense of personal responsibility

based on sound morality. They need all these so that they can use

discrimination in choosing the publications, films and broadcasts that

are set before them. This is necessary because the young are naturally

vulnerable, but this self-discipline acquired in childhood will richly

serve the adult too. Generosity and idealism are admirable qualities

in young people, so are their frankness and sincerity. But these quali-

ties, along with self-discipline, will only survive if they are guarded

and fostered from an early age. This is why parents and teachers

should urge children to make their own choice even if the educators
should reserve at times the final decision to themselves. And if they
find themselves forced to disapprove of the way their children are

using some aspect of the media, they must clearly explain the reasons

for their objections. Persuasion works better than prohibition and

this is especially true in education. Adults should realize that the

psychology of children differs from that of adults. Because of this,

programs that seem meaningless to them may be useful to children
and even to teenagers. Young people can, without doubt, influence
one another for the better when it comes to culture. Their very years

serve as a passport to the new forms it takes, giving them an entrance



22 The Means of Social Communication

to their own circle. There is ample evidence to prove how effective
this can be.

68. It is useful for educators to take note of some of the broad-
casts, films and publications that most interest the young in their care.

They can then discuss them together and this helps to develop the
child’s critical powers. As for the more difficult or even controversial
artistic productions, here the parent should, at the right moment, help

his children to discover the human values in the production and to
interpret its details within the context of the work as a whole.

69. This sort of training must be given a regular place in school

curricula. It must be given, and systematically, at every stage of edu-

cation. In this way, young people can be helped gradually to develop

a new perception in their interpretation of what is offered them by the
press, the other media and the literary publishing houses. All this

should be taught in study courses planned to include special sessions

where the teacher can call on the help of professional communicators

for lectures and for practical exercises.

70. It is obvious that parents and other educators cannot meet

these obligations unless they themselves are reasonably well grounded

in an understanding of the media. Here it must be remembered that

parents who have not grown up to be at home with the media often
find it harder to comprehend the language used than do the young

people of today. Often parents are disturbed by the frankness with

which the media treat every question, including the problems that face

both the civil government and the Church. Naturally they wish their

children to use the media in a proper manner. Nevertheless, let them

trust the young because these have been born and have grown up in a

different kind of society. Because of this, they are better forewarned

and better forearmed to meet the pressures that come from every side.

(b) The Communicators

7 1 . Not a few communicators handle well the tools of their profes-

sion, but even so lack a deep understanding of the art of communicat-

ing with all it implies. It is obvious that the communicators who wish

to excel in the media need a serious and specialized training in every

aspect of their work. The growing practice of founding Communica-

tions Faculties in institutions of higher learning—faculties with au-
thority to confer degrees—is a welcome development. For if com-



The Contribution to Human Progress 23

municators are to meet their professional obligations, they must have

sound knowledge as well as experience.

72. In the training of a communicator human qualities as well as
professional competence should be developed. Since the media of

social communication are for mankind, communicators should be

consumed by the desire to serve men. They can only achieve this

if they really do know and love their fellow man. The more com-
municators remember that beyond the lifeless instruments which pass

on their words and images are countless living men and women, the
more satisfaction they will get from their work and the better they will

help others. The more they get to know their audience, the more they
understand it and appreciate it, the more they will make what they

communicate suit those who receive it. If they do this, they help to
make the process of communication a communion of the spirit.

2. OPPORTUNITIES AND OBLIGATIONS
(a) Communicators

73. Communicators breathe life into the dialogue that happens

within the family of man. It is they who preside while the exchange
proceeds around the vast “round table” that the media have made.

Their vocation is nobly to promote the purpose of social communica-

tion. This purpose is to accelerate every sort of human progress and
to increase co-operation among men until there exists a genuine com-
munion among them.

74. When they come to choose the subjects for their productions,
communicators will attempt to match all the needs of their public.

They will be scrupulous in seeing that every relevant group is fairly

represented. To do this, they have to try to foresee the kind of audi-
ence they serve. There should, accordingly, be close co-operation

between communicators and recipients. Only in this way can these
social communications set up a working and workable dialogue be-

tween free and adequately prepared people. And this dialogue must
not ignore the age, culture and social background of the participants.

The media of social communication are the right instruments for the
propagation of this sort of interchange between men.

75. Pope Paul said of communicators that they are obliged to pay

continual attention to and to carry on an uninterrupted observation

of the external world: “you must continually stand at the window, open

to the world; you are obliged to study the facts, the events, the



24 The Means of Social Communication

opinions, the current interest, the thought of the surrounding environ-

ment.” 46 Because factual information provides a public service, not

only must news reporting keep to the facts, and bear down upon the
most important of these, but the meaning of what it reports should be

brought out by explanation. The real bearing of one item of news
upon another should be pointed out, especially when different items
reach the recipient without evidence of any discernible pattern. In

this way the recipient will be able to use this information as a basis
for his judgment and decision in matters affecting the community.

76. Communicators should not allow themselves to forget that the

nature of the mass media makes their audience a vast one. While they

must keep faith with their artistic integrity, they should at the same

time remember both their power and the grave responsibilities it

brings with it. For they have been given a rare chance to promote the

happiness and progress of men. In their productions justice and

integrity of judgment will impel artists to be concerned with the needs

of minorities as well as with those of larger and more numerous

groups. And if some of the means of social communication, whether
by law or local practice, in fact enjoy a monopoly, then a scrupulous

impartiality must be sought, since in such a situation the danger is

that monologue may replace dialogue.

77. Communicators who debase their skills and their work for
money, or for easy popularity and passing acclaim, are not only fail-

ing their public. In the end, they are demeaning their profession.

78. Critics have a commanding role in getting communicators to

maintain the highest standards of integrity and service and continually

to make progress. As they are themselves communicators, they pro-

vide the self-criticism within the profession. In this way they are able

to protect creative artists from external pressures. They must be con-

vinced that integrity and incorruptibility are the essence of their pro-

fession. They will be inspired by fidelity to truth and a passion for

justice. In a cool and objective way, they should try to display both

the strength and the weakness of the work under review so that the

public can make its own fair judgment. The importance of their

own creative art should not be underrated, especially when through
their wide knowledge and their penetrating judgment they are able

to discover in works of art meaning and riches that may have escaped

46 Paul VI: Allocution given on January 24, 1969 to the Officers of the

Catholic Association of Italian Journalists (U.C.S.I.). L’Osservatore Romano,
January 24, 1969.



The Contribution to Human Progress 25

even the artists themselves. Yet they should not attract all the atten-

tion to themselves at the expense of the work under study.

79. The founding of professional associations for communicators

is most valuable. They provide a forum where opinions and experi-

ences can be exchanged. They form a basis for organized co-operation.

They help in coping with the sort of difficulties that are inherent in

the communicator’s task.

These associations can draw up codes of ethics on a basis of prin-

ciple and experience. Through the guidance they offer, these codes

can help in producing work that meets the needs of social communi-

cation. Fundamentally, the codes of these associations ought to be

positive. They should not be wholly preoccupied with forbidding;

rather they should concentrate on how to improve what can be done
for the communicators’ fellow men.

80. In order to survive and to expand, the means of social com-

munication require reliable financial backing. It therefore happens

that communicators must at times, either directly or indirectly, seek

funds from public or private sources. The men who provide these
funds can powerfully influence the quality of the product. But they

must be discerning in choosing which enterprises to support, and de-

sire the good of mankind rather than financial advantage. As long
as they bear in mind that the means of social communication are more

than commercial enterprises, and are, in fact, at one and the same

time, cultural and social services, these investors should not exercise

any undue pressure that might distort the proper liberty of the com-

municators, the artists or what we have called the recipients.

(b) Recipients

8 1 . The recipients can do more to improve the quality of the media
than is generally realized; so their responsibility to do this is all the

greater. Whether or not the media can set up an authenic dialogue

with society depends very largely upon these recipients. If they do

not insist on expressing their views, if they are content with a merely

passive role, all the efforts of the communicators to establish an un-

inhibited dialogue will be useless.

82. Recipients can be described as active when they know how to
interpret communications accurately and so can judge them in the
light of their origin, background and total context. They will be ac-
tive when they make their selection judiciously and critically, when



26 The Means of Social Communication

they fill out incomplete information that comes their way with more
news which they themselves have obained from other sources, and

finally, when they are ready to make their views heard in public,
whether they agree, or partly agree or totally disagree.

83. There is the obvious objection that there is little a man can do
alone at the receiving end. This is unnecessarily pessimistic. Recip-

ients can find strength in unity. There exists no reason why they should
not work closely together. They can band themselves into associa-

tions, just as communicators have been advised to do. Their organi-

zations need not be set up with the single end of giving expression to

what the man in the street feels about the products of the media. They
could just as well avail themselves of organizations that already exist

and which have a wider scope but compatible aims.

3. CO-OPERATION

(a) Co-operation between Citizens and the Civil Authorities

84. The media are there for the good of everyone and to serve

everyone. So, at once, they concern both citizens and public authori-

ties. These authorities have the essential duty of maintaining freedom

of speech and of seeing that the right conditions exist for it. Every

individual must have the chance of following his informed judgment.

Human dignity must be fully respected. The good of the country and
the interests of international co-operation must both be given due

consideration.

85. The well-being of society requires absolutely that individuals

and groups be free to exercise initiative. It also requires that citizens

exercise responsibility and self-control both as communicators and

as recipients. With this end in view, voluntary associations may not
only be desirable; they may even be essential.

86. The role of the civil authorities in this matter is essentially a

positive one. Their chief task is not to create difficulties or to sup-

press, though at times corrective measures may become necessary.

The Second Vatican Council explained that man’s freedom is to be

respected as far as possible, and curtailed only when and in so far as

necessary.47 Censorship therefore should only be used in the very

last extremity. Moreover the civil authorities should respect the prin-

47 Cf. Dignitatis humanae, 7.



The Contribution to Human Progress 27

ciple of subsidiarity which has often been affirmed in the official teach-

ing of the Church—the gist of which is: “Let them not undertake to
do themselves what can be done just as well, or even better, by indi-

viduals or private groups.”

87. Therefore it is right that, in the light of these principles, free-

dom of communication and the right to be informed be established in
law and guarded from excessive economic, political and ideological

pressures that might weaken them. There should be legislation to

guarantee to citizens the right to criticize the actual workings of the

communications media. This is particularly desirable where the media

are conducted as a monopoly. This is all the more necessary if the

monopoly is exercised by the civil authorities themselves.

It is undoubtedly the task of the law-makers to legislate about the

media. In fact the media must have the support of law so that they

can survive, and survive in a sufficient variety and independence in

the face of the encroachment of economic interests that make for

harmful concentration. Again, the good name of the private citizen

and of minority groups needs the protection of the law. Cultural and

human values require protection. Religious liberty in the use of the
media should be guaranteed.

88. It is highly recommended that professionals in the media, or

their institutions, set up councils on their own account. These will
have their own statutes and will be concerned with all aspects of
social communication. Representatives of the different sections of the

population should be invited to sit on these councils. This, it is hoped,

will eliminate the wrong sort of interference from state or economic

interests. It will strengthen co-operation and fellow-feeling between

communicators, and that will be to the benefit of the whole com-

munity.

In some cases, however, the state may have to intervene and set up
these advisory boards to supervise the media. In these cases, the

boards should be, by law, representative of all shades of the opinion

within the community.

89. As far as possible, the law should protect the young from what
can do them permanent psychological or moral harm. It is the task

of legislatoin in this field to give the necessary support to the family

and the school in educating the young.

90. Legislation should be encouraged to provide financial support

to initiatives in the use of communications that clearly serve the general



28 The Means of Social Communication

good. These would include organizations that provide information,

specialist educational publications, films and broadcasts, particularly

when these are made for children. This support is more desirable
when the initiatives have little hope of financial success. This encour-
agement also applies to feature films of high artistic quality and to

publications and performances which are destined for a restricted

public and which are therefore unlikely to pay their way.

91. The responsibility of civil authorities over the means of social

communication is now world-wide, for they have to guarantee the
development of social communication for the good of all mankind, and

this without selection or discrimination. This development can be

secured by the tise of international agreements including those that

touch on the use of space satellites. In this way, all nations will be

guaranteed a fair place within the dialogue and interplay of mankind.

(b) Co-operation between Nations

92. Those forms of aid which help emerging nations to develop

their own means of social communication are of great importance
among the many forms of international effort which the media de-
mand. The lack of proper means of social communications is, in fact,

a sign of slow development in a community, as well as being one of

the causes of it. Without the use of modern techniques of social com-

munication no country can provide its citizens with necessary informa-

tion or proper education. This inability endangers political, social and

economic progress.

93. “Development,” said Pope Paul VI, “is the new name for

peace.” 48 Countries that are well equipped should provide technical

assistance to those which are not. This is as true in the field of social

communication as in any other. The developed countries are to help in

the training of professionals and provide the necessary equipment.

Their responsibilities for the common good do not end at their national
frontiers. They extend to the whole of mankind. This requirement

is all the more pressing now that developments in the field are progress-
ing so swiftly. Developing countries should be helped with training

48 Paul VI: Letter to the Honorable U Thant, Secretary General of the United
Nations. A.A.S., LVIII (1966), p. 480. See also the Holy Father’s Allocution

to the delegates present at Milan for the second meeting of the Administrative

Council of the United Nations’ Program for Development. A.A.S., LVIII

(1966), p. 589.



The Contribution to Human Progress 29

centers for social communication set up within their own boundaries.
Otherwise the trainees may be forced wastefully to leave their own
country. Such centers will prevent a “brain drain” from the developing

countries.

94. It goes without saying that the aid given to developing countries

can never be at the expense of their own cherished traditions, of their
culture and art forms, for these are rich in human significance. Cul-
tural co-operation is not the giving of alms. It is an exchange that is

mutually advantageous.

95. In developing countries, particularly in those where illiteracy

hinders progress, audio-visual means are very effective in spreading

knowledge. These means can help to improve agriculture, industry,

commerce, hygiene and public health. They can serve to develop the

individual’s personality, to strengthen family fife, social relations and

civic responsibility. It is virtually impossible to do such works at a

profit. It is therefore necessary to appeal to the generosity of private

citizens and of private organizations in the richer countries as well as

to the support of international bodies.

(c) Co-operation between Christians
, all Believers

and all Men of Good-will

96. The means of social communication are not likely to achieve

their purpose—which is actively to further human progress—unless
they face the formidable problems besetting modern man, and

strengthen his hopes and lead to a concerted effort on the part of all

who believe in the living God. This is especially true in the case of
those who are united in the Sacrament of Baptism. So teaches the
Second Vatican Council in the documents on Ecumenism and non-
Christian Religions.49

97. As a result of the work of the communications media, Chris-
tians are better able to understand the state of contemporary world

society, a society which is frequently alienated from God. Dramatists

and journalists describe this alienation in significant terms—asserting
human liberty with all the force of their genius and with all the depth
of their thought. Their creative power and descriptive skill has our

admiration and gratitude.50

49 Cf. Unitatis redintegratio, A.A.S., LVII (1965), pp. 90-112. See also
Nostra aetate, A.A.S., LVIII (1966), pp. 740-744.

50 This was expressed by the World Council of Churches in their “Instruction”
issued at Upsala in 1968, p. 381.



30 The Means of Social Communication

98. When their faith gives them real inspiration, people of different
religions can render notable service to social communications. This

will do more than further human progress both social and cultural.
It can under Divine Providence institute a universal dialogue on the

highest level that can lead man to cherish and foster in his daily life
his common brotherhood under the One Eternal God, the Father of
All.

99. There is almost no end to the opportunities for such collabora-

tion. Some are obvious; joint programs on radio and television; edu-
cational projects and services especially for parents and young people;

meetings and discussions between professionals, perhaps at an inter-

national level; recognition of achievement in these fields by annual

awards; co-operation in research in the media, especially in profes-

sional training and education. All these can help towards the fair and

equal advancement of all peoples.

100. To make practical the possibilities that are inherent in the
media there should be a joint program of action. Resources will have

to be made available for this. As a practical step the Vatican Council
suggested the establishment of World Communications Day. Every

man who believes in God is invited to spend one particular day every
year to pray and think about the future and the problems of the media.

He is also invited to friendly meetings with the different sorts of pro-
fessionals. In this way it should be possible to explore what projects

can be started and what initiatives encouraged, whereby the media

can be used to further the progress of mankind. The People of God
(both pastors and laymen) commit themselves, in the fulfillment of

these duties, to give support to the initiatives of men of good-will
everywhere so that the means of social communication may be used for
justice, peace, freedom and human progress.



PART THREE

The Commitment of Catholics

in the Media

101. By the Second Vatican Council Catholics have been asked

to consider still more carefully and in the light of the Faith what new

work and responsibility the modern means of social communication

place upon them.

In the first part of this Instruction, we have suggested how the
history of salvation implied a vital role for social communications

in God’s creative and redeeming work among men. In interpreting

her responsibilities in this, the Church tries to give a coherent vision

that will embrace both the Faith and the practical working of social

communication. It is in this light that she will fulfill her divine mis-

sion which is the object of all her pastoral activity, and which has the

dual aspect of helping men and of announcing the Good News.

The aspect of human advancement by the media has been generally
discussed in the second part of this document. The specifically Chris-

tian and Catholic contribution to human advancement will be dealt
with briefly in the following chapter of this third part, which is

concerned with the role of the media in the life of Catholics.

Chapter I

THE CONTRIBUTION OF CATHOLICS
TO SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

102. If Catholics are to be of service to the means of social com-

munication and to act so that these may serve humanity’s ends, it goes
without saying that it is in the spiritual sphere that the Church can best

help. The Church hopes that, as a result of her spiritual contribution,
the basic nature of social communication will be more clearly appre-

ciated. The Church hopes, too, that the dignity of the human person,
both communicator and recipient, will be better understood and re-

spected. In this way this social interplay that makes neighbors of
men can lead to true communion.

31



32 The Means of Social Communication

103. Therefore the active co-operation of Christians who are pro-
fessionally competent in this field is a major service to social com-

munication. The excellence which they bring to their professional
duty is itself a powerful testimony to Christianity. Moreover, as mem-
bers of companies or organizations without religious affiliations, they

will bring to the fore a Christian point of view on all questions that

exercise men in society. They can help news editors and newscasters
not to overlook news items about religious life which will interest

their audience. They can give the religious dimension to human life.
It goes without saying that they are not at this work in order to domi-

nate the media with their viewpoint. Rather they aim to give a service

which will earn the sympathy of their colleagues simply by its quality.

104. Communicators have the right to expect the kind of spiritual

help that meets the special needs of their important but difficult role.

It is a source of strength for Catholic communicators that they re-

ceive from the Church spiritual help to meet the needs of their im-

portant and difficult role.

105. Fully aware of the importance of their profession and of the

special difficulties it involves, the Church is very willing to undertake

a dialogue with all communicators of every religious persuasion. She

would do this so that she may contribute to a common effort to solve
the problems inherent in their task and do what is best for the benefit

of man.

106. As representatives of the Church, bishops, priests, religious

and laity are increasingly asked to write in the press or appear on

radio and television or to collaborate in filming. They are warmly

urged to undertake this work which has consequences that are far

more important than is usually imagined. But the complexity of the

media requires a sound knowledge of their impact and of the best way

to use them. It is therefore the task of the national centers and of the

specialized organizations to make certain that those who have to use

the media receive sufficient and timely training.

107. The Church considers it to be one of her most urgent tasks

to provide the means for training recipients in Christian principles.

This also is a service to social communication. The well-trained re-

cipient will be able to take part in the dialogue promoted by the media

and will demand high quality in communications. Catholic schools

and organizations cannot ignore the urgent duty they have in this



The Commitment of Catholics 33

field. These schools and institutions will take care to teach young

people not only to be good Christians when they are recipients but

but also to be active in using all the aids to communication that lie

within the media, now called the “total language.” So, young people
will be true citizens of that age of social communication which has

already begun.

108. The whole question of social communication deserves atten-

tion from theologians, particularly in the areas of moral and pastoral

theology. Religious education, too, ought to include instruction on

the modern media and their principal implications. This will be more

readily achieved when theologians have studied the suggestions in the

First Part of this Instruction and enriched them with their research

and insight.

109. Parents, educators, priests and Christian organizations should

encourage young people with the right qualities to take up a career in

social communication. To do this and to provide properly trained
candidates, funds are necessary. In developing areas, the national

hierarchies should get financial help for the training of local candidates

both in theory and practice.

110. Bishops, priests, religious and laity, all in their own ways,
have a clear duty to contribute to Christian education in this field.

They must make this contribution with the social teachings of the

Church in mind.

They should of their own accord keep in touch with the latest
developments in communications so as to be well informed them-

selves. Otherwise they will lack that familiarity with the media which

actual use requires. Working with professional communicators, they

will be wise to go more deeply into the problems presented by com-

municating through the media and to exchange their experiences and

ideas.

111. If students for the priesthood and religious in training wish

to be part of modern life and also to be at all effective in their apos-

tolate, they should know how the media work upon the fabric of
society, and also the technique of their use. This knowledge should

be an integral part of their ordinary education. Indeed, without this

knowledge an effective apostolate is impossible in a society which is

increasingly conditioned by the media. 51 It is also desirable that

51 Cf. The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, “The Fundamental
Characteristic of Priestly Education.” A.A.S., XLII (1970), pp. 321-384. See
especially para. 4 and no. 68.



34 The Means of Social Communication

priests and religious understand how public opinion and popular atti-
tudes come into being, so that they can suit both the situation and the
people of their time. They can find the media of great help in their

effort to announce the word of God to modern men. Students who
show a special gift in the handling of the media should be given

higher training.

112. Reviews of radio and television broadcasts, of films and illus-

trated magazines can be of help in cultural and religious education.

They will also help those who wish to make a wise choice of what the
media have to offer, particularly for the family. In this connection,

particular attention should be paid to reviews that have real com-

petence. These include assessment of the worth, the morality and the

Christian value of films, broadcasts and writings issued under the

pastoral care of bishops in different regions by specially appointed

boards.

113. Catholic universities and educational institutions should be

more assiduous in the promotion of scientific studies and research on

social communications. They should try to collate all the findings of

research, themselves play a part in this research, and make all of it

available to the service of Christian education. While they will need

financial help from others for these projects, they in turn should

readily co-operate with other institutions.

Chapter II

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE
COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TO CATHOLICS

1. PUBLIC OPINION AND CLOSER
COMMUNICATION IN THE LIFE OF

THE CHURCH

114.

The Church looks for ways of multiplying and strengthen-

ing the bonds of union between her members. For this reason, com-

munication and dialogue among Catholics are indispensable. The

Church lives her life in the midst of the whole community of man.

She must therefore maintain contacts and lines of communication in

order to keep a relationship with the whole human race. This is done

both by giving information and by listening carefully to public



The Commitment of Catholics 35

opinion inside and outside the Church. Finally, by holding a con-

tinuous discussion with the contemporary world, she tries to help in

solving the problems that men face at the present time.

(a) Dialogue within the Church

115. Since the Church is a living body, she needs public opinion in

order to sustain a giving and taking between her members. Without

this, she cannot advance in thought and action. “Something would be

lacking in her life if she had no public opinion. Both pastors of souls

and lay people would be to blame for this.” 52

116. Catholics should be fully aware of the real freedom to speak

their minds which stems from a “feeling for the faith” and from love.

It stems from that feeling for the faith which is aroused and nour-

ished by the spirit of truth in order that, under the guidance of the

teaching Church which they accept with reverence, the People of God
may cling unswervingly to the faith given to the early Church, with
true judgment penetrate its meaning more deeply, and apply it more

fully in their lives. 53

This freedom also stems from love. For it is with love that the

liberty of the People of God is raised to an intimate sharing in the
freedom of Christ himself, who cleansed us from our sins, in order
that we might be able freely to make judgments in accordance with

the will of God.

Those who exercise authority in the Church will take care to ensure
that there is responsible exchange of freely held and expressed

opinion among the People of God. More than this, they will set up
norms and conditions for this to take place. 54

117. There is an enormous area where members of the Church

can express their views on domestic issues. It must be taken that the

truths of the faith express the essence of the Church and therefore do

not leave room for arbitrary interpretations. Nonetheless, the Church
moves with the movement of man. She therefore has to adapt herself

52 Pius XII: Allocution given on February 17, 1950 to those who were in
Rome to participate in the International Congress for Editors of Catholic
Periodicals. A.A.S., XVII (1950), p. 256.

53 Cf. Lumen gentium, 12.
54 Cf. “Reflexions et suggestions concernant le dialogue oecumenique,”

L'Osservatore Romano, 21-22 September 1970.



36 The Means of Social Communication

to the special circumstances that arise out of time and place. She has

to consider how the truths of the Faith may be explained in different
times and cultures. She has to reach a multitude of decisions while

adjusting her actions to the changes around her. While the individual

Catholic follows the Magisterium, he can and should engage in free

research so that he may better understand revealed truths or explain
them to a society subject to incessant change.

This free dialogue within the Church does no injury to her unity

and solidarity. It nurtures concord and the meeting of minds by per-

mitting the free play of the variations of public opinion. But in order

that this dialogue may go in the right direction it is essential that
charity is in command even when there are differing views. Everyone
in this dialogue should be animated by the desire to serve and to con-

solidate unity and co-operation. There should be a desire to build,

not to destroy. There should be a deep love for the Church and a

compelling desire for its unity. Christ made love the sign by which
men can recognize his true Church and therefore his true followers. 55

118. For this reason, a distinction must be borne in mind between,

on the one hand, the area that is devoted to scientific investigation and,

on the other, the area that concerns the teaching of the faithful. In the

first, experts enjoy the freedom required by their work and are free to

communicate to others, in books and commentaries, the fruits of their

research. In the second, only those doctrines may be attributed to the
Church which are declared to be such by her authentic Magisterium.

These last, obviously, can be aired in public without fear of giving

scandal.

It sometimes happens, however, because of the very nature of social

communication, that new opinions circulating among theologians, at

times, circulate too soon and in the wrong places. Such opinions,

which must not be confused with the authentic doctrine of the Church,

should be examined critically. It must also be remembered that the

real significance of such theories is often badly distorted by populariza-

tion and by the style of presentation used in the media.

119. Since the development of public opinion within the Church is

essential, individual Catholics have the right to all the information

they need to play their active role in the life of the Church.

In practice this means that communications media must be avail-

able for the task. These should not only exist in sufficient number but

55 Cf. Jn 17:21.



The Commitment of Catholics 37

also reach all the People of God. Where necessary, they may even be
owned by the Church as long as they truly fulfill their purpose.

120. The normal flow of life and the smooth functioning of govern-

ment within the Church require a steady two-way flow of information

between the ecclesiastical authorities at all levels and the faithful as

individuals and as organized groups. This applies to the whole world.

To make this possible various institutions are required. These might
include news agencies, official spokesmen, meeting facilities, pastoral

councils—all properly financed.
121. On those occasions when the affairs of the Church require

secrecy, the rules normal in civil affairs equally apply.

On the other hand, the spiritual riches which are an essential at-
tribute of the Church demand that the news she gives out of her inten-

tions as well as of her works be distinguished by integrity, truth and

openness. When ecclesiastical authorities are unwilling to give infor-
mation or are unable to do so, then rumer is unloosed and rumor is

not a bearer of the truth but carries dangerous half-truths. Secrecy

should therefore be restricted to matters that involve the good name of

individuals or that touch upon the rights of people whether singly or

collectively.

(b) Dialogue between the Church and the World

122. The Church does not speak and listen to her own members
alone; her dialogue is with the whole world. By virtue of a divine
command and by the right to knowledge possessed by the people
whose lot she shares on earth, the Church is in duty bound publicly

to communicate her belief and her way of life. 56 Moreover, as the
Second Vatican Council teaches, she is “to read the signs of the times,”

for these too reveal the message of God and indicate the unfolding
of the history of salvation under Divine Providence. This is another

reason why the Church needs to know contemporary reactions to ideas
and events, whether they be Catholic or not. The greater the extent

to which the means of social communication reflect these reactions, the

more do they contribute towards this knowledge required by the
Church.

123. It is the mission of those with responsible positions in the

Church to announce without fail or pause the full truth, by the means

56 Cf. Mt. 28:19.



38 The Means of Social Communication

of social communication, so as to give a true picture of the Church and

her life. Since the media are often the only channels of information

that exist between the Church and the world, a failure to use them
amounts to “burying the talent given by God.”

The Church naturally expects news agencies to put out religious
news with all the care and attention that the subject demands. On her
part, the Church is consequently bound in duty to give complete and
entirely accurate information to the news agencies so that they, in their

turn, can carry out their task.

124. What was said above,57 where commentaries on the news were
discussed, equally applies when the news is about the Church. Re-
sponsible leaders in the Church should try in advance to be ready to

deal with a difficult situation and should not abandon the initiative.

Further, it is wise to see that important decisions and statements be

made available in advance, using time embargo on publication. In this
way, arrangements could be made in the interests of the Church for
proper explanation and discussion.

125. The means of social communication help Catholics in three

ways. They help the Church reveal herself to the modern world.

They foster dialogue within the Church. They make clear to the
Church contemporary opinions and attitudes. For the Church has

been ordered by God to give men the message of salvation in a
language they can understand and to involve herself in the concerns

of man.

2. THE USE OF THE MEDIA FOR GIVING
THE GOOD NEWS

126. Christ commanded the Apostles and their successors to “teach
all nations,” 58 to be “the light of the world” 59 and to announce the

Good News in all places at all times. During his life on earth, Christ
showed himself to be the perfect Communicator, while the Apostles

used what means of social communication were available in their

time. It is now necessary that the same message be carried by the
means of social communication that are available today. Indeed, it

would be difficult to suggest that Christ’s command was being obeyed

57 Cf. paragraph 38 above.

58 Mt 28:19.
59 Mt 5:14.



The Commitment of Catholics 39

unless all the opportunities offered by the modern media to extend to

vast numbers of people the announcement of his Good News were

being used. Therefore the Second Vatican Council invited the People

of God “to use effectively and at once the means of social communica-
tion, zealously availing themselves of them for apostolic purposes.” 60

127. The necessity for doing this is quite obvious once it is realized

that modern men are immersed in the tide of social communication
when they are forming their profound convictions and adopting their

attitudes. This is as true of religious convictions and attitudes as it is

of any other sort.

128. The modern media offer new ways of confronting people with

the message of the Gospel, of allowing Christians even when they are

far away to share in sacred rites and worship and in ecclesiastical func-

tions. In this way they can bind the Christian community closer

together and invite everyone to participate in the intimate life of the

Church. Of course, the mode of presentation has to suit the special
nature of the medium being used. The media are not the same as a
church pulpit. It cannot be overstressed that the standard of such

presentations must at least equal in quality the other productions of

the media.

129. The media are invaluable helps for Christian education. They

can call on the services of the greatest specialists in religious teaching

as well as of experts on all the questions that arise. The media have at

their command all the technical facilities required for attractive and
contemporary presentation. They can back up most effectively the

personal work of the teacher day by day. Their resources make possi-
ble the radical changes that are required in the whole style of religious

instruction today.

Since the instruments of social communication are the usual chan-

nels for giving the news and for voicing contemporary man’s attitudes

and views, they offer marvellous opportunities to all for considering

the implications of their religious convictions through the discussion of

events and problems of the day. The Christian can then apply these
deepened convictions to his daily life.

130. People today have grown so used to the entertaining style and

skillful presentation of communications by the media that they are

intolerant of what is obviously inferior in any public presentation. The

00 Inter mirifica, 13 .



40 The Means of Social Communication

same applies if this be a religious occasion, such as, for example, a

liturgical ceremony, a sermon or instruction in the Faith.

131. In order to make the teaching of Christianity more interesting
and effective the media should be used as much as possible. Every
effort should be made to use the most appropriate technique and style
in fitting a communication to its medium.

132. The Church can use means of communication that are not

under her control but which, under agreed conditions, are offered for

her use. Where it is necessary, she may also herself own and ad-
minister means of communication. No hard and fast rules can here be
laid down; the situation varies from place to place. Religious authori-

ties will advise those who are involved in this apostolate what to do
within the differing conditions of different countries. They should

give this advice when they have consulted the local experts and, if it
should be necessary, after seeking international advice.

133. Considerable financial resources are required if Catholics are

to meet their different commitments to further human progress in the
light of the Gospel, both by making their proper contribution to

social communication and by using these God-given methods them-

selves. Catholics are called upon to consider their responsibilities in

this field and to meet them with generosity “as it would ill become the

faithful to suffer the word of salvation to be confined and cir-

cumscribed.” 61

134. In view of the mounting importance of the means of social

communication—to the life of mankind in general and of the Church
in particular—the media should receive a great deal more emphasis
than they presently get in the overall plans for pastoral action made by

Episcopal Conferences. These plans should make the necessary funds

available for use in the areas under their jurisdiction. Funds should

also be made available for international co-operation.

Chapter III

THE ACTIVE COMMITMENT OF CATHOLICS
IN THE DIFFERENT MEDIA

135. We have considered 62 what should be the right approach of
dedicated Catholic communicators towards their work, an approach

61 Inter mirifica, 17.

62 Cf. paragraphs 102-113 above.



The Commitment of Catholics 41

shared by colleagues, whatever the nature of their beliefs. For the

Catholic, his Faith provides an extra incentive.

Then we dealt with the special duties of communicators working

specifically as Catholics. In this we confined ourselves to general dis-
cussion, without dealing with the media one by one.63

Here we deal with the duties of Catholic communicators in each

separate medium of social communication. These are duties that affect

anyone who appears in the name of the Church, whether he appears
in media that are officially Catholic or as a spokesman in some uncom-

mitted institution that opens its facilities to the expression of a Catholic

point of view.

1. THE PRINTED WORD
136. The Press, of its power and nature, is of towering importance.

Because of its adaptability, because of its variety and of the number of

its publications, it can go into detail when reporting the news. It can

also comment on the news and, without boring the reader, interpret it

in a way that makes him think for himself. It is a most useful comple-
ment to the audio-visual means of communication. It is a most effective

means of stimulating men’s critical faculties and of helping them form

their own opinions. Since it is able to deal with such a variety of mate-
rial and since it can so admirably encourage men to think, it has
prime place in the promotion of social dialogue.

Moreover, today all the classics of religious literature are available

to everybody in the form of paperbacks, booklets and every sort of

leaflet. So also are the accepted masterpieces of every nation, scien-

tific works and every sort of light reading that can provide pleasant

relaxation. “Comics” and illustrated stories are not to be despised.

They can for instance be used to illustrate the Sacred Scriptures and
the lives of the saints. All these productions of the printing press

deserve our interest and support.

137. The Catholic Press—and this includes reviews, magazines
and periodicals—can be marvellously effective in bringing a knowl-
edge of the Church to the world and a knowledge of the world to the

Church. It does this by imparting information and by stimulating

those processes by which public opinion is formed. There is, how-

63 Cf. paragraphs 126-134 above.



42 The Means of Social Communication

ever, no advantage in founding new publications if quantity is achieved
at the cost of quality and if the new injure the old.

138. That part of the Catholic Press which is of general interest

publishes news and opinions and background articles about all the

facets and problems and worries of modern life. This it does in the
light of Christian principles. It is the task of the Catholic Press to

balance, to complete and, if necessary, to correct the news and com-

ments about religion and the Christian life. At one and the same

time it will be a glass that reflects the world and a light to show it the

way. It will be a forum, a meeting place for the exchange of views.

This Press needs talented men and funds if its professional competence
is to be above dispute.

139. The Catholic Press must be able to acquire suitable offices

and the proper facilities for obtaining news reports and features.

Otherwise, a Catholic-run Press cannot effectively promote dialogue

inside the Church and between the Church and the outside world. It

must also achieve professional standards in printing up-to-date, ac-

curate and comprehensive news about the life of the Church. In the

collecting, collating and passing on of the news throughout the world

there is need for co-operation at the international level.

140. Catholics are encouraged to read Catholic publications regu-

larly. Naturally these must deserve the name of being Catholic. It is

hard to see how people can keep in touch with what is happening in
the Church without the Catholic Press. Neither can people keep a

Catholic attitude towards what happens in the world without the help

of commentaries on the news written in the light of Christian prin-

ciples. This is certainly not intended as an interference in the indi-

vidual’s right to read what he chooses. Still less is it intended as an

interference with the freedom of expression of writers with different

convictions, nor is it intended to discourage the diversity ordinarily

taken for granted in a particular area. It is self-evident that Catholic

writers must earn their popularity and following by the high standard

of their work.

141. When the events of the day raise questions that touch funda-
mental Christian principles, the Catholic Press will try to interpret

these in accordance with the Magisterium of the Church. Apart from

this, clergy and laity will encourage a free expression of opinion and

a wide variety of publications and points of view. They should do this

because it will satisfy the different interests and concerns of readers,



The Commitment of Catholics 43

and because it contributes to the formation of public opinion in the

Church and the world. 64 Those Catholic newspapers which are rec-

ognized as the official organs of the various authorities and institutions

of the Church should always, in accordance with usual press practice,

try to explain fully the thinking of the organization for which they are

accepted as public spokesmen. In these newspapers, an unrestricted

liberty of expression should be maintained in those pages where it

is made quite clear that the editors are not committing themselves in a
particular question that is still under discussion.

2. CINEMA

142. The Cinema is part of contemporary life. It exerts a strong

influence on education, knowledge, culture and leisure. The artist

finds in film a very effective means of expressing his interpretation of

life, and one that well suits his times. The improvement of techniques

that increase audience-participation and the general availability at

low cost of filming and projecting equipment, presage an even wider

use of films in the future. Because of all this, it is possible to derive a

deeper appreciation and a richer cultural dividend from the film and

filming.

143. These developments should be carefully studied in pastoral

planning, for there are many openings for a greater use of this
medium in pastoral action. There has been a growth of international

co-operation in this field. And it is easier now to produce films that
are completely adapted to various needs and circumstances and to

project these, not only in large cinemas, but also in small halls and

even in homes.

144. Many films have compellingly treated subjects that concern
human progress or spiritual values. Such works deserve everyone’s

praise and support. The Catholic organizations specializing in films

should be among the first to support them. They should also promote

these films in an organized manner. In this connection, it will be re-

called that among films which have been widely accepted as classics,

many have dealt with specifically religious themes. This not only

04 Cf. paragraphs 114-121 above, where dialogue in the Church is discussed.
Cf. Paul VI: Ecclesiam Suam. See also the outline of the principles for ecu-
menical dialogue in the document “Reflexions et suggestions concernant le
dialogue oecumenique,” especially nos. IV, 4b and IV, 5. L’Osservatore Romano,
September 21-22, 1970.



44 The Means of Social Communication

proves that the cinema is a proper vehicle for such noble themes, but
it is a strong encouragement to produce films of this kind.

145. Catholic associations for the cinema should collaborate with
their counterparts in the other media in endeavors to plan, produce,

distribute and exhibit films imbued with religious principles. With
discrimination, they should also use for religious teaching all the new
developments in this field which make inexpensive productions pos-
sible. These include records, audio- and video-tape-recorders, video-

cassettes and all the machines that record and play back either sound
or static or moving images.

146. In regions where there is illiteracy, films can make a very
effective contribution to the provision of basic education. They can
also help in teaching religious truth. The illiterate are profoundly
affected by images and can readily grasp the facts and ideas presented

through them. The media should be used effectively in the effort to
promote human and religious progress. But, of course, the films
chosen for use must be suited to the cultural traditions of the local

population.

147. Those engaged in film-making must cope with considerable

professional difficulties. So all Catholics, and in particular those who
belong to associations concerned with the cinema, should readily

establish and maintain contact with them. This friendliness will clearly

demonstrate the high regard in which their work is held as an art, and

so all will convince themselves that this product of man’s ingenuity is

outstandingly useful.

3. RADIO AND TELEVISION
148. Radio and Television have given society new patterns of com-

munication. They have changed ways of life. Broadcasting stretches

out, further and further, towards every corner of the earth. Instan-

taneous transmissions break through political and cultural barriers.

What they have to say reaches men in their own homes. Broadcasters
have access to the minds and hearts of everyone. Rapid technological

advances, especially those that involve satellite transmissions and the

recording and storage of programs, have done still more to free the

media from the restrictions of time and space, and these promise still

more effectiveness and influence. For the listener and viewer, radio

and television open up the whole world of events, of culture and of

entertainment. Television, especially, brings individuals and events



The Commitment of Catholics 45

before the general public, as though the viewers were actually present.

And besides the established forms of artistic expression, broadcasters
have created art forms of their own which can alfect man in new ways.

149. The religious aspects of human life find a place in daily

broadcasting, both on radio and on television.

150. Religious programs that utilize all the resources of radio and

television enrich people’s religious life and create new bonds between

the faithful. They help in religious education and in the Church’s

active commitment in the world. They are bonds of union for those

who cannot share physically in the life of the Church because of their
sickness or old age. In addition they create new relationships between

the faithful and those people—and today they are legion—who have
no affiliation with any Church and yet subconsciously seek spiritual

nourishment. They carry the message of the Gospel to countries

where the Church is not. The Church cannot afford to ignore such

opportunities. On the contrary, she will make the fullest use of any
fresh opportunities that the improvement of those instruments may
disclose.

151. The transmission of the Mass and of other sacred rites is to

be included in religious broadcasting. Both in their technical and in

their religious aspects, such transmissions must be carefully prepared

in advance. The vastness of the audience must be considered and, if

transmissions cross national frontiers, so too must the religious sensi-

tivities and conditions of other nations. How often such programs
are transmitted and how long they should last must be decided upon
in the light of the popular demand.

152. Sermons and homilies must be adapted to the nature of the

medium that is used. Those who are given the task of preaching in
this way should, therefore, be carefully chosen from among those who
have a sound practical knowledge of the technique of broadcasting.

153. Religious broadcasts, such as newscasts, commentaries, re-

ports and discussions, can contribute a great deal towards education

and dialogue. What has already been said about the Catholic com-
mitment in the press, applies here too. And here, also, the general
rules for giving a fair hearing to different points of view are equally

valid, especially when the medium in question enjoys, in practice, a
monopoly in a given region.

154. Well-known Catholics who go on the air, whether they are
clerical or lay, are automatically regarded as spokesmen of the Church.



46 The Means of Social Communication

They must keep this in mind and try to avoid any confusion arising
from this. Even so they will be conscious of the responsibility when
they express their views, when they decide on the style of their broad-
cast and, indeed, on their whole manner of behavior. If they can do
so in time, they should consult competent ecclesiastical authorities.

155. Listeners and viewers will contribute to the betterment of

religious programs by making their reactions known.

156. If the active presence of the Church in general and in re-

ligious programs is to be ensured, then a close collaboration based on

mutual trust must be established between the responsible Catholic

authorities and the broadcasting companies.

157. In those countries where the Church is forbidden the use of

the media of social communication, listening to foreign religious

broadcasts may be the only way the faithful can learn about the life of
the Universal Church and hear the Word of God. In the name of
Christian solidarity, such a situation puts a grave obligation upon the

Catholics of other countries. It is necessary to organize religious

broadcasts that are specially suited to the needs of fellow Christians

who suffer this sort of deprivation.

4. THE THEATRE
158. The theatre is one of the most ancient and lively forms of

human expression and communication. Still, today, it commands a
large audience, not only of those who go to plays, but also of those
who follow drama on radio and television. Moreover, many plays
have been adapted for films.

159. The partnership of the theatre with the mass media of com-

munication has brought about forms of dramatic expression that,

aptly, have been called “multi-media,” and these add something of

their own to the traditional theatre. Using their different resources,

these have created a kind of synthesis of the potentials of each of the

media of communication.

160. Finally and most significantly, the contemporary theatre is,

without doubt, an experimental workshop for the expression of new,

daring and challenging ideas about modem man and his predicament.
The impact of all this goes far beyond the audience attending a par-

ticular play, which may be quite small. Ultimately it extends to all

the media of communication.



The Commitment of Catholics 47

161.

The Church has always shown considerable interest in the

theatre which, in its origins, was closely connected with manifesta-

tions of religion. This ancient interest in the theatre should be main-

tained by Christians today and full use be made of its possibilities.

Playwrights should be encouraged and helped to set man’s religious

preoccupations on the platform of the public stage. This is often the

first step in a much wider diffusion made possible by the communica-
tions media.

Chapter IV

EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION

162. The place of the instruments of social communication in

human destiny, the opportunities and the problems that they set before
the Christian conscience, all this makes it essential that a way be
found for a pastoral approach to this field. Trained and experienced

men must be found for this work. The proper pastoral structures, with
all the necessary funding, rights and resources, should also be set up.

Finally, special organizations should be devoted to the apostolate

of each of the media.

163. This modern mission of the Church will mean a great deal
to the faithful. They will offer their prayers and support so that she

will be adequately equipped to fulfill it. The latest media of social

communication are indispensable means for evangelization, and for

enlightening the minds and hearts of men. They also contribute to-

wards co-operation in furthering human progress by a Christian leav-
ening of the social order.

164. The official Catholic organizations and enterprises that work

in social communications with a pastoral end in view, should be able

to call upon trained personnel. The training of laymen, priests and

religious is to be given a high priority by those responsible for this

work in the Church.

165. A careful appraisal of the entire range of the communications
media, a prudent and well-informed planning for pastoral work and in

every apostolic enterprise, all this is the rightful province of the

ecclesiastical authorities. They, in their turn, should depend upon

the advice of experts in the different branches of communication.



48 The Means of Social Communication

According to the ground rules laid down in Inter mirifica, this duty
devolves upon every bishop in every diocese, 65 upon a special com-
mission of bishops or a bishop-delegate in each country 66 and, for the

Universal Church, upon the Pontifical Commission for Social Com-
munications. 67

166. The different sorts of projects and organizations for the spe-
cialized apostolate in social communications should everywhere be

promoted and co-ordinated one with another. 68 The ecclesiastical
authorities should encourage the free flowering of Catholic initiative

in this, but they should retain guidance over those works which prop-

erly belong to the priestly ministry, and over those which—according
to the circumstances of time and place—demand a commitment on
the part of the hierarchy on behalf of the faithful.

167. The competent ecclesiastical authorities at all levels (men-

tioned in para. 165) will lend their full support to the preparation

and celebration of World Communications Day. This day has been

designed specially to honor the professionals in the media and to en-

courage their co-operation. 69 The ecclesiastical authorities will present

regularly to the Episcopal Conferences projects for financing pastoral

activity in the field of social communications.

168. The local hierarchies will take a keen interest in the apostolate

of social communications. They will seek the advice of their priests

and laity. Wherever possible, diocesan or, at least, inter-diocesan

offices will be set up. One of the chief tasks of these is to organize
this pastoral apostolate within the diocese, penetrating right down to

parish level. Another task is to prepare for the celebration of World

Communications Day (mentioned above) within the diocese.

169. A national office for the communications media should be set
up in every country. It can be divided into specialized and reasonably

autonomous departments for each of the media. Or it can have sepa-

rate offices for the press, cinema and broadcasting that work closely

together. In any case, the whole of this apostolate should be placed

under a single, overall direction. 70

65 Cf. Inter mirifica, 20.

«6 Cf. ibid., 21.

67 Cf. ibid., 19.

68 Cf. Apostolicam actuositatem, 19 and 21.
69 Inter mirifica, 18.

70 Cf. ibid., 21.



The Commitment of Catholics 49

170. It is the mission of the national and diocesan offices to stimu-

late, promote and harmonize Catholic activities in the field of social

communications. They will take particular pains about the training

of the faithful, clerical and lay, by means of organized courses, con-

ferences, study sessions and critical assessments prepared by their

experts, so that the faithful can use their own informed judgment. The
offices will also be ready to give advice to producers engaged on films,

performances or broadcasts that concern religious subjects.

171. The national and diocesan offices will maintain these contacts

with the professional world of social communications. They will

furnish the documentary material, the advice and the pastoral assist-

ance that professional communicators may require. They also are to
organize World Communications Day on the national level and organ-
ize the collection of funds that the Decree of the Council suggests

should be made on that day. 71

172. The national episcopal commission for social communications

or the delegated bishop is in charge of the direction of all the activi-

ties of the national offices. They are to lay down general guidelines
for the development of the apostolate of social communications on

the national level. They will keep in touch with the other national

episcopal commissions and collaborate with the Pontifical Commis-

sion for Social Communications. The status of this Commission is

described in the Conciliar Decree Inter mirifica 72 and in the Apostolic

Letter, by Pope Paul VI, In Fructibus multis.™

173. On continents or in regions where an Episcopal Conference
exists that embraces several countries, this Conference will have an

office for social communications under the overall direction of a

bishop or a number of bishops.

174. Every diocese, all Episcopal Conferences or Bishops’ As-

semblies and the Holy See itself should each have its own official and
permanent spokesman or press officer to issue the news and give clear

explanations of the documents of the Church so that people can grasp

precisely what is intended. These spokesmen will give, in full and

without delay, information on the life and work of the Church in that
area for which they are responsible. It is highly recommended that
individual dioceses and the more weighty Catholic organizations also

71 Cf. Inter mirifica, 18.

73 Cf. ibid., 19.

73 Cf. In Fructibus multis. A.A.S., LVI (1964), pp. 289-292.



50 The Means of Social Communication

have their own permanent spokesmen with the sort of duties explained
above.

All these officials and, indeed, all those who are identified with the
Church in the mind of the public, should take into account the prin-
ciples of public relations. They should consider the sort of audience
they are, at various times, addressing and establish a relationship that

is based on mutual trust and understanding. This can only be main-

tained as long as people have a genuine regard and consideration for

one another and a scrupulous respect for the truth.

175. It is not enough to have a public spokesman. There must be

a continual two-way flow of news and information. On the one hand,
this aims to present a true image of the Church in a way that makes it
visible to all. On the other, this exchange reveals to the ecclesiastical
authorities the surges, currents and ideas that stir the world of men.

Clearly this calls for the cultivation of friendly relations based on

mutual respect between the Church, people and groups. In this way
continual exchanges can be fostered, with each side both giving and

receiving.74

176. To make sure of an effective dialogue, both within the Church
and with the outside world, on the subject of recent events and their

religious significance, official news releases are indispensable. These

will publicize relevant news-items as quickly as possible. The public,

in this way, will get their information in good time. Needless to say,

all the necessary means are to be used to make these releases abso-
lutely accurate and so avoid the necessity for subsequent corrections.

News flashes, telex, all the latest techniques will be used to convey
precise meanings in the most dependable way.

177. Religious Orders and Congregations will give thought to the

many pressing tasks of the Church in the field of social communica-
tions and consider what they themselves can do to fulfill them under

their constitutions. Their own specialized institutions for social com-

munications will collaborate with one another, and they will keep

abreast of the overall pastoral planning of the diocesan offices, and of

the national, continental or regional offices, since these are, usually,

the competent bodies for the apostolate of social communications.

178. The national offices 75 and the corresponding central offices

of the Religious Congregations will co-operate with the International

74 Cf. paragraphs 138-141 above.
75 Cf. paragraph 169 above.



The Commitment of Catholics 51

Organization for the Press, (U.C.I.P.), for the Cinema, (O.C.I.C.),

and for Radio and Television, (UNDA). This will be done in accord
with the statutes of these international organizations as approved by

the Holy See. 76

179. These international Catholic organizations for social com-

munications—each in its own sphere and in a way that fits its statutes
—will help the national professional bodies of Catholics who have
given themselves to these tasks. The way to do this is to keep abreast

of research and development in the media. They will foster mutual

aid and international co-operation. They will keep themselves in-

formed on Catholic activity in the field. They will prepare the co-

ordination of international programs and projects. They will con-

tinually seek advice on the best ways to help developing countries.

They will encourage fresh initiatives. They will produce and distribute

films and recorded broadcasts and every sort of audio-visual material,

including the printed word. They will do all this for the advancement

of social progress and for the betterment of Catholic life. These inter-

national Catholic organizations are exhorted to undertake and to co-

ordinate research for the solution of their common problems.

180. The Episcopal Conferences, through their specialized offices,

and the Catholic professional associations, will assure for the inter-

national Catholic organization the funds necessary for doing this

work.

7(5 Cf. Inter mirifica, 22.



Conclusion

181. The question is posed whether we are on the threshold of an
utterly new sort of era in social communications or whether we face
merely a change in degree and not in kind. There is no easy answer to

this question and it continually increases in complexity. What is cer-
tain is that soon, due to the latest technical developments—especially
those that concern communication satellites—sounds, images and the
messages they bear will soon be reaching men, simultaneously, all over

the world. It will be possible to record these and play them back at

will—either for entertainment or for instruction. So it will be possible
for all peoples to learn more of each other as a result of this real

dialogue. They can then work together for the unity of mankind and

the establishment of peace.

182. Suddenly, and in proportion with these changes, the responsi-

bilities of the People of God will enormously increase. Never before
will they have been offered such opportunities. It will be possible to

ensure that the media promote the advancement of the whole human
race and the development of those countries in what is called the

“Third World.” It will be possible to strengthen the brotherhood of

man. And then the Good News can be given everywhere, bearing
witness to Christ, the Saviour.

183. This Pastoral Instruction lays down some guidelines chosen

after consideration of the general situation that prevails in social

communications. As things stand at present, it would not be reason-

able to try to be more precise and detailed. The Christian outlook is

based on certain immutable principles that are founded on that

message of love which is the Gospel’s Good News and upon the dignity

of man, who has been called to be an adopted son of God. It is ob-
vious that directions and practical applications, as well as pastoral

guidelines, will have to be adapted to the different conditions that

obtain in different places—depending on their degree of technical
progress and their social situation. They will change too with the

changing conditions of the media and of their inherent laws, and the

future is certain to bring changes in this area of social communications.

In so fluid a situation, it is clear that those who are responsible for

52



Conclusion 53

pastoral planning must stay flexible and be always willing to try to

keep pace with new discoveries in this field.

184. Even today there is a great deal that must still be learned

about the present media and how the fullest use can be made of them,

in education particularly and indeed at every level. There is room for

study, in much greater depth, of the effects of social communications

on different cultural environments and on different types of people.

In order to be able to understand the functioning of the media of

social communication within the family of man, and to comprehend

both their potential and present performance, to reach a better assess-

ment of their varying psychological and cultural effects, it is necessary

to concentrate on a rigorous program of scientific research. Indeed,

a much greater effort than that now being made is required of all the
concerned parties in furthering this research.

Universities, whether of new or ancient foundation, have an open

field before them. The problems they face are not only urgent; they are

also fully consonant with the dignity of the traditional disciplines. For

her part, the Church wishes to let researchers know how eager she is to
learn from their work in all these areas and to follow out its practical

conclusions. Thus she herself may the better serve the process of social
communication and use its means to the best advantage of all men.

185. In this connection, it appears necessary to discover through

scientific research the true effectiveness of the Church in the field

of social communications. It will then be possible to deploy her re-

sources so that they suit the importance of the tasks she faces through-

out the world. Catholics will then find it easier to start new projects
that match the ever-growing importance of the media.

186. In the meantime, faced by the most urgent need for making

closer contact with the professionals in social communication, for

engaging these men in dialogue, for making her contribution and
for urging all men to use the media to serve both the progress of man
and the glory of God, the Church could no longer delay this Pastoral

Instruction. The Pontifical Commission for Social Communications
issues this Instruction in accordance with the mandate from the Sec-

ond Vatican Council but only after intensive consultations on a world-

wide basis. It is hoped that this publication marks not so much the
end of a phase as the start of a new one.



54 The Means of Social Communication

187. The People of God walk in history. As they, who are, essen-
tially, both communicators and recipients, advance with their times,

they look forward with confidence and even with enthusiasm to what-

ever the development of communications in a space-age may have
to offer.



Additional copies of this

Pastoral Instruction

are available from

Publications Office

United States Catholic Conference

1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005

and from:

Department of Communications

United States Catholic Conference

Suite 4200, Chrysler Building

New York, N.Y. 10017







CONFERENCE