K
KEP1983
Guest
Hey all,
I was recently reading through Inter Mirifica, the document from Vatican II regarding the church and the media. The first half deals with the morality of the media, film, etc, and is pretty straightforward. The second half was of more interest, and seems to be very ignored still.
It basically says that the church should be involved in the media, film, drama, etc in order to evangelize the culture. Read this and see how the council really seemed to stress the media arts importance:
“The production and showing of films that have value as decent entertainment, humane culture or art, especially when they are designed for young people, ought to be encouraged and assured by every effective means. This can be done particularly by supporting and joining in projects and enterprises for the production and distribution of decent films…”
“In addition, there should be an effort to see that the noble and ancient art of the drama, which now is diffused everywhere by the media of social communication, serves the cultural and moral betterment of audiences.”
"It is quite unbecoming for the Church’s children idly to permit the message of salvation to be thwarted or impeded by the technical delays or expenses, however vast, which are encountered by the very nature of these media. Therefore, this sacred Synod advises them of the obligation they have to maintain and assist Catholic newspapers, periodicals and film projects, radio and television programs and stations, whose principal objective is to spread and defend the truth and foster Christian influence in human society. At the same time, the Synod earnestly invites those organizations and individuals who possess financial and technical ability to support these media freely and generously with their resources and their skills, inasmuch as they contribute to genuine culture and the apostolate.
Moreover, that the varied apostolates of the Church with respect to the media of social communication may be strengthened effectively, each year in every diocese of the world, by the determination of the Bishops, there should be celebrated a day on which the faithful are instructed in their responsibilities in this regard. They should be invited to pray and contribute funds for this cause. Such funds are to be expended exclusively on the promotion, maintenance and development of institutes and undertakings of the Church in this area, according to the needs of the whole Catholic world.
Since an effective apostolate on a national scale calls for unity of planning and resources, this sacred Synod decrees and orders that national offices for affairs of the press, films, radio and television be established everywhere and given every aid…"
So the church should be involved in the media, drama, and film to evangelize the culture. It should not be held back due to technical expenses, “however vast.” And the church should promote and assist.
I don’t see this being followed or discussed whatsoever. We have one or two catholic filmmakers out there, all of them had to be self funding. Only Mel Gibson has been able to do anything with a good budget and reach a lot of people. Few others even try, and of the ones that do, the church gives no assistance to, financial or otherwise.
This document seems to speak very strongly on the importance of this issue, yet it’s practically ignored. Why?
I was recently reading through Inter Mirifica, the document from Vatican II regarding the church and the media. The first half deals with the morality of the media, film, etc, and is pretty straightforward. The second half was of more interest, and seems to be very ignored still.
It basically says that the church should be involved in the media, film, drama, etc in order to evangelize the culture. Read this and see how the council really seemed to stress the media arts importance:
“The production and showing of films that have value as decent entertainment, humane culture or art, especially when they are designed for young people, ought to be encouraged and assured by every effective means. This can be done particularly by supporting and joining in projects and enterprises for the production and distribution of decent films…”
“In addition, there should be an effort to see that the noble and ancient art of the drama, which now is diffused everywhere by the media of social communication, serves the cultural and moral betterment of audiences.”
"It is quite unbecoming for the Church’s children idly to permit the message of salvation to be thwarted or impeded by the technical delays or expenses, however vast, which are encountered by the very nature of these media. Therefore, this sacred Synod advises them of the obligation they have to maintain and assist Catholic newspapers, periodicals and film projects, radio and television programs and stations, whose principal objective is to spread and defend the truth and foster Christian influence in human society. At the same time, the Synod earnestly invites those organizations and individuals who possess financial and technical ability to support these media freely and generously with their resources and their skills, inasmuch as they contribute to genuine culture and the apostolate.
Moreover, that the varied apostolates of the Church with respect to the media of social communication may be strengthened effectively, each year in every diocese of the world, by the determination of the Bishops, there should be celebrated a day on which the faithful are instructed in their responsibilities in this regard. They should be invited to pray and contribute funds for this cause. Such funds are to be expended exclusively on the promotion, maintenance and development of institutes and undertakings of the Church in this area, according to the needs of the whole Catholic world.
Since an effective apostolate on a national scale calls for unity of planning and resources, this sacred Synod decrees and orders that national offices for affairs of the press, films, radio and television be established everywhere and given every aid…"
So the church should be involved in the media, drama, and film to evangelize the culture. It should not be held back due to technical expenses, “however vast.” And the church should promote and assist.
I don’t see this being followed or discussed whatsoever. We have one or two catholic filmmakers out there, all of them had to be self funding. Only Mel Gibson has been able to do anything with a good budget and reach a lot of people. Few others even try, and of the ones that do, the church gives no assistance to, financial or otherwise.
This document seems to speak very strongly on the importance of this issue, yet it’s practically ignored. Why?