THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL TEACHING

with regard to

THE MEDIA OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

Following on the model of the Church as Communion,

and leading into the priorities of the laity.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

These principles have been extracted from two documents:

Communio et Progressio (CP),

Pastoral Instruction, 23 May 1971.

and

Ethics in Communications (EC),

Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 2 June 2000

These Principles have been derived from:

iTHE WORD OF GOD

iTHE NATURE OF THE CHURCH

iTHE NATURE OF THE MEDIA

iTHE POTENTIAL OF THE MEDIA

iSOCIAL ETHICS

iTHE EFFECTS OF THE MEDIA ON CIVIL SOCIETY

iTHE WORD OF GOD

1. The communion between the three divine Persons

is the source of unity and brotherhood.

2. God took the initiative

to communicate himself to us.

3. Communication is the giving of self in love.

4. God the Son is the perfect communicator

through his Incarnation, Jesus Christ,

who shared the truth and life of God with all.

5. The Eucharist

is the most intimate form of communion possible.

6. Jesus Christ communicated the Holy Spirit

who brings all together in unity.

7. Communication is a moral act.

iTHE NATURE OF THE CHURCH

1. The Church, as the People of God, promotes unity.

2. Upholds the dignity and rights of the person.

3. Fosters the solidarity of the human community.

4. Has a mission

to the various fields of human endeavour.

5. Seeks dialogue and collaboration.

iTHE NATURE OF THE MEDIA

1. They are gifts of God to unite people

and help them cooperate

in God's plan of salvation.

2. They are effective means

for cultivating charity among people.

3. They are beneficial

in promoting understanding and sympathy.

iTHE POTENTIAL OF THE MEDIA

1. Encourage social relations.

2. Contribute to unity, brotherhood

and the advancement of people.

3. Improve the conditions of human living

and cooperate in God's work of creation

and conservation.

iSOCIAL ETHICS

1. Communication must be truthful.

2. Media news, culture and entertainment

should meet the growing needs of society.

3. Communication is related

to structural and systemic social issues.

4. The person and the community

are the measure of the use of the media.

5. Communication

has economic and political implications.

6. The media must develop the person fully.

iTHE EFFECTS OF THE MEDIA ON CIVIL SOCIETY

1. Indispensable

for the functioning of modern society.

2. Help share knowledge

and unify man's creative work

in building the earthly city.

3. Multiply contacts within society

and deepen social consciousness.

THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIANS

1. Work together to ensure that the media contribute

to the brotherhood of man

under the fatherhood of God.

2. Exercise free choice in the use of the media.

3. Judge the media by the contribution they make

to the common good.

4. Develop a proper understanding of man and our dignity

as members of the family

of adopted children of God.

THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIANS

COMMUNICATORS

1. Communicators are to come to understand

their vocation and mission.

2. Communicators are conscience-bound

to make themselves competent

in the art of social communication.

3. Communicators should comply with the requirements

of sincerity, honesty and truthfulness.

THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIANS

RECIPIENTS

1. Recipients are to learn

how to interpret the messages of the media accurately

in order to benefit from them

and to contribute to life in society.

2. The ethical question: good or bad use of the media.

3. Reflection, discussion and dialogue are needed.

4. Jesus is the model and the standard

of our communicating.