ROME, DEC. 10, 2002 (Zenit.org).- The International Catholic Union of the Press helped marked its 75th anniversary by announcing plans for a new press and information technology education center in Rome.
Brazilian professor Ismar de Oliveira Soares, president of ICUP, explained that the center will be a resource for all members of the International Catholic Union of Journalists.
ICUP’s 75th anniversary culminated last Friday with a papal audience and a dinner attended by ICUP members and other communications professionals.
Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, gave a brief speech that day at the Gregorian University for the anniversary. «Being a Catholic journalist does not mean that you can or should ignore reality,» he said. «Being a Catholic journalist means above all being committed to the truth — even truths about which we may personally be sad.»
During his address, Archbishop Foley encouraged ICUP members to «continue defending the freedom of the press and a high level of professionalism,» as well as «to witness personally faith in God, in Jesus Christ and in the Church that he founded.»
Monsignor Giuseppe Bettori, secretary-general of the Italian bishops’ conference, centered his address on the Church’s need to integrate in the new information technology culture.
«We must rethink our communication model,» he said, «asking ourselves if the language of faith is exhaustive in what should be the proclamation of the Good News.»
Archbishop Foley warned, «The language of faith is too centered on two forms: affirmation of the truth, and moral exhortation, often falling into moralism.»
One of the tasks of Catholic journalists, Monsignor Bettori pointed out, is for «the media public to become protagonists of the media. … Help us to become increasingly aware that we cannot evangelize, without allowing ourselves to be informed by the means of communication.»
The history of ICUP, founded Dec. 15, 1927, «is a history of loyalty to the Popes and to the Church,» ICUP president de Oliveira said. De Oliveira believes that ICUP must try to improve its regional federations to involve more Catholic media professionals.
ICUP has opened a Web page at www.catolicanet.com/ucip to exchange initiatives in the field of communications and the Church.
