The Church must be heard

by Editor · June 6, 2001

The Catholic Church is the largest single religious denomination in South Africa, at about 7% of the population. Yet this statistical strength is not reflected in its standing and influence in society. This is primarily due to the marginal exposure of the Catholic Church in the media.

While it is true that the secular press and the electronic media tend to underestimate�both by design and through ignorance�the position of the Catholic Church, the local bishops must acknowledge that their present method of dealing with the media is not bearing fruit.

Following the demise of apartheid, the Southern African Catholic Bishops� Conference has progressively downgraded the importance of social communications: what was once a commission in the bishops� conference became first a department before it was relegated to a desk. For the past two years, the bishops have even been without a media officer to work in conjunction with Bishop Reginald Cawcutt, the SACBC�s official spokesman.

This is in contrast to the approach of Pope John Paul, whose undeniable media savvy has helped to raise the profile and status of the papacy. The Vatican too unceasingly and vigorously emphasises the importance of social communications.

It is also in contrast to the numerically much smaller Anglican Church, which employs skilled media professionals who do manage to get the Anglican perspective into the newspapers, on radio and on television.

It would be inappropriate to expect our bishops, as a collective and as individuals, to exhibit developed media skills. Their primary competence is in the domains of spiritual guidance, pastoral care and diocesan administration. For that reason, the SACBC and bishops in larger dioceses must engage the expertise of media specialists who know just how to get the Church�s message across.

Moreover, an essential step towards improving the local Church�s social communications will entail the formulation of an applicable media strategy, utilising the talents of the many Catholics in the media who would surely be willing to offer their counsel.

Jesus commands us to preach the Gospel from the rooftops. In the words of Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell, Scotland: “In today�s world, many rooftops are marked by a forest of transmitters, sending as well as receiving messages from the four corners of the world. It is up to us to ensure that the message of the Gospel does not become lost in this babble of information.”

The Catholic Church in South Africa has plenty to say. Let it be heard!