Media Resource Manual 2
Port Moresby PNG, 29 July 2023 -- Communication forms the fabric of all our relationships. It is communication that enhances the quality of our lives. Science and advancement in technology have changed the landscape of our communication. It has made it possible for us to connect and network with people across the world. “Man’s genius has with God’s help produced marvelous technical inventions to enhance our times” (Inter Mirifica no.1).
Technology has opened us up to Eucharistic celebrations, work from home, meetings online, study sessions and a variety of celebrations. The digital world has been our connection to friends, families and loved ones during the isolation of COVID-19. But the pandemic has also erected barriers between us and our family, friends and loved ones. We are losing a human connection as we immerse ourselves in our digital world.
Pope Francis has entitled in the World Communication Day message of 2022 as: “Listening with the ear of the heart.” He reminds us that true listening is a foundation of genuine human relationships and is very much needed in our relationship with God as well as all human persons. Quoting St. Paul, the Holy Father said that “faith comes through hearing.” He remarked, “Listening corresponds to the humble style of God,” who reveals Himself by speaking, and by listening to men and women and recognizing in them His partners in the work of building up the kingdom. Human beings are called ‘to be willing to listen,’ as God calls them to a covenant of love.
In Understanding Media (1964), Marshal McLuhan speaks about the Medium and the message reminding us that the media affects and permeates society and culture. Technology now permeates our minds and changes our value system. We need to constantly remind ourselves that Communication is not about the gadget, the device, or the equipment but about the person, the message, the networking and above all the relationship.
Keeping the above in mind, the Social Communications Sector of the Salesians of Don Bosco, under the direction of Fr. Gildásio Mendes dos Santos, stressed the Spirituality of Communications. The team then dwelt on the Biblical, Synodal, Salesian, Institutional and Youth Pastoral aspects of Communication. It reinforced the idea that communication is the person, the message, the networking, and the relationship. Understanding this reality will bring about a spiritual heritage that will lead to honesty and happiness in our daily lives.
The Salesian Social Communication Commission of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS), in collaboration with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBC PNGSI), considers this vital and has collaborated in the different online ZOOM sessions in 2021 and 2022. This Resource Manual 2 is an effort to share the sessions of 2021. We do hope that many can benefit from the sessions presented.
Gratitude to all who have attended and shared the sessions with their communities and groups. My thanks to Abigail Seta, who has done the editing and the layout of the material for this Media Resource Manual-2. Deep appreciation to Signis, Missio and Caritas Australia for supporting this publication. Thanks to Star printers for their zeal and commitment to complete the task.
Media Resource Manual 2: MRM Booklet 19.pdf
