Religious Formation and Mass Media
(Media Education):
Positive Role of Mass Media in
Formation, Dangers, Disorders, and Solutions
1.
Introduction: Impact and Crises
Communication
has a great impact on the lives of people because everyone has television and the internet as the main means of entertainment
The Church adopted the term “social communications” instead of the term “media,” emphasising the social dimension and function of media.
1.1. Impact on the lives of the People (including formees in formation):
We are living in a Digital Culture or Media Age. It denotes the present era, which is predominantly controlled by the media. It is an era of digitalization. Digital Culture focuses on the ways in which the new technology, including the internet, is shaping the way we interact as humans and how social dynamics are getting deeply impacted by it.
The Digital Culture has come to influence and transform almost all facets of life. The way people do business, access information, communicate personally or in a group, etc., has been changed completely through the innumerable facilities that the digital technologies provided [Even we are so much in use of the media and internet for various purposes]. So, this is an age of rapid changes. In recent times, there has been an accelerated pace of change in different avenues, especially in communication.
No wonder lifestyles of individuals and families have been radically changed along with these changes [even the priestly and religious lives, in the formation houses]. All these changes have also affected the personal faith life of individuals and different aspects of Church life. Every single area of life encounters the pressure to follow the new digital path, either for greater convenience and effectiveness or for general acceptability.
We cannot compare the civilization of the past centuries with the present one due to the adoption of the modalities and methods of science and technology.
The digital age began in 1939 with the construction of the first digital computer. In the years that have followed (84 years now), the influence of digitization on our everyday lives has grown steadily, and today digital technology has a greater influence on our lives than at any time since its development.
Everyone has a right to technology. Human Rights are those legal and/or moral rights that all persons have. In the current digital age, human rights are increasingly being either fulfilled or violated in the online environment.
The seminarians [or formees] who are under formation to be Catholic Priests are also exposed to these rights and privileges of technologies. The question now is: Will the dangers of the digital age affect the integrity of the Church? Will it undermine what the Church stands for in the formation of candidates for the priesthood? Will the Church in general and the seminarians in particular benefit anything from the gains of science and technology? Do ‘digital media’ pose any threat to authentic formation?
Science and technology have a great relevance and impact today, because it has marked tremendous success in society. This century is merged with the digital age. In other words, it is almost impossible to separate the reality of science and technology from this century. The digital media affects all sectors of society, in particular the economy, religious, education, social, political, and cultural spheres. At the same time, it has opened up new networking possibilities and enables co-operation between different people from different locations. In fact, with the aid of digitization, the world has now become a ‘global village’.
1.2. Crises of the Digital Age
It is a fact that, because of the new elements, the Media has been brought to a lower quality or value. Some see the media as a venue for being immoral. This ranges from the awareness of pornography, plagiarism, fake news and so on. The evil about this is that it is with a click of the button. With the help of digitization, scammers and criminals are on the increase. This is why the percentage of cybercrime has gone up in recent years.
Given all of these benefits of modernization in this digital age, there exists some mismanagement of the potency of science and technology. This is evident in the increase of cybercrimes and all forms of media violence in the present age. Crimes have grown over time. Even the reality of engaging in a sexually immoral act online is another reality in the digital age. Some engage in pornography and other sexual crimes online. Looking at all of these crimes, can one say the digital age is beneficial to the human person? Since the subject of study is its challenges to Seminarians or formees, can one say it is still relevant to the Church and Seminary / religious Formation? A close look at the nature of the Church and the urgency of digitalization will help underscore whether or not the digital age is a challenge to those in formation!
1.3. Faith Communication in Crisis
Many faith formators report on the wearisome response of most teens and youth to their efforts to communicate matters of faith. They find it a herculean task to get faith across. One major reason for this is, no doubt, is in the area of communication. The message of Good News often does not reach the hearts of teens and youth because they are in a mode irrelevant to them.
Pope Francis in Christus Vivit, no. 86, wrote, “The young make us see the need for new styles and new strategies. For Example, whole adults often worry about having everything properly planned, with regular meetings and fixed times, but most young people today have little interest in this kind of pastoral approach. The need of the hour is a faith communication that communicates to the young generation. No doubt, that must be deeply embedded in a digital culture which is the air that they breathe in or the world of communication that they are familiar with”.
Positive
impact of Media:
-
Keep
us informed
-
It
can keep us connected
-
It
can spread art and culture
- Motivational messages, videos, blog posts
Negative
impact of Media:
-
Can
lead to depression and anxiety
- Addictive behaviour
- Impact on health: eye strain, neck pain,
Impact
on Children:
-
Educational
Programming (positive)
- Spending more time watching mobile – online games (violence and other disturbing content in games is of high risk)
Impact
on Teens:
-
Improves
skills like reading, typing, writing and socializing skills hand-eye
coordination
- Often harmful to teens – depression and anxiety over body image, normalizing violence, access to pornography, risk of obesity from inactivity, decreased attention to school work…
Let us remember these children and teens we are going to form who come to us tomorrow!
2.
Church Teachings
It is a great challenge for the Church today to use media to attract people with the present tools of communication. The church has made a great highway in communication.
In this fast changes in communications, the Church realizes the need for openness to change and the importance of having awareness of and making use of some of the modes and approaches.
2.1. The Church and the Digital Age
The Church is the New Testament (Covenant) people of God united in one faith, one baptism, and one Lord. The Church as a New Testament people has the mission of proclaiming the Good News of God. The Church, which is a community of the faithful, has a mission to teach and sanctify her members. In doing this, she is called to be open to the reality and challenges of her time.
In Gaudium et Spes (1965), the Conciliar Fathers make bold to state that the Church must rise up to the challenges of the present innovations of society and try to interpret them in the light of the gospel.
“The Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel”. One of the signs of this present age is the reality of science and technology. This is the age in which seminarians of today are formed. It is from this perspective that the Church calls for the proper education of the faithful to know how to apply some of the products of science and technology.
Several documents of the Church have insisted on the need to integrate social communication in formation to ensure that all those who are called to exercise pastoral leadership in the Church become capable of carrying out their ministry with greater fruitfulness and efficacy.
Church Documents Before Vatican II on Communication:
Vigilanti Cura (VC), issued by Pope Pius XI in 1936. It speaks on cinema as the most powerful means for influencing the masses, to promote good moral standards.
Miranda Prorsus (MP) issued by Pius XII in 1957 concerns cinema, sound broadcasting, and television. It urges the media used for education and entertainment to strive towards promoting moral values. It analyzes merits and dangers as well.
Vatican II and post-Vatican Documents:
Inter Mirifica (IM) was issued in 1963 by Vatican II. It calls for the production of films that provide wholesome entertainment and are culturally and artistically sound.
Communio et Progressio (CP) was issued in 1971. It is the fruit of seven years of work by the Pontifical Commission for Social Communication. It contains basic doctrinal principles and general pastoral guidelines concerning social communication. Communication leads people to communion. It shows great openness to newer developments in the area of communication. It upholds the right to communication as a fundamental right. It calls on Catholics to be committed to social communication in the mission of the Church – evangelization, faith formation and dialogue.
Aetatis Novae, issued in 1992, is the document on social communication. It proposes elements of a pastoral for the Bishops’ Conference and local churches. It is ecumenical in outlook and calls for collaboration in the area of media. The objectives include human progress, promotion of ecclesial communion, solidarity, and development. It says, “Education and training regarding the internet ought to be part of comprehensive programs of media education available to members of the Church. As much as possible, pastoral planning for social communications should make provision for this training in the formation of seminarians, priests, religious, and lay pastoral personnel as well as teachers, parents, and students.”
Redemptoris Missio (RM), encyclical letter (1990), John Paul II stated, “It is not enough to use the media simply to spread the Christian message and the Church’s authentic teaching. It is also necessary to integrate that message into the ‘new culture’ created by modern communications…with new languages, new techniques and a new psychology”.
Rapid Development (RD), the apostolic letter of John Paul II, was issued on 24 January 2005. It calls on pastors to respond appropriately to the changing media scenario. Media professionals are urged to uphold truth and human solidarity and pay attention to social issues. It presents three fundamental options with regard to formation, participation and dialogue. It calls for openness and respect for public opinion.
Other Documents and Statements:
Guidelines for the formation of future priests regarding the instruments of social communication were published in 1986. It contains many practical indications for including communications in the seminary curriculum.
Pornography and Violence in the Media – a Pastoral Response, published in 1989. It offers practical suggestions for combating pornography and violence in the media. It expresses concern over the increase of sexually and morally offensive values promoted through the media. Media have made pornography and violence accessible to a vastly expanded audience, including young people and children. It deals with the effects of pornography and violence: invasion of privacy, treating others as objects, debasing of sexuality, undermining marriage, family life, fostering anti-social behaviour, etc. The document identifies, among the major causes, moral permissiveness, personal gratification, moral emptiness, profit motive, wrong laws and understanding of licence and freedom.
As an antidote to these, the document suggests effective legislation,
ethical codes and sound moral formation.
Ethics in Advertising issued in 1997. It highlighted the enormous influence of advertising: its pervasive nature, its capacity to shape attitudes and behaviour in today’s world. The document deals with certain ethical and moral problems and suggests certain steps for the consideration of those professionally involved in advertising, as well as of others in the private sector, including the churches, and for public officials. It calls to strive towards eliminating socially harmful aspects and observe high ethical standards in regard to truthfulness, human dignity and social responsibility.
Ethics in Communication, June 2000. It highlights the positive contribution social communication can make, especially in economic, political, cultural, educational and religious fields. The document also indicates the many ways in which abuses in media and social communication can harm the community and the individual, among them being misuse and manipulation. It proposes ethical principles like solidarity, subsidiarity (centralised), justice, equality, and accountability. It urges the consumers to be selective and discerning.
Ethics and Internet, February 2002. The document sees the Internet as a powerful tool to build solidarity, human dignity, and foster communion. Internet is considered a “privileged means of building the civilization of love”. The features of the internet are instantaneous, immediate, worldwide, decentralized, interactive, expandable, egalitarian (all are equal; equal rights and opportunities), and participatory. On the other hand, it raises questions related to privacy, security, and confidentiality of data, the nature of the content, and objectives.
Internet can also be misused to divide people on ideological, ethnic,
cultural, or religious lines. Issues of concern include the use of the internet as a
weapon of war, ‘cyber-terrorism’ and a means of conflict. The digital divide
can widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
Internet journalism can make information hasty, imbalanced, sensational, and affect serious reporting and commentary. The document recommends informed and disciplined use of the internet. It emphasizes the role of parents and educators to guide and supervise children to use the internet in a discerning way. It further states that those who create content have a duty to promote the common good and solidarity.
It calls for regulations and laws against misuse of the internet for hate speech, libel (false statement that damages someone’s reputation), fraud, pornography, viruses, theft of data, and internet crimes.
The Church and Internet, February 2002. The Church regards the internet as a positive means that can help human development, justice and peace, solidarity, and recognizes the internet as a “Gift of God” like other media. It sees the internet as offering several possibilities and benefits for the pastoral requirements of the Church: for evangelization, catechesis, administration, education, and sharing information and news. The internet provides an effective technological means for dialogue and freedom of expression.
The document recognizes the internet as a powerful tool for education and underlines the need for media education and formation for priests, religious, and laity, teachers, parents, and students.
In his message for the World Communication Day, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI calls on the pastors of the Church to embrace the reality of the media in the proclamation of the Word of God. He also warns that they are to make responsible use of it. In other words, the use of the media for the proclamation of the word of God must make them efficient, compelling, and focused. In his words: “All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of his saving grace in the sacraments… the increased availability of the new technologies demands greater responsibility on the part of those called to proclaim the word, but it also requires them to become more focused, efficient and compelling in their efforts”.
There is no doubt, therefore, that the introduction of the media to the proclamation
of the word of God is in obedience to the mandate of Christ: ‘Go out, make
disciples of all nations’. With the aid of the media, the Church can reach out
to as many as she can in the world; so it is left for the pastors of souls to
embrace the missionary zeal of St. Paul who said “Woe to me if I do not preach
the Gospel (1Cor 9:16). The Church sees the rise of science and technology
as a product of man’s intelligence and creative skill. It is indeed a new stage
of history that must be embraced with bravery and a sense of mission.
The Conciliar Fathers assert thus: Today, the human race is involved in a new stage of history. Profound and rapid changes are spreading by degrees around the whole world. Triggered by the intelligence and creative energies of man, these changes recoil upon him, upon his decisions and desires, both individual and collective, and upon his manner of thinking and acting with respect to things and to people. Hence, we can already speak of a true cultural and social transformation, one which has repercussions on man’s religious life as well.
There is no doubt that the reality of science and technology has changed the face of man’s culture and social interactions, so in order not to allow humanity to be easily swayed by this wind of change, the Church has as her responsibility to nurture the faith of her members in the light of this changing culture of science and technology. Any form of neglect in this regard will cause major harm to the flock that has been entrusted to her.
It becomes pertinent to state here that if the Church fails to utilize this powerful means of evangelization, it might end up feeling guilty in the future, as Evangelii Nuntiandi asserts: “The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims from the house tops the message of which she is the depository”.
This is where the instruction from the Code of Canon Law becomes pertinent: “While pride of place must always be given to preaching and catechetical instruction, all the available means of proclaiming Christian doctrine are to be used: the exposition of doctrine in schools, in institutes of higher learning, at conference and meetings of all kinds; public declarations by lawful authority on the occasion of certain events; the printed word and other means of social communication”.
So, in order not to feel guilty before the Lord who has endowed the human person with the knowledge of putting together the technicalities of the media, the Church must employ every means necessary for the proclamation of the Gospel. This will help the pastoral ministry of the priest and the seminarians under formation.
Now, a close examination of the different areas of priestly formation will be necessary here. This will help to ascertain the different areas in which technological advancement will affect the formation of the seminarian.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) at its 2004 Plenary Assembly in Trichur underlined the importance of training and formation in Social Communications for all Church leaders. The Concluding Statement of the Assembly urged: “A proper formation programme should be arranged for all in the Church. All leaders of the community – bishops, priests, religious and lay leaders – should get adequate training in communications so that they can effectively discharge their duties for evangelization and for the genuine interest of the Church and Society” (no 17).
The statement further stressed the need for a proper course to be incorporated into seminary formation. It says, “Seminary formators, future diocesan and religious priests should be adequately formed to proclaim the Word effectively and celebrate the Sacred Mysteries meaningfully. Efforts must be made to improve their communication skills. A proper media course should be part of the seminary curriculum. We urge that communications be integrated into all formation – biblical, catechetical and other” (no 18).
2.2. The Seminarian and the Areas of Priestly Formation in the Light of Vatican II
The Seminary is an institution where candidates for the priesthood are formed. The institution of the seminary was established by the sixteenth-century Council of Trent. Seminaries were charged with the formation of men for the priesthood. The character of seminary education was largely unchanged until the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).
The Second Vatican Council has, on various occasions, dealt with the subject of the life, ministry, and formation of priests. The Church, through the Vatican II document, has done this more solemnly during the synods of Bishops. Already in October 1967, the first General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod devoted five general congregations to the subject of the renewal of seminaries. This work, as it were, gave a decisive impulse to the formulation of the document of the Congregation for Catholic Education entitled “Fundamental Norms for Priestly Formation”.
The Second Ordinary General Assembly held in 1971 spent half its time on the ministerial priesthood. The result of this synodal discourse was incorporated as recommendations, which were submitted to Pope Paul VI. The recommendations were read at the opening of the 1974 Synod. And in their recommendations, certain areas of priestly formation were outlined, which include the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. This is further proof that the magisterium of the Church has always shown interest in the ministry and life of the priests.
The Seminarian who is a candidate for the priesthood is expected to pass through these four areas of priestly formation. Here, an excursus will be made on the four areas of priestly formation.
The human formation is seen as the basis of all other areas of priestly formation. This is because it is the human person who will be formed to act in the person of Christ. One becomes a priest by first becoming a human being, and if one must become a responsible priest, one must first become a responsible human being. This further underscores that the essence of human formation is to make a person acquire and develop certain human qualities to relate well with his fellow human beings, so that together they all make out of their relationship one human family.
The spiritual formation has as its target communion with God and the search for Christ. It is a response to the call to holiness of the priest. This demand for personal holiness and other spiritual requirements in the life of priests is obvious. The call to priestly holiness implies the need to constantly look into ourselves to be able to discover the abiding presence of God. The priest is called to a life of faith, hope, and charity. The essential aspect to be looked into in this quest for holiness includes prayer, meditation on the word of God, love for the Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Intellectual Formation seeks above all man’s intelligence,
by which he participates in the light of God’s mind and seeks to acquire a
wisdom which in turn opens to and is directed towards knowing and adhering to
God. This is because if we want every Christian to be prepared to
make a defence of the faith and to account for the hope that is in us, then all
the more should the
Candidates for the priesthood and priests have diligent care of the quality of their intellectual formation in their education and pastoral activity.
All the elements of Human, spiritual, and intellectual formation have their cumulative point in Pastoral formation. Every priest is a priest not only for his own sake but for the sake of God’s people. The formation of the priest must lead him to follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. It is to this end that Pope John Paul II speaks of pastoral charity, which is the summation of the way of thinking and acting proper to Jesus Christ, head and shepherd of the church. This pastoral charity has as its component the need to be selfless in the service of God’s people as Christ did when he laid down his life for his sheep.
This task of formation by the church is considered as a continuation of the
work of Christ, as evident in the gospels, where he went up a high mountain to
call those whom he desired to be with him (Mk 3:13-15). This means that the
goal of priestly formation is: ‘Until Christ is formed in you’ (Gal 4:19).
Looking at the above areas of priestly formation, does the reality of the digital age pose a challenge to authentic formation?
2.3. The Digital Age and Seminary Formation: Implications for Authentic Formation
First, let us see the Church Teachings on Formation in Communication
Know how the Media work: “If students for the priesthood and religious in training wish to be part of modern life, and also to be at all effective in their apostolate, they should know how the media work upon the fabric of society, and also the technique of their use…Indeed, without this knowledge, effective apostolate is impossible in a society which is increasingly conditioned by the media” (Communio et Progressio, 1971, no. 111).
“Consecrated persons… have the duty to learn the language of the media, to speak effectively of Christ to our contemporaries, interpreting their joys and hopes, their griefs and anxieties” (Vita Consecrata, 1996, no. 99)
Criteria for Formation of Priests in the Media as Proposed by the Church
Here I have put together the criteria and guidelines presented by several
Church documents on priestly formation:
-
The media ought to be treated altogether and as a whole
-
Formation should be practical as well as theoretical. It
must include the production and practical use of the tools of social communication
-
It should avoid excessive use or misuse, imbalance, and spiritual stagnation
- Encourage seminarians to produce Newsletters and other Publications in the seminaries and formation houses
The candidate for the priesthood, whose duty is to fulfil the obligation of the pastoral ministry of the Church, must rise up to the present challenge of his time. It is the challenge of the reality of digitalization. He must strive to see this tool of the age as a veritable means to fulfil his God-given mandate.
The use of the media has several implications in the life of the seminarians / Formees. We can point out four implications of technology on the life of the human person. These implications are: Cognitive, social, ethical, and emotional implications. We will also add the spiritual implication since spiritual formation is one of the four areas of priestly formation. However, it should be noted that these implications will be situated on the seminarians in formation.
2.3.1. The Seminarian and his Mental State: Cognitive Implication
The use of technology has a way of facilitating our mental state. It makes the mind alert at sending and responding to a message and reacting to issues at large. This is because it is expected that one must think and reflect in order to send or respond to a message. However, it becomes disastrous when one responds to issues via social media when such an individual is absent-minded. This is common when the seminarian / formee is trying to multitask; that is, doing many things at the same time and at the same time typing or sending a message via email, WhatsApp, or Facebook. Multitasking has become a predominant behaviour among technology users. Watching TV and listening to music on a portable device while drafting an email and trying to respond to occasional text messages from friends is becoming a common practice. The question one might ask is, “How well is the human brain able to process and assimilate multiple unrelated pieces of information and tasks?” After all, the brain can only process approximately seven spans of information in working memory. This simply means that doing so many things (more than seven spans of information for the brain) while trying to disseminate information via the media can be dangerous. The formee must guard against this danger.
The danger becomes greater when it is a hurtful message to another person that may affect the person’s psyche. Such an atrocious act hurts the recipient of such a message; and the retraction more often than not makes no difference. (In) electronic communication, it is impossible to take back a comment and have it erased from the person’s memory when the electronic user has not employed the ability to think before sending, posting or sharing content”.
For the seminarian / formee to give a healthy post or message, the mental faculty must be a reflective one, knowing fully well that it will be received by someone who may not have the mental strength to understand the intention at which a message is sent to them.
2.3.2. The Seminarian and Socio-Pastoral Interaction: The Social
Implication
There is no doubt that the influence of the media has a way of making one reach out to numerous people, no matter the distance. Through the aid of cell phones, video chats, e-mails, and so on, the seminarian / formee on formation can reach out to so many persons within a short space of time. This eventually will be a boost to the pastoral aspect of his life. This social cum pastoral interaction in the digital age is not hindered by location; this is because, with the click of a button, one can reach out to those who are miles away. However, it becomes worrisome when one prefers this form of interaction to a face-to-face interaction. It becomes bad when the candidate for the priesthood or formee does not feel the need to give that physical touch to people, which Christ, his model, gave to all those who encountered him. Face-to-face interaction is necessary at times because it is not every hurt that can be healed online.
The point here is that it will be difficult to ascertain or identify the cause of a conflict if one does not engage in a one-on-one conversation with the person or persons involved. This is why “it is hard to identify the source of conflict when tone of voice, body language, and facial expression are missing”. One can be easily misunderstood when there is no physical contact with another. This is why the seminarian / formee must not lose sight of personal physical touch on the people he/she is called to socially interact with, no matter how enticing the fastness of scientific gadgets is. He must see that his interaction with people is not hindered in any way. On his part, he/ she must guard against individualism. This is because the unhealthy use of social media has made people lonelier than ever.
2.3.3. The Seminarian and his Emotional Disposition
Social interaction has a way of influencing the emotional disposition of the individual, and the Seminarian / formee is not an exception. The Seminarian / formee must be careful of his / her integrity and reputation because the media can upload stuff about him that will leave an indelible mark on his integrity; this no doubt will affect his emotional disposition towards society. “Technology allows us to upload embarrassing videos and pictures of others (and yourself) on a public platform such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and it can be sent to hundreds of people with a mobile device. Moreover, such insults can remain permanent. Emotional scars from such humiliation can be extremely severe”.
This point is necessary because the Seminarian / formee must note that integrity is like a glass once shattered, can hardly regain its original look. This is so because science and technology have made the world a global village. An offence done on the east coast of the world, for instance, can spread very fast to other parts of the world such that it becomes difficult for the Seminarian / formee to easily get off such scandal.
Even sexually inclined messages have a way of influencing the emotional disposition of formees. It is important to state that most of the technological gadgets house pornographic sites, such that, if one is not careful, one begins to act as seen in that platform.
2.3.4. The Seminarian and the Ethical Implication of Research Works
Of the five areas of priestly formation, the emphasis on the intellectual formation is very much encouraged. This is because the intellectual formation of the seminarian will help him see the need to discern the mind of God. It will help him give answers to the prevailing confusion that has rocked the cohesion of the Church’s magisterium. The media here will be of utmost assistance because it affords the seminarians the opportunity to visit numerous libraries of high repute online for proper research. It becomes very sad, when the candidate for the priesthood does not see reason to work hard to develop oneself academically. It becomes very pathetic when the seminarian sees the innovation of science and technology as a means for making hazardous researches.
One must guard against the unhealthy use of Facebook, answer.com, medlibrary.org, nih.gov, appers.com, Encyclopaedia, and Wikipedia as an avenue to cheat academically. In other words, it is against the ethics of research for one to use social media to plagiarize. Commenting on this, “abundant information from the internet makes plagiarism easy. While a small portion of students admit to giving in to the temptation to copy others’ work and submit it as their own, a large majority of students perceive cyber-plagiarism as a practice that is prevalent among their peers. The degree of separation between perception and reality in cyber-plagiarism exposes the ethical gap that exists in academic honesty in the digital age. Plagiarism is an academic fraud that is frowned at all times in the academic arena. Since cyber- plagiarism is a crime punishable by law, the seminarian must guard against his actions; this is because it will be scandalous for a candidate for the priesthood to be jailed for plagiarism.
2.3.5. The Media and the Spiritual Implication of Formation
Spiritual formation is an important aspect of the formation of the candidate for the priesthood. This is where they are called to be in close union with God who has called them; for cut off from Him, they can do nothing (Cf. John 15:5). This simply means that the seminarians / formees must constantly seek God’s face; they must constantly seek His will and do it without hesitation. It is in obeying their maker without hesitation that their soul is guaranteed a place of rest and happiness, for their heart is restless until it rests in God.
There is no doubt that science and technology can also help in fostering worship and close union with God. This is because the social media gadget has the space for the downloading of Bible verses, the psalms, the liturgy of the hours, prayers of the Church, hymns and so on. All of these help to uplift the soul of the seminarian / formee. But, care must be taken so that one does not spend time adopting the spirituality of the media rather than the spirituality of the Church. In other words, one must be careful not to be distracted with other capacities of the gadget while one is praying for instance. It will be wrong to see seminarians / formees praying the Divine Office with an electronic device and at the same time chatting on WhatsApp, Facebook. This no doubt will hinder the real nature of effective prayer.
On the other hand, some people are so engrossed with the workings of technology that they sacrifice the time for spiritual activities. This is evident when one might have succeeded in downloading or installing somewhat ‘interesting’ applications on their phones, computers, or iPad, for instance. These applications might have ripple effects as the attention of the seminarians may be drawn to it so much so as to forget that the time for prayers and other useful spiritual activities has long passed.
Benedict XVI warns the priest and the candidate for the priesthood thus. “Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ. This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach but also give a “soul” to the fabric of communications that makes up the ‘web’.
Looking at all of these implications, can one readily say that technological training of seminarians / formees in this digital age is necessary? The immediate response to this will be positive. This is because the seminarian is formed for the 21st century and as such must be ready to apply himself to every resource at his disposal for the proclamation of the gospel.
This is where educating the candidate for the priesthood on the use of social media becomes indispensable. Education is intended to make them more human by stimulating their creativity, cognitive abilities, and ethical values.
Benedict XVI stresses the importance of educating those in formation on how to use the gadgets when he asserts, “using new communication technologies, priests can introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ. They will best achieve this aim if they learn, from the time of their formation, how to use these technologies competently and appropriately, shaped by sound theological insights and reflecting a strong priestly spirituality grounded in constant dialogue with the Lord”.
As the Holy Father noted, a proper education on the use of the media is
very important. This is because when technology is not well coordinated, it can
distract the process of strengthening humanity.
Knowledge of a thing will help one know how to use it and how to teach others to use it. How can the seminarian teach those of the 21st century the ethics of the use of technologies if he himself is not grounded in it? This is where it is necessary to incorporate the ethics of science and technology in the formation of the candidate for the priesthood so that they may make a useful impact on this age.
The seminarians can only teach people how to use the media when they know its workability. To be able to meet up with the responsibility of the media in this digital age, there must be proper formation of the “will” in the use of digital gadgets. This will enable the seminarian to know how to make good decisions on the use of the media and teach others the same. The seminarian must know the ideal place and situation where the use of internet electronic devices is necessary. Those in charge of forming candidates for the priesthood must see to it that the norms of cyber ethics are taught so that the seminarian will be more cautious of their use.
Conclusion
Accordingly, from the above, let us embrace the use of the media with the right disposition. This is because the media, which is a product of the digital age, has a deep influence on the Church, where it will help both her leaders and her members to grasp the reality of life. The Church has a lot to benefit from the proper use of modern media: “A non-communicating Church is unthinkable. And to communicate we must use the communication tools of our age not in a half-heated way … but as a primary (tool)”. So there is no gain in demonizing the use of the media on the grounds of its negative influence alone; a thorough investigation on its positive aspects must be explored so that the richness of the Church will be savoured by everyone most especially the seminarians in formation, who will be the future leaders of the Church. This will help him overcome and meet up with the contemporary challenges of the digital age.
3. Ethics in Media and Communication
People are caught up in the understanding of good and bad. Bad and evil is become part of the culture. The ethics and morality of the world are deteriorating; the values that the world had a few years ago now can no longer be held on to. Common places of community for prayers, recreation, and food rest are replaced with electronic gadgets. Spiritual values are replaced with material and worldly satisfying values.
One of the important teachings of the Church on which rest many of the ethical teachings is that the human person is created by God and is endowed with dignity. Communication ethics is founded on the principle of the dignity of the human person as created by God in his own image and likeness. Persons live in community, enjoy freedom, and are endowed with responsibility for the common Good.
Various means of communication are to be at the service of promoting human dignity, mutual responsibility, freedom, respect for one another, and capacity for dialogue. Communication ethics always envisages social justice. Similarly, without the acknowledgement of mutual freedom, no genuine communication is possible.
Ethics in Communications (2002) speaks of the need to ensure that the Church’s practice of communication is exemplary and reflects high standards of truthfulness and accountability, and sensitivity to human rights. It upholds the right of free expression, healthy internal communication, responsible public opinion, right to dialogue in the practice of social communication.
Misinformation can cause greater harm, because of its outreach and impact. Statements in media should correspond to the reality.
Bias is a major ethical issue in the media. Biased reports can tarnish the good name of persons and institutions. Prejudices thus promoted through the media are unethical.
Digital manipulation, tampering with data or pictures, unfairly attributing comments or interpreting them are gravely wrong.
Intellectual property Rights and Copyrights: include plagiarism, promoting fiction as fact, distortion, misquotes, unauthorized reproduction of books, articles, films, music, art, etc.
Another important area of consideration is the ethics of freedom. Freedom should not be reduced to license to do whatever one pleases. One cannot ignore the social responsibility towards community and society.
Pope
Francis in his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit
(nos. 88, 89, and 90) speaks at some length on the importance of using digital
technologies as well as the dangers in relation to it. The following are some
of the pitfalls of the web as well as the digital culture that he highlights:
1.
The
digital environment is also one of loneliness, manipulation, exploitation and
violence, up to the extreme case of the ‘dark web’.
2.
Digital
media can expose people to the risk of addiction, isolation, and gradual loss of
contact with concrete reality, blocking the development of authentic
interpersonal relationships.
3.
New
forms of violence are spreading through social media, for example
cyber-bullying (sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature).
4.
The
internet is also a channel of spreading pornography and the exploitation of
persons for sexual purposes or through gambling.
5. huge economic interests are operating in the digital world, capable of
exercising forms of control as subtle as they are invasive, creating mechanisms
for the manipulation of consciences and of the democratic process.
6.
The
proliferation of fake news is the expression of a culture that has lost its
sense of truth and bends the facts to suit particular interests.
7.
The
reputation of individuals is put in jeopardy through summary trials conducted
online. The Church and her pastors are not exempt from this phenomenon.
8.
For
many people, immersion in the virtual world has brought about a kind of
“digital migration”, involving withdrawal from their families and their
cultural and religious values, and entrance into a world of loneliness and of
self-invention, with the result that they feel rootless even while remaining
physically in one place.
(Edward Edezhath, “Digital Culture and Faith formation” in Encounter, a journal of interdisciplinary reflections of faith and life, Vol. 12, No. 2, July-December, 2021, pp. 126-148)
4. Related disorders of addiction to various electronic gadgets, pornography, depression, disorientation from life and studies, and estrangers to the community life.
Pornography and electronic media have a profound impact on society, which includes the lives of priests and seminarians in the Church. The effects of pornography and electronic media have ruined the lives and shattered the vocations. I do not have the statistics, but overall information available regarding Internet pornography and electronic media use in the general population concludes that the use of Internet pornography and the inordinate use of electronic media are common among priests and religious and important issues that the Church needs to address.
Pornography and Cybersex: Pornography is a generic term that encompasses all sexually oriented material intended to arouse the reader, viewer or listener. Internet pornography specifically refers to sexually explicit material available to consumers on the Internet. Cybersex refers to a consensual sexual discussion online for the purpose of achieving arousal or orgasm. This may include downloading pornography. Cybersex may also involve reading and writing sexually explicit letters and stories, visiting sexually oriented chat rooms, placing ads to meet sexual partners, e-mailing to arrange sexual encounters, and engaging in interactive online sexual behaviours.
Researchers predict that millions are addicted to internet pornography. There are at least 5 lakh reported pornographic websites currently available. Ages 12 to 17 are some of the largest consumers of pornography.
It is identified a connection between addictive behaviour and the use of internet pornography. There is agreement that persons can become addicted to internet pornography. Pornographic images viewed online are embedded into the memory, affect brain function, and never completely leave the memory where they are stored. Researchers describe the effect of Internet pornography as addictive and as mind-altering, as cocaine. The five stages of this addiction are discovery (stumble), experimentation, habituation (repeated exposure), compulsivity (habit develops into a compulsion; here the danger of careers or relationships), and hopelessness (stronger than willpower to stop).
Persons who use the Internet daily are not addicted to the Internet. The primary intention of men and women who frequently access Internet pornography, however, is sexual arousal. Seeking sexual arousal from Internet pornography limits authentic human relationships.
Why do people have access to pornography? It is because of accessibility (everyone has a smartphone or computer with Internet; access is free), affordability and anonymity (Anonymity fosters dishonesty, fear, self-focus, de-sensitization and self-deceit about the harmful effects of Internet pornography).
No statistics are available to quantify the percentage of priests and seminarians who have accessed Internet pornography. However, it suggests that pornography is likely the most frequent misuse of the Internet in seminaries, parishes and rectories. I also maintain that seminarians and priests use Internet pornography for the same reasons as the general population: accessibility, affordability, and anonymity.
While addictions may appear to be pleasure-seeking behaviours, they stem from a need to suppress or avoid emotional pain. Addiction is an escape from reality, from something that is either too full of sadness, such as an abusive relationship, or too devoid of joy, like an emotionally empty life. Persons addicted to Internet pornography may have lacked healthy nurturing and attention during their youth, has a fear of rejection and abandonment, or demonstrates difficulty forming intimate relationships with others. They may also describe common characteristics such as restlessness, depression, loneliness or low self-worth. Internet pornography allows men and women to temporarily run away from their difficulties, provides the illusion of being well-liked or in love, and boosting self-esteem. Pornography treats another human being as an object to be used. It assaults human dignity and makes a commodity of people and human sexuality.
Pornography violates truth. It leads people into a world of unreality, a world of fantasy that isolates them from other people and the commitments and respect that should govern our relationships. Some people seek pornography out of loneliness and a low self-esteem. It is a painful irony that their use of pornography serves only to isolate them more and more from other people. The more invested people are in this fantasy world, the more detached they become from real people, real issues, and real life around them. Lust isolates. Love unites. Pornography leads people away from the truth. Chastity helps people to grow in truth (Bishop Robert W. Finn, Blessed Are The Pure In Heart: A Pastoral Letter on the Dignity of the Human Person and the Dangers of Pornography, February 21, 2007, p. 6).
Addiction to the Internet, Smart Phones, online Games…
5. What are the dangers hidden in the mass media for a religious life? What solutions?
The
dangers hidden in mass media are pornography, nudity, individualism and
glamour, fake news, wrong doctrines… Fake news spreads faster than real
information. Fake news has more chance of being shared.
The
general concerns or dangers about the Electronic Media:
(1). Ability to lose focus: The use of electronic media has increased rapidly. Each day, people spend hours checking and writing messages, using cell phones, listening to and answering voice mail messages, pagers, and using iPods etc. Society conditions us to respond immediately to the hundreds of messages we receive daily. Society has also influenced persons to believe and imitate what they see and hear on television. Watching television, playing computer games and Internet surfing often lead to dissipation (sensual pleasures, squandering money, energy and resources) rather than refreshment and relaxation. “Accustomed to surfing, we lose our ability to focus on anything in particular. We switch from one perspective to another rather than consistently following up any one point of view” (Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., “Catholics in the World of Mass Media,” in Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly, summer 1997, p. 17).
(2). Hindrance to human growth and development, and especially to prayer life: While electronic media can provide useful information, media used solely for pleasure or the reception of information can foster a posture of passivity (acceptance of what happens without active response or resistance). When passive reception of sensual material is the norm, men and women experience a barrage of images that indiscriminately fill their minds. Further, passive reception of sensual images can arouse in the receiver an urge for sensual pleasure. Frequent exposure to sexually explicit images contributes to inciting persons to act out in sexual ways. We need to address this problem in a direct manner as a hindrance to human growth and development, and especially to a prayer life.
If passive reception predominates, emotions may overcome the capacity to reason, and the imagination becomes uncontrolled. Spiritually, this is called sloth (reluctance to work or make effort, laziness). Sloth is a sluggishness of the mind that neglects to begin a good action. Saturation of the senses promotes an aversion for the things of the spiritual life. One who suffers from sloth may no longer even strive to live a life of virtue.
St. Thomas Aquinas identifies six ‘daughters’ of sloth (Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P., Summa Theologica, trans. by the Fathers
of the English Dominican Province, vol. III (Westminster, MD: Christian
Classics, 1948), II-II, question 35, articles 2 and 4, pp. 1340-42.):
(i)
Lack of hope – results in discouragement and lack of interest in the things of God;
this results in decreased interest and attention in prayer; lose sight of the
meaning of the Divine Office; neglect to pray the Rosary; become more selfish
and ‘me’ centered; some may begin to question one’s vocation!
(ii)
Uncontrolled imagination – leads to
false happiness; the priest or religious caught in this pattern may attract
toward people, especially ‘needy’ women who make the priest or religious feel
good;
(iii)
Mental sluggishness – being lazy
and indifferent; no self-discipline; neglect frequent self-examination of
conscience
(iv)
Faintheartedness – one refuses
to face up to difficult situations that can be addressed and overcome. They
refuse to make appropriate choices. Regular and thorough confession becomes less
important or is avoided. A priest or religious becomes indifferent to regular
venial sins, justifies self-soothing behaviour as a benefit, and becomes
intemperate.
(v)
Bitter resentment and a
critical spirit – faith becomes cool to cold
(vi) Ill-tempered antagonism or ill-will – conscious, internal decision to commit evil, neglect of the promise of obedience, chastity and striving for holiness;
Solutions
Media
Education:
What
is Media Education?
-
deals with all media communication, including the printed
word and graphics, sound and both still and moving images;
-
enables people to understand the media used in their
society and how they work, and to acquire the skills to use these media to
communicate with others;
-
teaches how to use the media, critically analyse,
interpret and produce media texts;
-
supports the ability to identify the sources of media texts,
their political, social, commercial and/or cultural connections and contexts;
- Teaches how to interpret the news and values offered by the media.
Purpose:
Using information, building relations in the media environment, understanding the language of the media, using the media creatively, promoting ethics and values in communication and the media, safety in the media, understanding and applying the law in communication and the media, understanding the economic aspects of the media, building digital competences;
Practical
Solutions
1.
Introduce
“Media Education” into Seminary or formation curriculum: one cannot function
without media; one needs to know how they work, how to skilfully use them to
promote good; how to apply them in the mission of the Church, especially
websites and social media; this knowledge is also intended to protect them and
the Church from crisis situations.
2.
Be
careful of imprudent and unrestrained use of mass media
3.
Formators
help the formees to form right conscience on the use of mass media
4. Enhance the values of social relationships, quality of life, service to human society and upholding the rights and dignity of the human person and of whole communities.
Questionnaire for Group Discussion:
1. Discuss the comparative merits and demerits of the Mass Media (both print
and electronic media)
2. Discuss what are the challenges faced by the Formators in forming today’s
Formees in the context of a rapid growth and influence of Mass Media in the world
and in the Church
3. How to help the formees (even others) for discernment and be responsible towards the use of the social media
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