Last February we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the School of Church Communications (at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, in Rome), which upon maturing five years ago now, was to bear the fruit of this journal. It was 1996 and we were under the pontificate of John Paul II, who was getting ready to introduce the Church with a firm step into the third millennium. Shortly before that, the Berlin Wall had fallen, and in those years the explosion of the Internet started to take place. In a globalized society, that was coming to appreciate transparency more and more, and in which communication was acquiring a preponderant role, it seemed necessary to create a School in which those who were going to dedicate themselves to communication in the Church would be trained, so that they could carry out this service with the required professionalism.
This need was confirmed in the time of Benedict XVI, and again later with Pope Francis. During these years there has been no lack of crises, which are always faced keeping in mind their communicative dimension. However, we must not forget that an institution communicates in times of crisis as well as in times of prosperity. Communication is not the only important thing, but it is essential for any institution to maintain cohesion (through internal communication) and to make itself known truthfully (though external communication). It is not a matter of hiding the defects or exaggerating the virtues, but of showing oneself as one is.
The first class was composed of nine students, from five different countries: Italy, India, the Philippines, Mexico and Poland. As of today, the students who have passed through our classrooms number more than 500 from five continents. Most of them, priests, religious or lay people, are dedicated to institutional communication as spokespersons for dioceses or other Church institutions, or are part of their respective communication cabinets; others work in the non-profit sector, in the communication of institutions not directly linked to the Church, are press, radio or television journalists, or earn their living with one of the innumerable jobs brought about by the digital revolution: online newspapers, web page design, etc.
CC&C was born with them in mind. Undoubtably, the goal was to provide a service to their ongoing formation, but above all to establish a dialogue and encourage reflection and debate in the academic world on relevant issues in the field of Church communication. Anyone who comes to our pages knows that our vision of communication is broad, not restrictive. The Church, or its institutions, does not communicate only by means of press releases. The Christian vision of the world and of man, and its proposals, are disseminated in the artistic creations that contribute to shaping every culture. They can be seen in a television series, a literary work, or a cathedral. The Church does not identify with a single culture, because its lymph is capable of influencing or revitalizing all cultures, or giving rise to new ones. This is shown by history and this is how we can see it today. In this sense, we also want to deepen the religious dimension that every culture possesses and the dialogue between different religions, a dialogue that is only possible from the recognition of one’s own identity.
The wide range of interests that have led to the creation of CC&C can also be seen in this issue. First, the reader will find two articles of a cultural nature. María Del Rincón studies literary creativity as a participation in divine creation in Tolkien. She reflects on the theory manifested by the writer in his essay On Fairy-Stories and in his letters. The article is focused on Tolkien’s cosmovision, which was clearly influenced by his Catholicism. Secondly, Elba Díaz-Cerveró, Rafael Hurtado and María G. Crespo analyze the image of the father in Downton Abbey, a series that has constituted a worldwide phenomenon; an example of the leap in quality exhibited by television fiction from the beginning of this century.
Then, moving from culture to the area of communication, Marco Carroggio’s article focuses on the importance of recognizing one’s vulnerability as an institution and the beneficial effects that can be derived from this. He offers some practical advice in dealing with errors and failures, applying his theory to the case of the abuse of minors in the Church. (By the way, speaking of vulnerability and the recuperation of trust, it is worth remembering that the 12th Professional Seminar for Church Communication Offices organized by our university, under the title of Inspiring Trust which was postponed last April because of Covid-19, will be held online, in various sessions throughout April and May. More information can be found here: https://en.pusc.it/csi/ucc2021)
The two case studies are linked to Australia. In one, Michael Cook centers on Cardinal Pell and the mass-media, reflecting on the backstory of the unjust accusations the cardinal suffered in his native country and narrating how he has emerged from them, redeeming his image before public opinion. In the other one, Brian Lucas explains the controversy about the seal of the confessional in that country, examining the legal, canonical and theological questions at stake in the relationship between Church and State.
José María La Porte and Juan Narbona share an interview with Luciano Floridi, an Italian professor based at Oxford University where he teaches philosophy and information ethics and directs the Digital Ethics Lab. Floridi speaks about the anthropological and epistemological consequences of the digital revolution, the need for ethics in the infosphere, privacy and data protection, among other issues of relevant impact nowadays.
The Highlights section reviews the news of the past year from the perspective of Church communications expert. This year, on the occasion of our 25th anniversary, we entrusted it to Diego Contreras, a professor of Information Analysis in our classrooms since the founding of the School.
Finally, a small piece reminds us of Fr. Franz Josef Eilers, who died on this past January 13th in Manila, at the age of 89. He was in the first line of the Church’s communication, being considered one of the founding fathers of the Catholic Media Council (CAMECO), which he directed for almost fifteen years, Executive Secretary of the Office of Social Communication of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC), and a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. From the beginning of our journal, he was part of our Advisory Board.
We have begun by talking about the past and I would like to end by looking to the future, because the challenges that await the ecclesiastical communicator are not few, in our complex social context. In some places there is secularization to be dealt with, in others a lack of religious freedom. Always there is a changing technological environment, in which we have to face new problems, such as those that arise from Artificial Intelligence, the spread of falsehoods in the digital ecosystem and the defense of online reputation, just to mention some. These are exciting times, which call for a fair attitude and proper preparation. We trust that CC&C will be a help in navigating through them.