SUNDAY OF MASS MEDIA

Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ

The third Sunday of September in Poland is a Day of Mass Media. The contemporary Catholic, layman coming to the church and listening to God’s word, is often full of various information provided by mass media. Let’s note that in the present times we are strongly subordinated to the action of television, internet, radio, various channels, films and computer games, and also a big number of press titles, prepared in a very tempting way and having a big influence on the conscience of readers. Many of them are not only unfriendly towards the Church but also acting directly against it, against the Christian faith. So the faithful, who use this all, who read various contemporary newspapers and magazines, are often marked with a kind of sign of the hatred to the Church and the faith.

We must not ignore the deep sadness of Christ who is asking a question to the man today about the time of his suffering: ‘Why are you hitting me? (see J 18.23). After all, we would like to be people of a beautiful consciousness which would give a testimony to Christ. Catholic mass media can help us build this consciousness.

Each of the Catholic titles has its image – like each of us has their identity. ’Sunday’ is a newspaper edited at the feet of Jasna Góra which registers what has a sign of Jasna Góra, of Mary and not only in the Polish priestly ministry. We are trying to note the matters of our homeland, both in the historical and the present dimensions. We are thinking over the future of the nation, of the young generation; but, first of all, we are entering the pastoral matters. At this time, for example, we are getting prepared for the Year of Faith. For, the faith is the base of our life, and its quality depends on the faith. It is also important for us to be able to create a Christian opinion together and build culture based on evangelical values. For, the voice of communities hostile to the Church is domineering in the society, and as a result Christ is still being slapped into his face.

The task of the Catholic newspapers is to show a real face of the Church and show the Christian vision of the man and the society. However, we will not build a Christian Catholic opinion if the circulation of the Catholic newspapers is low. What can a parish priest do if there are 10distributed issues of the Catholic weekly per 1000 believers? In this situation there will be created no option of the Christian vision of the family and social life. We must not allow for anti-Christian communities to hinder us.

I would like to ask both priests and believers not to avoid Catholic newspapers but notice that it is the contemporary priestly ministry. If we want to have good mind and heart today, we should also get to know information from Catholic mass media, among the others, read our ‘Sunday’. We have excellent publicists, excellent authors. Thanks to their professional articles, thanks to interesting interviews, the weekly ‘Sunday’ is an important factor of upbringing in the family and personal educating. So, let reading of a Catholic newspaper become a custom in our families. We suggest the youth reading the ‘Sunday for Youth’ – a well-edited weekly supplement addressed to the young generation, whereas we recommend the bimonthly ‘My Magazine Rainbow’ to the youngest aged between 4 and 8. We have many possibilities to reach to the sources of the Christian life. Thanks to these possibilities as the Christians we can exist in the lay society.

Let Sunday of Mass Media be an occasion for all of us to recall care which should be expressed both by priests and lay people. We are building the Christian consciousness together, we are building the welfare of the Polish family and a beautiful future of the young generation, which lives love to God and homeland. And I ask you for it on the occasion of the Day of Mass Media.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 38/2012

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl