A Church in Dialogue

The Art and Science of Church Communication

Gema Bellido

• Publisher: EDUSC
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9791254820704
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Communication Studies
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

This book was written for the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the School of Church Communications, which was founded in 1996 as part of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Although several of its professors and collaborators have participated as authors, these pages are not intended as a review the brief history of the School. Rather, they aim to be a collective reflection on people, themes and events of the final years of the 20th Century and the beginning of the current one, which can teach us much about the communication of, in and from the Church. It has been a time rich in significant events and changes – the new millennium, the digital revolution, the economic and migratory crises, the global pandemic – which have produced major cultural transformations and veritable tsunamis in the world of communication. Communicating the faith and the Christian experience is the task of all the members of the Church. But it is also true that communication professionals and academics have a special responsibility in this task. We hope that this book can contribute to the appreciation and promotion of the role of communication in the Catholic Church, by taking stock of the work done in these twenty-five years, reflecting on the lessons learned and showing the challenges that lie on the horizon.Gema Bellido holds a PhD in Audiovisual Communication from the Complutense University of Madrid. She worked in several media (television and radio) before turning to the academic life and becoming a professor of Image Culture at Villanueva University (Madrid). She has also participated in several research groups related to the new trends in the Fiction/Non-Fiction paradigm in Spanish audiovisual discourse, as well as on the protection of minors and and the relationship between television and childhood. She currently resides in Rome, where she combines her work as a communications consultant with research at the School of Communication at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

Table of contents

• INTRODUCTION
• I. A CHANGE OF ERA
• M. Fuster Cancio: A retrospective look: 1996-2021
• L. Cantoni: Digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic
• D. Contreras: Evolution of Journalism
• A. Gregory: Evolution of insitutional communication
• II. CHURCH COMMUNICATION
• C. Pioppi: Catholicism at the turn of the millennium: legacy and horizons (1996-2021)
• G.M. Vian: The Holy See and communications (1996-2021)
• F. Lombardi: Three popes, three communication styles
• J.M. Díaz Dorronsoro: The Church’s doctrine on communication
• J.M. La Porte: The nature and relevance of institutional communication in the Church
• M. Carroggio: The communication offices of Church organizations: their history, their functions, their future
• J. Narbona-L. Ruiz: Geography of the Church’s growing presence in the digital continent
• V. Giacometti: Twenty-five years of the Holy See Press Office: three popes, five directors, one message
• M. Herrero: Introduction to communication and governance: decisions, structures, commitments, attitudes
• A. Rinaldi-H. Zollner: The abuse crisis
• R. Younger: The dynamics and context of problems in institutional trust
• III. CHURCH PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION
• J.P. Cannata: The participation of the Church in public debates in a secularized society
• J. Valero: Communicating the Catholic Church’s position on gender and homosexuality
• Aloysius John: The Church cares for the poor: the mission of Caritas
• J. Cárdenas del Carre: Francis and migration: a phenomenon that will determine the future of the world?
• M. Lozano: Religious freedom and persecuted Christians
• I. Assor-K.D. Jamal-P. Gil: Inter-faith friendship, fraternity and the promotion of peace
• M.I. González Álvarez: Communicating solidarity, integral ecology and sustainable lifestyles
• N. Govekar: The transmission of faith and the artistic patrimony of the Church
• I. San Martín: Religion journalism
• G. Erlandson: At a crossroads: Catholic media today
• A. Fumagalli: Great TV and cinema produced by Catholics
• IV. CONCLUSION
• D. Arasa: Education for a communication culture in the Church: present and future
• MEMORIES AND IMAGES
• AUTHORS